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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Lighting Opinion Needed!

R

Ryan Velasquez

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Hi all,

I don't know if this is a faux pas because I didn't shoot this with the RED per se, but I am hoping that being an aspiring, future RED user will be enough? I've been reading through threads on this forum, and everyone here has created such professional content, that I can't imagine a better place to become a better cinematographer.

In any case, if you all would be so kind to indulge me for the time being, I am setting up a couple of different looks for talking head videos in my studio and would love to have some opinion/critique on the way the lighting/camera is set up.

1) The first setup is a black backdrop:

http://www.rybo.tv/forum/blackcyc_half.jpg

The set-up consists of a black curtain in the background, with those 3 lights (turned off and used as props), about 2-3 ft from the curtain. The subject is 8-9 ft from the curtain, and the camera is about 17-18 ft.

For lighting the subject I have two 1500 watt flourescent lights with daylight bulbs, both with 1/2 minus green gels on them. The key light has 3028 (tough quarter white) diffusion on it, while the fill has a thicker diffusion (the material that is used to separate gels). I have a 50 watt LED hair light attached to the ceiling (which is low, only about 3 ft. higher than the subject).

I am using a little bit of fluorescent light to highlight the light props in the bkgd as well.

The camera is shooting 1920x1080 24p, with ND1 filter on, the iris at f1.9, shutter speed at 1/60, and white balanced at 5200k.

2) The second setup is a white cyc look (i shot it on white - then used a luma key to replace the bg with a gradient):

http://www.rybo.tv/forum/whitecyc_half.jpg

The setup is the same for the most part in terms of lighting the subject. The bgkd has two 2000 watt fluorescent lights blasting on it.

I don't remember what the camera settings were for this one, but they were adjusted to blow out the bg.

Thought I'd ask to see if anyone had any suggestions for how to improve these looks and also, if they had any ideas on any other looks I can go for in a cramped studio space.

Thanks!

Ryan
 
Ryan:

Lighting set-ups look good. Not a hard and fast rule, but one I try to subscribe to as much as possible is to key your subject from the side they will be looking. If your subject is speaking to an off camera interviewer CAMERA RIGHT, key the on camera subject from the right. This applies to documentary as well as dramatic cinematography. If your actor is camera left, looking right, key from the right. And vice versa.

It is of course academic if your subject is speaking (looking) directly into the lens for documentary/reality work. Best of luck.
Joel
 
Aloha Ryan - looks great.

My opinion would be a stronger back light on the first one (DIVA maybe?). Personally, I would like more key as well, but that's me. Your BG light props I would move further away from your subject, perhaps on some apples to maintain height. I feel they are in focus too much and pull my eyes to them over the subject.

2nd one is really nice as well. I again would just pour more light in. Higher key.

Just my opinions, I am only just now taking lighting seriously. Hope I have helped.
 
Your key seems to be almost a kicker, certainly sidelight. At the moment it's pretty much half and half, keying exactly one half of the face (in some of those setups, even less in others). I'd bring it around a lot more frontal/three-quarters on - get a better eyelight and more attractive lighting on the face.
I'd also use a stronger backlight, and use a longer lens, get a bit less space in the frame, with the lights more out of focus and behind the shoulder. Maybe even lose 2 of the lights and just use one in the background.
 
I agree with pete. I used to do was use a mannequin head they use for wigs
and practice placing lights in different spots and looking at the results. Lighting is very subjective, If you are the final voice in the shot and you like it, then it done, but if your working for someone else and they want a certain look, there is only one way to get it.
Practice practice practice
 
Hey thanks Pete,

You are most definitely right. The key is way too much of a kicker. I don't know why I didn't see that so clearly before. I will definitely move that around and get more of a frontal/three-quarters look on.

Also, thanks for the idea about getting less pace in the frame and losing 2 of the lights. that is something I will look into.

Any other thoughts?
 
You have light raking across the props in the background of the first one, which looks very nice, but if you want to reduce the distraction, you might try moving the light behind the props more, so they just have more of a kicker outline.

I also agree with adding a backlight up high, and moving the key toward the front.
 
heyo,

so i pulled the key around more frontal and raised it as well. i also strengthed the backlight/kicker (and messed with the prop light in the bg- but thats not too important):

http://rybo.tv/forum/blackcyc_1.jpg

i agree that it looks better... a lot more pleasant in the traditional way. however, there's still something about having it set up with that previous sidelighting thats visually interesting to me.

but please, tell me what you think of how the setup looks now.

(one with less fill http://rybo.tv/forum/blackcyc_2.jpg)
 
eyes

eyes

In a movie the eyes are what people look at, they tell the story.

For my taste your eyes are too much in shadow.

I would put some fill light over the matte box or add a ring light. You also need a point source for an eye light to the left of the camera lens (shadow side of the nose).

You can cut two holes in some cardboard to flag off the fill light from the actors face and hit the eyes with some fill. Snoots are used for such shots.

http://www.diyphotography.net/diy-homemade-speedlite-snoot

http://www.diyphotography.net/studio-lighting-flash-mounted-homemade-diy-beauty-dish

The shadow of the actors nose is something to pay attention to, for most shots the actor would not be looking in the direction of the camera's lens, so you would have your lights re-arranged.

Also avoid mixed K values and colors on the lights it can give colored shadows, which are hard to remove in grading.
 
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