Question about filters

[Domenic Barbero]

basically trying to understand using warming/cooling filters and what the process is with white balancing. Do you white balance first then add filter to get your affect. or do you use filter and white balance off the filter manipulated image? have a project coming up using a few warming filters and want to really know the process so everyone can get the most out of post

Dom

 

[David Mullen ASC]

If you put the color filter on first and then white balance, you neutralize / cancel the colored effect... Unless you then remove the filter, at which point the color will be biased in the opposite direction.

To some degree you don't really need warming filters to warm up the image, you just select a higher color temperature setting on the camera than the scene has. So the warming filter would only be useful if you were outside in daylight and didn't want to set the camera to levels like 7000K or if that wasn't close to how warm you wanted to make the image and thus needed a filter.

 

[Nick Morrison]

Domenic, take a look at this trailer for 42. In American Cinematographer, I remember reading Don Burgess used a number of warming "mists" to give this picture an epic period feel. He used a different set of warming mist for each period of Jackie's life. One for Jackie's time in the negro leagues, another for his time in the minors, and finally a last set for his time in the majors. If I remember correctly, he used a Tiffen Warm Pro Mist, Bronze Glimmerglass, and a Warm Soft FX (there may have been a fourth look in there, too). Most of these filters had an 812 warming gel built into them. Either way, should give you a sense of what that warmed up look can give you. Bear in mind these are warming MISTS, so you will see the golden "dust" in the shot. Not the same as using a warming filter clean. For that, I have to imagine David is 1000% correct...better to just do it in-camera.

Also, take a look at War Horse. Janusz Kaminsi layered Coral filters and Classic Soft on portions of that movie to give it an epic, pastoral look, too. Maybe that can inspire you as well:

 

[Michael Notar]

Hi Dom

Set your sensor at 5000k and use the cooling filter under tungsten with the sensor k unchanged. do the same but with warming filters.

Remember its all raw, fine tune the color in post. In either way you get all white or whiter light to the sensor and get less noise.

Changing the k on the camera just shows you what it could look like in post.

I have warming and cooling filters, tho I could see that warming may not be as necessary as the blue ones, but I have em anyways to be thorough,
and cuz I have an 81C from my photography days.

 

[Domenic Barbero]

If you put the color filter on first and then white balance, you neutralize / cancel the colored effect... Unless you then remove the filter, at which point the color will be biased in the opposite direction.

To some degree you don't really need warming filters to warm up the image, you just select a higher color temperature setting on the camera than the scene has. So the warming filter would only be useful if you were outside in daylight and didn't want to set the camera to levels like 7000K or if that wasn't close to how warm you wanted to make the image and thus needed a filter.

Thanks David, I usually do most of the warming in Camera, but i always was under the impression that filters can pick and choose what tones get warmed up and such, where as the iso just tweaks the whole image. I checked out schneiders Sahara gold which the movie sahara was shot using. THought it was really great. Ive got a feature im shooting in the desert and they really want to give it an antique warm feel, which im not sure i could achieve in camera. Any tips would be great.

 

[Domenic Barbero]

Domenic, take a look at this trailer for 42. In American Cinematographer, I remember reading Don Burgess used a number of warming "mists" to give this picture an epic period feel. He used a different set of warming mist for each period of Jackie's life. One for Jackie's time in the negro leagues, another for his time in the minors, and finally a last set for his time in the majors. If I remember correctly, he used a Tiffen Warm Pro Mist, Bronze Glimmerglass, and a Warm Soft FX (there may have been a fourth look in there, too). Most of these filters had an 812 warming gel built into them. Either way, should give you a sense of what that warmed up look can give you. Bear in mind these are warming MISTS, so you will see the golden "dust" in the shot. Not the same as using a warming filter clean. For that, I have to imagine David is 1000% correct...better to just do it in-camera.

Also, take a look at War Horse. Janusz Kaminsi layered Coral filters and Classic Soft on portions of that movie to give it an epic, pastoral look, too. Maybe that can inspire you as well:

Nick, 42 is actually the look i was going for but couldnt find what was used anywhere. I really like the chocolately browns of the earlier stages of his career. Looked great on screen, towards the end it warmed up a bit with a touch of glow, Would love to recreate both of those looks. Which were they again? Do you have the link to the article?

 

[Nick Morrison]

Nick, 42 is actually the look i was going for but couldnt find what was used anywhere. I really like the chocolately browns of the earlier stages of his career. Looked great on screen, towards the end it warmed up a bit with a touch of glow, Would love to recreate both of those looks. Which were they again? Do you have the link to the article?

Just looked up the article. For the 1945 scenes, Burgess used Tiffen Warm Pro-Mist (1/8 and 1/4). For 1946 he used Tiffen Warm Soft FX (1/8 and 1/4). And for 1947 he used Tiffen Bronze Glimmerglass.

There were a couple of scenes they kept "cooler", and used Hollywood Black Magic.

I think the ones you want are Tiffen Warm Pro-Mist and Tiffen Bronze Glimmerglass. I ended up buying sets of both of these in 77mm because I loved the look so much (after watching the film).

 

[Domenic Barbero]

Its goin down boss.

Just looked up the article. For the 1945 scenes, Burgess used Tiffen Warm Pro-Mist (1/8 and 1/4). For 1946 he used Tiffen Warm Soft FX (1/8 and 1/4). And for 1947 he used Tiffen Bronze Glimmerglass.

There were a couple of scenes they kept "cooler", and used Hollywood Black Magic.

I think the ones you want are Tiffen Warm Pro-Mist and Tiffen Bronze Glimmerglass. I ended up buying sets of both of these in 77mm because I loved the look so much (after watching the film).