Mark D'agostino
Forum Replies Created
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We’ve done this often over the years and I always start with contacting the videographer and viewing samples of his/her work. That discussion and viewing helps me know that I’m getting an experienced professional.
From there I send a video sample of the look I am going for. I have never sent a lighting diagram because a true professional will figure out the look on his/her own with his/her own tools. Equally important is audio. I tell them how I’ve miked my interviews and what mics I’m using. The hope here is to get as close a match as possible. Don’t just concentrate on matching the video.
I do agree with the other posters that trying to get the same camera and being able to provide the technical specs;gamma curves,etc.,is important.Mark D’Agostino
http://www.synergeticproductions.com -
I agree that flat glasses would make the reflection easier with a smaller source. Would also replacing the lenses with mirrors allow for the use of a lower light level so that the face stays well under lit while getting the white reflection you seek…all done practically?
Mark D’Agostino
http://www.synergeticproductions.com -
Thanks for the reply. I’ve shot a lot of film over the years and have used plus and minus green extensively. I was more curious as to whether this brand is known to exhibit this flaw more than others. It feels pretty cheap with its light plastic case. But since the college’s budget is tight these will work nicely for the students and gave me the perfect example to demonstrate what a green spike is especially when shooting under fluorescents.
Mark D’Agostino
http://www.synergeticproductions.com -
Good points Rick. I neglected to say we also had a gray card. The color card was a nice confirmation of the neutral balance and helped flag any over saturation issues…lots of wild colors and lights in the store in the background.
Mark D’Agostino
http://www.synergeticproductions.com -
I agree. However, I recently did a multiple day shoot, testimonials, in a couple of convenience store locations. We had to move fast and keep a very small footprint so as not to affect customers. We shot 39 testimonials in 2 days. The stores had a couple different fluorescent and large windows so daylight constantly affected us. I back lit with an HMI and front lit with a Chimera daylight occasionally adding negative fill. That’s all. Even though we constantly white balanced I held a Macbeth color chart, (hold over from my film days), in frame before every testimonial to make color matching easier in post.
Mark D’Agostino
http://www.synergeticproductions.com -
For tabletop lighting tiny areas I’ve used these neat little Altman 3″ fresnels for many years. The have a lensed snoot-like attachment with tiny slide-in shutters; essentially ultra mini ellipsoidals. I could light a single letter on a product label and defocus the edges to blend. They’re probably 30 years old but hard to beat.
Mark D’Agostino
http://www.synergeticproductions.com -
A nice approach on your part. My two concerns are that the items don’t seem to “snap”. I’ve often used tiny mirrors or small dedo-like lights to paint some brightness individually into small items placed in a darker setting like yours. It also looks like the two tall bottles are not standing up straight. While I suggested earlier to be careful not to change the color of the packaging, I do like your warm approach.
Mark D’Agostino
http://www.synergeticproductions.com -
I actually love the look of white on white. I think a harder strong 3/4 back light with a soft bounce front light can be elegant. If you want some color and dimension try draping very sheer pastel colored fabric at different distances in the background and sending some light through those as well rather than using the curved back of your tabletop,(if it has one). A couple pieces of that fabric could be placed on the table itself around but not under the product. Find a complimentary pastel color to underlight the product rather than covering the table with cloth. Your choice of colors will determine the warmth you wish to achieve. Be careful not to change the white color of the product. The client usually doesn’t like that especially when white is the color…I’ve had that experience. There are so many other ways to do this…just my 2 cents.
Mark D’Agostino
http://www.synergeticproductions.com -
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