Simulating Moonlight

[Marc Wielage]

Another important bit of info needed to consider, as David brought up about mixed color temps, is that my character walking through the moonlit landscape is carrying a fire-lit torch. That is an important element that needs to be addressed as far as balancing for realism. Another concern is that if I'm shooting at ISO 25,000 or thereabouts...

My opinion is that's not gonna work. It's gonna clip even at ISO 2000 (depending on the T stop). Shoot tests first.

A decade ago, DP John Bartley was able to get detail in totally black night scenes lit by torches on Lost for seven seasons, and that was just shot on Kodak 5219 ISO 500 film -- no pushing, no funny business, just good solid lighting and reasonable fill. And that was before we had highlight recovery and a few other post tricks. There's at least a dozen different colors and shades in a torch, and I cringe whenever I see those unnecessarily clipped out on TV or features. You can get all the shades of yellow, white, and red in the torches and the character's faces if you work at it.

 

[David Mullen ASC]

My suggestion is to start with a much smaller flame -- I've had torches burn down to a level where they were too dim, but that's probably the level you want to be at for a high ISO camera setting, more like a candle flame level. Or see if there is a way to get an ND Wratten gel cut and glued as a spot in the center of a clear filter, to just ND where the torch and actor's face will be. There may even be a center spot ND grad on the market.

 

[Joe Taylor]

The character carrying the torch in this sequence is always going to be seen from a distance. He will start approx. 100 yards from the camera, which is about 50' up the side of a small mountain looking down on the wash where he travels. The closest he will be before disappearing around the far side of the hill/mountain is about 50 yards. If we can't make the torch burn dim enough, I was also thinking of building a barrel like shade, made of wire wrapped in ND, that wraps around the flame, with a diameter generous enough to keep it from getting torched.

With my plan I fear this ND contraption would still be seen. However, David's idea makes better sense. As long as my actor holds the torch so that the ND spot is positioned directly towards the camera. Could be tricky, but I have to find a solution by mid week.