white balancing in concerts and clubs. at DVinfo.net

Dan Farzad · September 28th, 2005, 10:24 AM

in cases where lights are really intense and they keep on changing how do u white balance?

I was stock to color correct a 2 hour video last year b/c the singer decided to have a red and blue light on him very intenstly and the rest of the salon was lit regularly and the singer looked dead pink!!!!!!

Robin Davies-Rollinson · September 28th, 2005, 10:31 AM

Dan - you don't change the white balance.
Keep it on pre-set tungsten and go with the colours that the lighting director intended.
If you need to tweak for your own preference later, then you can always play around in Post...

Robin

Sean McHenry · September 30th, 2005, 10:31 AM

My initial thought is to white balance with a white card where the faces of the preformers will be. That is ONLY if you need correct skin tones for the people but don't particularly care about the lighting on the rest of the room.

Then again, I would probably leave it set on Tungsten also.

In small clubs, lighting may well be an afterthought or not at all designed but more "thrown up" on the bars, or in some other way improvised.

It's your call.

Sean

Greg Boston · September 30th, 2005, 10:39 AM

I always white balance to the tungsten preset in the club/bar stuff. That way, you will see the lighting effects. However, I use an on camera light with just enough punch to make skin tones natural during handheld stage close-ups. I also feel that the kicker light flatters the appearance of the instruments by giving some nice specular reflections.

In larger venues, the performer is usually being lit by a white follow spot anyway so this isn't necessary.

-gb-

Dan Farzad · October 6th, 2005, 12:18 PM

well i have to do a banq next month where there will be lighting on the artist and the rest of the salon natural tungston lights. this way the stage, the artist, and the band will be pink and blue and yellow and if i white balance to them the whole salon will be wierd!!!!
what is your suggestion?
i have offered a suggestion to set the lights up high b/c last year they were on the corner of the stage would that help?

Stephen Finton · October 6th, 2005, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Farzad

well i have to do a banq next month where there will be lighting on the artist and the rest of the salon natural tungston lights. this way the stage, the artist, and the band will be pink and blue and yellow and if i white balance to them the whole salon will be wierd!!!!
what is your suggestion?
i have offered a suggestion to set the lights up high b/c last year they were on the corner of the stage would that help?

I'd turn it on indoor white balance. Don't torture yourself.

Jason Chang · October 12th, 2005, 12:25 AM

Dan,

Red tends to bleed on video more easily than other colors, so I would worry more about the color gain setting than the white balance. What camera are you working with? Give us more info, and you'll get better answers.

When I worked for E Entertainment, I did lots of shoots at night clubs. I even did a few concerts. I usually would meet up with the lighting guys before the shoot to do a quick test. For an event like that, there is usually a stage lighting director, and he usually has a lighting plan. You should do the tweakings before the shoot. That way, you don't ever have to spend precious time fixing your footage in post. Right?

Jason

Stephanie Wilson · October 12th, 2005, 12:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Farzad

well i have to do a banq next month where there will be lighting on the artist and the rest of the salon natural tungston lights. this way the stage, the artist, and the band will be pink and blue and yellow and if i white balance to them the whole salon will be wierd!!!!
what is your suggestion?
i have offered a suggestion to set the lights up high b/c last year they were on the corner of the stage would that help?

Dan,

I would suggest that an indoor 3200 preset setting will render the colored lights on the stage, (which you want) and still have a correct balance for the salon.

White balancing under the gelled lights will eliminate the color of those lights and as you predicted, really mess with your salon footage. But a 3200 preset will give you the theatrical look of the stage and accompanying gels and still allow for a proper color balance when you are shooting the audience.

Also, please clarify the last sentence of your post. Didn't understand the question...

Hope this helps. Best to you,

Stephanie

September 28th, 2005, 10:24 AM	#1
Dan Farzad Regular Crew Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 107	white balancing in concerts and clubs. in cases where lights are really intense and they keep on changing how do u white balance? I was stock to color correct a 2 hour video last year b/c the singer decided to have a red and blue light on him very intenstly and the rest of the salon was lit regularly and the singer looked dead pink!!!!!!

September 30th, 2005, 10:31 AM	#3
Sean McHenry Trustee Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Hilliard, Ohio Posts: 1,193	My initial thought is to white balance with a white card where the faces of the preformers will be. That is ONLY if you need correct skin tones for the people but don't particularly care about the lighting on the rest of the room. Then again, I would probably leave it set on Tungsten also. In small clubs, lighting may well be an afterthought or not at all designed but more "thrown up" on the bars, or in some other way improvised. It's your call. Sean __________________ ‘I don’t know what I’m doing, and I’m shooting on D.V.’ - my hero - David Lynch http://www.DeepBlueEdit.com

October 12th, 2005, 12:25 AM	#7
Jason Chang Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: San Diego, CA USA Posts: 163	White Balance Dan, Red tends to bleed on video more easily than other colors, so I would worry more about the color gain setting than the white balance. What camera are you working with? Give us more info, and you'll get better answers. When I worked for E Entertainment, I did lots of shoots at night clubs. I even did a few concerts. I usually would meet up with the lighting guys before the shoot to do a quick test. For an event like that, there is usually a stage lighting director, and he usually has a lighting plan. You should do the tweakings before the shoot. That way, you don't ever have to spend precious time fixing your footage in post. Right? Jason

September 28th, 2005, 10:31 AM	#2
Robin Davies-Rollinson Trustee Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Gwaelod-y-garth, Cardiff, CYMRU/WALES Posts: 1,215	Dan - you don't change the white balance. Keep it on pre-set tungsten and go with the colours that the lighting director intended. If you need to tweak for your own preference later, then you can always play around in Post... Robin

September 30th, 2005, 10:39 AM	#4
Greg Boston Wrangler Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: DFW area, TX Posts: 6,117 Images: 1	I always white balance to the tungsten preset in the club/bar stuff. That way, you will see the lighting effects. However, I use an on camera light with just enough punch to make skin tones natural during handheld stage close-ups. I also feel that the kicker light flatters the appearance of the instruments by giving some nice specular reflections. In larger venues, the performer is usually being lit by a white follow spot anyway so this isn't necessary. -gb-

October 6th, 2005, 12:18 PM	#5
Dan Farzad Regular Crew Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 107	well i have to do a banq next month where there will be lighting on the artist and the rest of the salon natural tungston lights. this way the stage, the artist, and the band will be pink and blue and yellow and if i white balance to them the whole salon will be wierd!!!! what is your suggestion? i have offered a suggestion to set the lights up high b/c last year they were on the corner of the stage would that help?