Shooting to look like endless black space. at DVinfo.net

Glynn Morgan · March 31st, 2009, 03:13 AM

Hi, I am working on a television commercial at uni. We are using Sony V1P/Z1P's in this class. I have to shoot the TVC in a black space - a theatre with a black brick wall and using 'blacks' to cover the floorboards. Is it possible to light and shoot this so everything but the subject and props are illuminated whilst the background looks like endless black? We have access to read heads, c-stands and cutters.

Is this possible?

I'm not sure of the dimensions of the room, but the space is like a theatre stage, where the back wall is black and the end of the stage is about 7 meters from that.

Les Wilson · March 31st, 2009, 06:43 AM

What you describe sounds like a black void. Charlie Rose uses it. Is the featured interview on this page the look you want (there are some long shots in the video too)?
Stanford Copyright & Fair Use Center

If so, I've done several recently (attached). It forces you to "paint with light" and really control spill. Barn doors are required and for the most part, everything was soft light. The artifact in the background was lit with a pin hole light which was directly above the stool but only 12" from the background walls. The venetian blind was from an ellipsoidal projected directly onto the black muslin background. I have found lots of light is needed and having more low powered lights surrounding the subject is better than trying to use fewer but stronger lights.

Ken Campbell · April 6th, 2009, 12:00 AM

Shooting with a pure black background is surprisingly easy. I use traditional 3 point lighting and make sure that there is no light spill against the background. As Les said, barn doors are your best friend. I also use diffusion panels in front of the front lights. You can also put gobos between the lights and the background to futher block light spill. Once set up, just make sure you have much more light on the subject than on the dark background. When your camera stops down for the light the background goes to black. The backlight is a must to make the subject stand out from the background.

Videocameras don't go to 100% black by the way. You have to adjust levels in your NLE to get that pure 000 black.

For fun, you should try getting a pure white background!

March 31st, 2009, 03:13 AM	#1
Glynn Morgan Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Australia Posts: 119	Shooting to look like endless black space. Hi, I am working on a television commercial at uni. We are using Sony V1P/Z1P's in this class. I have to shoot the TVC in a black space - a theatre with a black brick wall and using 'blacks' to cover the floorboards. Is it possible to light and shoot this so everything but the subject and props are illuminated whilst the background looks like endless black? We have access to read heads, c-stands and cutters. Is this possible? I'm not sure of the dimensions of the room, but the space is like a theatre stage, where the back wall is black and the end of the stage is about 7 meters from that.

March 31st, 2009, 06:43 AM	#2
Les Wilson Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 3,014	What you describe sounds like a black void. Charlie Rose uses it. Is the featured interview on this page the look you want (there are some long shots in the video too)? Stanford Copyright & Fair Use Center If so, I've done several recently (attached). It forces you to "paint with light" and really control spill. Barn doors are required and for the most part, everything was soft light. The artifact in the background was lit with a pin hole light which was directly above the stool but only 12" from the background walls. The venetian blind was from an ellipsoidal projected directly onto the black muslin background. I have found lots of light is needed and having more low powered lights surrounding the subject is better than trying to use fewer but stronger lights. Attached Thumbnails

April 6th, 2009, 12:00 AM	#3
Ken Campbell Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Milan, Italy Posts: 140	Shooting with a pure black background is surprisingly easy. I use traditional 3 point lighting and make sure that there is no light spill against the background. As Les said, barn doors are your best friend. I also use diffusion panels in front of the front lights. You can also put gobos between the lights and the background to futher block light spill. Once set up, just make sure you have much more light on the subject than on the dark background. When your camera stops down for the light the background goes to black. The backlight is a must to make the subject stand out from the background. Videocameras don't go to 100% black by the way. You have to adjust levels in your NLE to get that pure 000 black. For fun, you should try getting a pure white background!