Long White Wall at DVinfo.net

John Kim · May 12th, 2004, 05:22 PM

Hi,

I'm currently filming track and field athletes and looking for
Long White Wall to film them running, hurdleing, throwing, etc...
Ofcourse budget being extremely low I can't afford a studio that has a Scyche. There are a couple of locations I've come up with.
1.One alternative would be to film them next to a "Home Depot's"out side wall.
2.Second is to film them in a Highschool gym and hang white cloth on one side of the gym.

I'm located in Burbank, and any location with in 20 min. would be
Ideal.

Thanks for your help guys.

John

Mike Rehmus · May 12th, 2004, 08:18 PM

I wouldn't use white unless there was no option. A light gray is much easier to deal with.

How about a gymnasium with a light gray background paper taped up horizontally on the wall. Probably a couple hundred dollars worth of paper and tape.

Ken Tanaka · May 12th, 2004, 08:42 PM

John,
Just out of curiosity, what is your objective? Are you trying to isolate the athletes from the background as a type of practical in-camera effect?

John Kim · May 13th, 2004, 11:16 AM

The ideal look that I'm going for is a clean white background(over exposed) with a well lit subject.
A Syche would be best for this, but I think a gymnasium would be a little more affordable.
I can't believe it's so hard to find a large in-door wall....

John

Mike Rehmus · May 13th, 2004, 06:30 PM

Most stage theaters have a cyclorama. (not movie theaters)

The trouble is the rental is high.

The problem with overexposure is that it will or can cause edge-definition problems depending on the amount of overexposure. A light gray that rings in at about 98 or 99 IRE units will be a lot more manageable. Especially if you are going to tape any dark-skinned athletes.

John Kim · May 13th, 2004, 10:48 PM

Mike:

Unfortunitley the edges does loose detail..
I've tried dimming the background lighting, but the background goes a bit too grey. So by using a light gray background.. would this be any different then dimming the background lighting?

Mike Rehmus · May 14th, 2004, 10:26 AM

No, it is about the same.

Use a Waveform monitor to set up the exposure if you have access to one.

Wayne Orr · May 18th, 2004, 07:12 PM

Here is a good link for shooting just such a set-up. Lots of other good tips here also:

http://tinyurl.com/2gpg2

Go to the bottom of the page and click on the lesson: Soft Lights for Dramatic Results.

Wayne Orr, SOC

Wayne Orr · May 19th, 2004, 12:03 AM

If the link is not working:

http://www.webphotoschool.com/newsch...ler=panavision

If that doesn't work, go to http://www.panavision.co.nz/main/main.asp and look down the page to the Photoflex school link. BTW, this is a great site for various info.

Wayne

Patrick Gault · May 24th, 2004, 11:30 AM

If I need a 6' x 6' white bounce surface, I go to the dollar store and buy a shower curtain liner. Maybe these would work for a cheap background as well.

The translucent shower liners also make an adequate large soft source. As always, be careful not to get the lights to close or they will melt.

May 12th, 2004, 05:22 PM	#1
John Kim Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: CA Posts: 26	Long White Wall Hi, I'm currently filming track and field athletes and looking for Long White Wall to film them running, hurdleing, throwing, etc... Ofcourse budget being extremely low I can't afford a studio that has a Scyche. There are a couple of locations I've come up with. 1.One alternative would be to film them next to a "Home Depot's"out side wall. 2.Second is to film them in a Highschool gym and hang white cloth on one side of the gym. I'm located in Burbank, and any location with in 20 min. would be Ideal. Thanks for your help guys. John

May 12th, 2004, 08:18 PM	#2
Mike Rehmus Wrangler Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vallejo, California Posts: 4,049	I wouldn't use white unless there was no option. A light gray is much easier to deal with. How about a gymnasium with a light gray background paper taped up horizontally on the wall. Probably a couple hundred dollars worth of paper and tape. __________________ Mike Rehmus Hey, I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel!

May 12th, 2004, 08:42 PM	#3
Ken Tanaka Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,943	John, Just out of curiosity, what is your objective? Are you trying to isolate the athletes from the background as a type of practical in-camera effect? __________________ Lady X Films: A lady with a boring wardrobe...and a global mission. Hey, you don't have enough stuff! Buy with confidence from our sponsors. Hand-picked as the best in the business...Really! See some of my work one frame at a time: www.KenTanaka.com

May 13th, 2004, 06:30 PM	#5
Mike Rehmus Wrangler Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vallejo, California Posts: 4,049	Most stage theaters have a cyclorama. (not movie theaters) The trouble is the rental is high. The problem with overexposure is that it will or can cause edge-definition problems depending on the amount of overexposure. A light gray that rings in at about 98 or 99 IRE units will be a lot more manageable. Especially if you are going to tape any dark-skinned athletes. __________________ Mike Rehmus Hey, I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel!

May 14th, 2004, 10:26 AM	#7
Mike Rehmus Wrangler Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vallejo, California Posts: 4,049	No, it is about the same. Use a Waveform monitor to set up the exposure if you have access to one. __________________ Mike Rehmus Hey, I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel!

May 13th, 2004, 11:16 AM	#4
John Kim Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: CA Posts: 26	The ideal look that I'm going for is a clean white background(over exposed) with a well lit subject. A Syche would be best for this, but I think a gymnasium would be a little more affordable. I can't believe it's so hard to find a large in-door wall.... John

May 13th, 2004, 10:48 PM	#6
John Kim Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: CA Posts: 26	Mike: Unfortunitley the edges does loose detail.. I've tried dimming the background lighting, but the background goes a bit too grey. So by using a light gray background.. would this be any different then dimming the background lighting?

May 18th, 2004, 07:12 PM	#8
Wayne Orr Major Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Northridge Ca Posts: 734	Here is a good link for shooting just such a set-up. Lots of other good tips here also: http://tinyurl.com/2gpg2 Go to the bottom of the page and click on the lesson: Soft Lights for Dramatic Results. Wayne Orr, SOC

May 19th, 2004, 12:03 AM	#9
Wayne Orr Major Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Northridge Ca Posts: 734	If the link is not working: http://www.webphotoschool.com/newsch...ler=panavision If that doesn't work, go to http://www.panavision.co.nz/main/main.asp and look down the page to the Photoflex school link. BTW, this is a great site for various info. Wayne

May 24th, 2004, 11:30 AM	#10
Patrick Gault Major Player Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Cereal City USA Posts: 286	If I need a 6' x 6' white bounce surface, I go to the dollar store and buy a shower curtain liner. Maybe these would work for a cheap background as well. The translucent shower liners also make an adequate large soft source. As always, be careful not to get the lights to close or they will melt.