I'm doing the camerawork for a friend's movie and I just found out that we're filming in 6 hours, that's not the problem. The problem is they want to do a scene lit by a few candles. We're highschoolers, so we don't really understand lighting. We have a cheap $250 mini DV camera, and no type of real lighting. How can we do this? Please respond quickly.

Really BIG candles. But for the price of some of the candles my wife buys, you'd be better off buying set of Arri lights.


Or, you could light with lower level lighting (<150watts) that brings the subjects reflected light up to a level that mini-DV can record and then supplement with candles in the image so the audience thinks all the lighting is provided by candles.

Look at this thread about the similar subject. Candlelight (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=41638&highlight=candlelight)

Or, you could light with lower level lighting (<150watts) that brings the subjects reflected light up to a level that mini-DV can record and then supplement with candles in the image so the audience thinks all the lighting is provided by candles.

How do I reflect the light up to them? Can I use a normal worklight? Do I put something over the worklight to tone down the brightness?

I would arrange the light so that it is on the same side of the subject as the visible candles, and use a CTO gel (or two) to create as warm a light source as possible while still transmitting some light.

If you are really creative, for an onstage production we cut orange gel material into strips, and then have a small fan blow them so that you get the candle flicker reflecting of the subject. Be careful with noise on this one though, not that much of a problem on stage, much more of a problem around sensitive mics.

I would arrange the light so that it is on the same side of the subject as the visible candles, and use a CTO gel (or two) to create as warm a light source as possible while still transmitting some light.

If you are really creative, for an onstage production we cut orange gel material into strips, and then have a small fan blow them so that you get the candle flicker reflecting of the subject. Be careful with noise on this one though, not that much of a problem on stage, much more of a problem around sensitive mics.

What are CTO gels, where can I get them, how much do they cost?

CTO is basically orange gel.

I'm guessing you don't really want to spend too much money on your production. So my suggestion is to use house hold products such as flashlights hidden in strategic places to light up key parts of your image (such as people's faces, etc). If you only have bigger stronger lights, put a frosted shower curtain in front of the lights to dim them down.

And if everything looks unreal, try treating your image in post. Just add a bit of orange to your orange afterwards.

Open the iris on the camera if it has one. Also, try bouncing a flashlight off a copper pan or something similar in color. Anything that will give you enough light to capture a picture, but also look realisitic with just a candle.

You'd be surprised what works...experiment with bouncing colored and non-colored light off colored and non-colored objects. If you don't have access to much stuff...get physically close to the actors with the camera. Don't zoom in...get physically close so the camera can capture as much candle light as possible.

What are CTO gels, where can I get them, how much do they cost?

Sorry, Color Temperature Orange (I think). Walmart used to have colored Saran Wrap. Try several layers of that in fornt of your light. Or get an orange piece of poster board to bounce the light off of. Orange scarf over an ordinary table lamp shade? Halloween candy bucket around bare lightbulb?

If you are in a tight spot and need cheap lights, go to Home Depot. Buy a couple of those aluminum cheapy work lights. Stick a big round, Soft light bulb in there. If you want it to look like they are lit from a candle, just have someone hold the light above, and to the side of the person so it looks like the light is coming from the candle. Adjust the intensity of the light by having the person holding it step in or out.

You can set for Outdoor filter, and it should be pretty warm with tungsten lights then.

Now RUN!

JEff Patnaude :>)

i'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that his $250 dv cam doesn't have white balance control.