What camera would be best for me when it comes to color grading?

[Brian Drysdale]

Generally DPs will keep the stop pretty much the same within a scene. I'm not sure how you're making these judgments, if it's based on looking at the DOF or what, since the scene is usually colour corrected to match.

You don't need to expose the car park brightly, it's all a matter of taste.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

Originally Posted by Paul R Johnson

If you change the lighting setup between the master and the shots it will never edit together will it! Shadows will be brighter and the hotspots stand out. Do you really have the budget to light this large an area? It's a lot of kit and a lot of power.

Of course not, but it’s free to talk about it. Can you imagine how many questions he would have if ever had the budget for lights? He can’t even buy the cheapest cinema camera and lenses. He only asking about the lights because he wants to use telephoto lens and small apertures.

[Brian Drysdale]

Given the length of time spent discussing this scene, in the real world it would've been shot and the crew down the pub by now

[Ryan Elder]

Originally Posted by Brian Drysdale

Generally DPs will keep the stop pretty much the same within a scene. I'm not sure how you're making these judgments, if it's based on looking at the DOF or what, since the scene is usually colour corrected to match.

You don't need to expose the car park brightly, it's all a matter of taste.

Oh it's just if I don't expose it enough then I might have noise though.

[Ryan Elder]

Originally Posted by Pete Cofrancesco

Of course not, but it’s free to talk about it. Can you imagine how many questions he would have if ever had the budget for lights? He can’t even buy the cheapest cinema camera and lenses. He only asking about the lights because he wants to use telephoto lens and small apertures.

Well as far buying a cheap camera goes I have the Canon T2i, but I thought I should shoot on something better, rather than going for the cheapest, shouldn't I?

[Brian Drysdale]

Originally Posted by Ryan Elder

Oh it's just if I don't expose it enough then I might have noise though.

As long as you don't increase the ISO too high , you won't have unacceptable noise in the blacks. Don't expose so you need to bring it up in post, having a good monitor correctly set up, should enable you to pretty much nail the correct exposure on the set.

[Paul R Johnson]

How about doing the shot with a drone - you could get some quite exciting stuff flying just above the cars and in front and behind the subject? Find somebody who has one and is safe and good, and try something more unusual?

[Ryan Elder]

Oh I thought a drone would cost more, and was trying to avoid a drone, cause I thought that would be best.

[Brian Drysdale]

I;m not sure why you have the what's best thought process. If this is a dramatic highlight to your film spend the money on it and save on the talking head scenes.

[Ryan Elder]

Oh okay, I just didn't think I need a drone, for a chase fight scene, in a parking garage, but maybe...

So since it was said before that this place would be too large light, and to shoot with the natural lighting available, does that mean I have to do that with every scene, to match? If I shoot with the light available, then the movie is going to look 'documentary style' in terms of lighting. But if all the other scenes are lit in a much more 'cinematic style', would that be inconsistent styles then, and the whole movie needs to be lit like it's natural lighting then?

[Paul R Johnson]

Ryan - this cinematic style really isn't going to happen, is it? I think your attention to tiny detail and the panic to ensure absolute noise free images clouds the holistic approach. You have FAR more serious issues than the ones detailed here.

The drone idea was just something that popped into my head. Most of my ideas just suddenly occur to me, and most are rubbish, and I immediately discount them - but if the scene is vital, and exciting then like that Dirty Harry scene - the technicalities are secondary to the plot importance. If this character is being chased, then the excitement and edge of seat-ness comes from what's happening, not how it's shot. The drone idea mean that the subjects facial features would be easy to capture, and the ability to float and travel over obstructions that the subject cannot might work for you and be cheaper and easier to shoot. Drone image quality is not at all bad, and rarely is a limiting feature. Why not try it out and see what the results are?

[Brian Drysdale]

Scenes stand alone, everyone knows what a car park looks like, so you can't diverge too much from that,

Here's how they did it in the "Ipcress File" with 50 ASA film,

"The Ipcress File": Out on Blu-ray 28/07/2014 - YouTube

You've got a lot more sensitivity than that, so it'll be easier for you.

Or "All the Presidents Men" 100ASA film

All The President's Men: Deep Throat - YouTube

[Ryan Elder]

Oh okay thanks. It's funny you brought up All the President's Men, I just watched that one for reference. But in that one, the characters are standing very still in one place of course, so it's easier. The other example, they are moving around a lot more. I could try do it like that, lighting wise, if that will work. In the examples, the lights are green in the background, but they used white lights for the foreground to separate.

Should I do that as well to create separation, or should I try to match the color of the lights already in the parking garage? If I use mostly natural lighting, than I will not have much light to separate with then?

[Brian Drysdale]

Regarding the car park lights, it will depend on the colour space of your camera what way the these lights go, film will record the green in florescent lights. Video cameras were pretty blind to it in the past, although more modern cameras can be more sensitive to it.

You need to test the camera you will be using on the film i.e, not your current camera, unless that's the one you will be using.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

Well done garage scenes. They again play to the location strengths. The darkness compliments the mood and purpose so they don’t try to light the entire garage. Instead they use strategically placed lights for the actors so you can see their face for dialogue parts. They also let the fluorescents be green.