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How To Achieve This Style of Lighting?

Lewis McGregor

Lewis McGregor

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Hey Guys,

I'm a bit stumped on how to achieve this way of lighting.

Untitled-1-e1433107029124.jpg


It looks like the only light source is coming from the window. I’m not too sure if the actual light source is solely coming from the window, and if that is the case what is the best way to set up the scene?
Should I expose for the actors and let the windows blow out (like in the jpeg examples) or is there anything more to it?

Lewis
 
Big light outside, bounce return with small "pizza boxes" (usually 1' x 1' pieces of a material called celotex in the states, it's polystyrene insulation with a silver coating on one side) or kinos or LEDs for fill. My favotite way to light interiors is like this. Once you have established the strong window source you can get away with general fill in the room, even as broad a stroke as bouncing a light into the ceiling can bring the level up and it isn't obvious.

Another gag used pretty regularly is to have a high soucrcey light to punch a shaft up high, and then another instrument lower through a frame to put some soft directional coming from the window.

Nick

PS, keep in mind you can always clean up the close ups.
 
Nick Gardner said:
Big light outside, bounce return with small "pizza boxes" (usually 1' x 1' pieces of a material called celotex in the states, it's polystyrene insulation with a silver coating on one side) or kinos or LEDs for fill. My favotite way to light interiors is like this. Once you have established the strong window source you can get away with general fill in the room, even as broad a stroke as bouncing a light into the ceiling can bring the level up and it isn't obvious.

Another gag used pretty regularly is to have a high soucrcey light to punch a shaft up high, and then another instrument lower through a frame to put some soft directional coming from the window.

Nick

PS, keep in mind you can always clean up the close ups.
Click to expand...

Nick, following the steps above, should I remove any other exterior light sources such as open doors or windows on the other side of the room?

I tried to pull this off recently, but I had windows on the left and windows on the back wall. Am I right in thinking that there should be only one window source?

Lewis
 
Can you share a link to the original video?
 
I tried to pull this off recently, but I had windows on the left and windows on the back wall. Am I right in thinking that there should be only one window source?
Click to expand...

It's all about getting whats in your minds eye onto the film. Normally, on well budgeted productions, you control everything so there is no variation over time - ie you black out windows that aren't on camera and any fill you need you provide with artificial sources. That being said, on a budget, maybe the biggest light you have is a 1200 par, and maybe you don't have six hours to get your wide shots, so maybe you make do with what you have. In those circumstances ofetn times you modulate what other light there is coming into the room however you can. Clip duvateen over half of the windows off camera to get the light level to where yo want it. I have even used the real sun and just blacked out the rest of the room. It's all about the ratios.

Hazing the room alittle really helps with this kind of lighting as the haze spreds the light around a bit and increases the fill levels. Also worth mentioning, that for all of peoples talk of clipping, burn out the windows if you want. Back in olden times when you wanted to sell a set as a real location, we would put some type of diffusion over the windows and blast them so they burned out. Haze helps with that too, It can be problematic to see the light stand out the window if you are holding the outside, the haze will help the window burn and hide that. Another thing I do is keep a hunk of camo netting in the truck to throw on light stands you see out side.

This particular style of lighting takes some learning but it's really great for long oners with lots of movement.

Cheers,

Nick
 
Lewis McGregor said:
Hey Guys, I'm a bit stumped on how to achieve this way of lighting.
Click to expand...

Using the window as a single source may not always give you the effect you want. I wouldn't be surprised if there was an HMI rimming the talent.

Paul Dean
 
Nick Gardner said:
This particular style of lighting takes some learning but it's really great for long oners with lots of movement.

Cheers,

Nick
Click to expand...


Thanks for the info Nick, very informative. Thanks for the answers from everyone else too! :thumbsup:
 
I thin it is obvious to mention but there atmospheric haze, thanks to a smoke machine. This in itself provides some fill.
 
Anyone got some other examples of this type of lighting? I'm putting together a visual lookbook for a short film I'm working on and looking for ideas. Specifically one scene is a hotel/motel scene lit only by moonlight through a large window covered with venetian blinds.
 
See..... Blade Runner (1982).
 
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