Lighting a Dark Scene

[Michael Frymus]

Shooting on the Red, howdo you light a dark scene?

The problem is, its a dark lab. There are two blaring hot lights over two 'surgical' tables, meant to be over exposed. And when the main doors open, another hot light source lights the room.
Also, there are electronics and lights flashing in the background.

How would I light it dark so I still see the lights flashing. Have light sources over exposed too.

I already did this shoot, but had problems with it. if I lit it normally and then brought down exposure you wouldn't make out the small flashing lights.

 

[David Mullen ASC]

You first have to find out what the best exposure is for the small flashing lights and then base your other light levels around that base.

 

[Michael Frymus]

You first have to find out what the best exposure is for the small flashing lights and then base your other light levels around that base.

yeah, I was told to do that last year when I did a film like this...
But, how would I do that? I cant just stick my light meter up against the light and hope to get an exposure. It wouldnt be bright enough. How would I do that, and how do I base the light around it?

UPDATE:
I got the footage back from the shot we did. It looks actually really good
I tend to light by my meter and then see how it looks on the monitor. It was really over exposed in some spots and really underexposed in others. But thankfully it was not recorded like that. Ugh, unreliable monitors. Haha. I never light by them, just to double check if everything is okay or if anything additional is needed to look cooler.

 

[Marc Wielage]

It's all about key-to-fill ratio. You can always overfill a little bit, then crush it in post, which is a standard trick used in TV.

 

[Kirk.Attard]

Interesting MIchael - I'll have a couple of similar shots very soon. The only real lights would be torches - Its a sort of dungueon or catacombs. Can I hide some warm lights to help soften out the torches a little? And perhaps bounce some on the background of the set just to give depth?

 

[Eric M Hurt]

If you post some screen shots of scenes you want to mimic that might help, but my guess is that you're over lighting. I would disagree with Marc that you should overfill, that's probably your problem, but he is right about ratios, meaning you have to think about the ratios between your light sources and adjust your individual lights intensity to match each other with either dimmers, by using different watt bulbs or by scrimming them.
You also have to think about the space you are lighting; if the space is small it gets tricky; are your hot lights (meaning your overexposed lights) bouncing around too much and causing too much fill? If so throw down some black on the floor, assuming you aren't seeing it, to suck that extra light up. If your walls are white that will make things difficult too, hang something or (if possible) have the room painted a dark color.

I would suggest setting up your camera and monitor with the widest lens you have facing the scene with no lights on at all, pitch black.... Then work from the practicals on up; meaning turn on any lights (like your buttons) that you don't have intensity control over, then bring up any backlight and overhead to match those, always checking your monitor. Control your spill on any lights where you can (you can wrap black wrap around bulbs, etc) THEN add small source fill if needed by using a dimmer to dial it in. In very dark scenes where the action will play in the light of the practicals you often don't need any fill at all IMO.

Kirk, use smaller sources, like 300s or midgets on a dimmers gelled with CTO and some diffusion. If the people are moving and you only want to see the actors and very little of the background (and are pulling the actors) then use the barn doors and have a couple people walk along and hold the lights to keep the lights on the subjects only. You can also use a toplight like a pancake or a china ball gelled and diffused and have someone walk with the actors with the toplight (on a pole) just out of frame. Hiding lights can work, but if the actors are moving you will need lighting cues to turn them off and on. Under expose by a stop or two.

 

[Marc Wielage]

II would disagree with Marc that you should overfill, that's probably your problem, but he is right about ratios, meaning you have to think about the ratios between your light sources and adjust your individual lights intensity to match each other with either dimmers, by using different watt bulbs or by scrimming them.

Well, there's gross overfill to the point where it turns into a sitcom, and then there's a little ​overfilling. That we can compensate for in post.

 

[Eric M Hurt]

Overfilling is overfilling. If he's going for a sitcom look to see the entire scene then sure, use plenty of fill, but if it's to be moody with pools of light and shadow then go with very little to no fill. You can't compensate for the wrong ratios of light.

 

[Björn Benckert]

yeah, I was told to do that last year when I did a film like this...
But, how would I do that? I cant just stick my light meter up against the light and hope to get an exposure. It wouldnt be bright enough. How would I do that, and how do I base the light around it?

UPDATE:
I got the footage back from the shot we did. It looks actually really good
I tend to light by my meter and then see how it looks on the monitor. It was really over exposed in some spots and really underexposed in others. But thankfully it was not recorded like that. Ugh, unreliable monitors. Haha. I never light by them, just to double check if everything is okay or if anything additional is needed to look cooler.

Use the goal posts and RGB over expo indicators for exposure and use the monitor picture more for framing, just as you would do with a film camera but with the benefit of having the under/over expo meters in camera to use aswell.

 

[Eric M Hurt]

Use the goal posts and RGB over expo indicators for exposure and use the monitor picture more for framing, just as you would do with a film camera but with the benefit of having the under/over expo meters in camera to use aswell.

Alternatively you could use the false color or a spot meter.