Rick Wise
1
COW Coin
Forum Replies Created
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“Where is the best place to put the hair light in each scenario in order to avoid reflections from bald heads and white hair?” The best solutions to bald heads and white hair I’ve found are:
- make the hair light as large as possible by flying diffusion in the path of the light
- scrim or dim down the light until it is just visible — reduce the intensity
“How far to the left or right can it go before it loses its effect?”
- I always prefer to fly it directly behind the subject. Because the head is a round surface, you can never remove that sheen by moving the light left or right
“does any one have a good solution for a stand?”
- A c-stand is the tool for this job, combined with a quaker/quacker/platypus clamp that grabs the foamcore in its large “lips”; with the c-stand you grab the clamp with its baby stud
“How does using white and mirror differ.”
- White is a soft reflection, a mirror hard. Each has its place. If the key light is soft, the mirror will simply reflect the soft light, but if it’s a hard light, the mirror bounce will be hard as well. In general, use white foamcore unless it doesn’t kick back enough light
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
I know them as C-74s…. The version dipped in plastic look pretty cool.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
Todd, the diffusion looks terrific. I’ve been sending my students to Home Depot for shower curtain liners, but this looks to be even better. Thanks!
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
Suggested next steps: shoot another test without the filter. Try setting the white balance to tungsten, which will make everything very blue. Also shoot it set to “daylight.” Bracket exposure: “normal,” under 1 stop, under 2 stops, for each color balance. Then import into your NLE and play.
There are off-the-shelf DFN effects filters for most NLEs. Return the filter and with the money buy one of them. Play some more.
If exploring on your own this way is not your bag, find a local editor who has the experience you are looking for.
My two cents.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
Todd, where did you see the price? I can’t find it….
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
And I’m almost with Todd, who is himself almost always right…. (Back at you, Todd…) I still think underexposing by at least a stop gets you a leg up. But with digital manipulation, not essential.
This topic does bring up another one: what is “believable” moonlight and night illumination. Cinematographers are all over the map on this one, from rather bright moonlight scenes to (the ones I prefer) quite dark ones. Actual moonlight is extremely dim. The moon itself is bright, but the inverse square law works here too: by the time the light reaches our earth, precious little of its intensity is left.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
Check the description of this filter at BHPhotovideo.com. Frankly, I don’t think you need it. First, you can make direct sun look like moonlight provided you expose correctly. Works best as a rim light or 3/4 back. You can also make the sky work, with some work. Shoot some tests. Try underexposing by one and then two stops. In post, darken any blue sky. Then desaturate all the colors. Then adjust exposure to you liking. You can apply a day-for-night post filter if you like, but with some tweaking in your NLE you should be able to get there without it. There are lots of tutorials on the Internet on this topic.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
Since you are so familiar with the Sonys, probably best to stick with them. I prefer Panasonic, and Canon. The Panasonic HMC-150 is essentially an HD version of the fabulous old SD camera, DVX-100b. The 150 is four of five years old, but seems to remain quite popular. Read the customer reviews on the B&H site for all the cameras you are considering.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
Part One is at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynykjwpdvb8. It does not look to be nearly as interesting. Maybe I’m missing something.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
San Francisco Bay Area
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eBay is selling the kit, buy it now, for $650…. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Camera-Video-Studio-LowelScandles-Two-Light-Kit-/261237991986?pt=US_Lighting_Parts_and_Accessories&hash=item3cd2ff6a32
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com