Would like to improve Workflow for filming concerts

[Ian Scanlan]

Can anybody give me advice on how best to shoot a concert at my local music bar. I use 2 XL2's - one at the back and the other one I walk around with. I am particularly interested in how best to white balance both cameras. I usually leave the white balance to the indoor lighting preset - the reason for this is because of the variable lighting you get at concert venues - one second it's red, then blue...then white etc. I am not sure if this is the correct way to go but I figured that because of the various shades of white coming from the stage, then there would be no absolute white colour - I may be mistaken however. Anyway, any help and advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Marco Leavitt]

I'd probably just do a tungsten preset on both of them and be done with it.

[Mike Andrade]

I've been shooting a ton of this the past 2 months and I havent been able to nail down a perfect WB setting for this. After several tests I came to the conclusion that with all the fluctuating light and colors its best for me just to go with indoor tungsten preset and do any minor corrections in post. I used to balance before the show with the lights all the way up on a white card but found little difference from indoor preset.

[Ian Scanlan]

Thanks Guys for the advice. I'll probably stick to the Tungsten preset myself. I think the nature of the lighting set up at most concert halls make it near impossible to access the 'optimum' camera setting. Where I film, I have to up the gain to around 12 - I know this is sacrilege to a lot of XL2 users. However, anything less and I can't see the band! It's just too dark.

[Jonathan Kirsch]

Ian...

The other choice would be to have the lighting guy (or gal) throw a white stage light (not the house lights) onto the stage before the show. White balance to that and the other colors should come out correctly.

Jonathan