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Extensive white flaring, how to do this?

Shawn Nelson

Shawn Nelson

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Recently saw the new Beyonce video 'Halo' and loved how the video had an interesting look of constantly flaring out in a way that washes out much of the frame. How was this look achieved? In certain frames it looks like lots of haze, and the look was now doubt enhanced in post, but much of it looks like it was done in camera. Does certain glass or filters do this?
Entire video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70AgyIEnBRE

Attached pics of specific moments
 

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Those are anamorphic lenses that create that great flare. There is a some sort of backlight that they aimed to hit the lens therefore the light washes out the image creating that milky white image you saw in the video. You have to float around in your shot in order to flare, more onto the light for the milky tone, then back off for another flare, then onto the subject with a little of both etc...

I believe they are Panavision C Series Anamorphic lenses.
 
I've done the same thing with 4K and 1.2K pars blasting down the chute through windows (grab below). In my opinion, it's all about the camera being able to do-si-do sideways either way an inch on the fly so you can control how much of the frame is getting it.

In the frame from above where the guy is behind her, it looks like a 12K right out the window to me.
 

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Some sort of Promist filter on the front would help the washing out too.
 
Hi Shawn,

Probably rather difficult with modern lenses like your RPP's, Older Cooke glass Series 2/3 Pancros & The 20-60 / 20-100 will work better. Same with older Super Speeds.

Stephen

Shawn Nelson said:
Recently saw the new Beyonce video 'Halo' and loved how the video had an interesting look of constantly flaring out in a way that washes out much of the frame. How was this look achieved? In certain frames it looks like lots of haze, and the look was now doubt enhanced in post, but much of it looks like it was done in camera. Does certain glass or filters do this?
Entire video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70AgyIEnBRE

Attached pics of specific moments
Click to expand...
 
The shoot that the above grab came from, that was some old 20mm Cooke T2 that came from a Arri 2C kit.

I did have to use my 18-50 for the same effect in other shots though, and while it was possible, I had to get more of the source in the frame, and the character of the flare fell off harder and had more color on the edges, it was possible to get a flare that kind of matched.

The Cooke was milkier across the entire frame and was harder to "turn the flare down" by moving the camera around, if that makes sense.
 
We've done similar effects on my Lomo Anamorphics as well. In certain cases we have had our electricians sit just off frame and flare the lens. All sorts of ways to get the older lenses to flare nicely.
 
Could also be Arri Varicon, Panaflasher or just flashed film.
 
Joe G. said:
It appears to me that they are doing two things:

1) Blurred overlay mask of the highlights, having them expand and wrap around.

2) Double exposure (compositing) of variously shaped white flares on top of the image.

More things may be going on. But, you could get something similar by doing that.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a very complicated & expensive way to imitate the organic nature of light, glass & film.
 
Mostly it's down to pointing the lens at a direct light source, preferably way over high key, then angling just right so the light source itself is out of frame but the light is still hitting the front optics, causing the flare effect. Take off the matte box to help the effect if possible.

Something else that helps is getting it so the flare is partly caused by the light refracting around an object (like your subject), by edge/back lighting them.

A couple of photo examples illustrating, using Canon photo camera and lenses (all in camera effects, nothing added in post):

IMG_8411c_framed_sRGB_25.jpg


IMG_0086a_framed_sRGB_25.jpg


IMG_3970b_framed_sRGB_25.jpg


Personally I'm a fan of flare when done right! And yes, I even enjoyed them in the new Star Trek movie!!! :tongue_smilie:

HTH

Paul
 
When I was working as a apprentice for a cinematographer, he had a thing against flare. Flare was evil and the ugliest thing on earth. No light that was not reflected could hit the lens, not even if it didn't show in the frame. I was taught to hate flare, but I must admit that I also really like flares! :) I love the art of photography and when I see flare, I feel the enjoyment of taking that picture.
 
Lewis-M Soucy said:
Magic Bullet Looks has tons of great flares to apply in post, just like these or others, like in Die Hard... You can tweak them indefinitely...
Click to expand...

thats not exactly cinematography is it :)

oops, didnt see the above post, didnt mean to lay it on so much.
 
And techno is not music is it? :) Whatever, but result matters, no matter how much we wank about it on set... Just offering tips to the guy here, we're not all Jan de Bont or Adrian Biddle... :smilewinkgrin:

Like if this were a movie hairstylist forum, one would say "and what about Nic Cage's baldness, can I put a wig on him?"... "Oh well, that's not real hair is it"...

That was very judgmental, but I'm cool, I don't really care, I enjoy the discussion... :)

Hope you can take sarcasm... ;)
 
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