Before, After, and BTS pics

[Sean Skube]

Here's something I'd love to see people post. A picture of the location you are shooting before the lighting has been done, then a pic of the lighting set up, then a frame from the final shot. Could go a long way toward helping those of us who are trying to learn what lighting is all about.

[Nino Giannotti]

Correct lighting works on the modular principle. Unless you want to blend existing lights, you start with no lights at all; as far as what the camera can see it’s complete darkness; you then put lights exactly and only where you need it.

There are basically two methods of lighting.

In television or video production (ENG/EFP), the most common method is to selectively and creatively add individual lights to the areas that you need illuminated. The lights can vary from soft boxes to fresnels and anything in between. This is the most practical method given the time allowed and the budgets. It gives you more control, it’s faster and it’s easy to do it in smaller places and can be easily done by one person or the typical crew of two people. When done right it can look very good.

The subtractive method is mainly used in large productions and motion pictures. This method will give you a much more natural look. This is when you use one or more large light sources, usually bounced against large reflectors or thru large diffusion screens, and depending on the ambience lights up to 20K HMIs or even larger are used. The main light source(s) comes from the same direction and then you take away (subtract) what you don’t need by using flags, cutters, etc. You fill darker areas with secondary light sources or reflectors. This method requires much more room, time and a lot of manpower, and of course money.

Unquestionably the subtractive method is a better way to light a scene but it’s not very practical for the average ENG/EFP productions or for limited budgets.

[Don Donatello]

here's a light set up ... before would be empty room and dark ... ( depending on how you see photo's they are numbered left to right or down )
it's a med shot of guy walking thru the gallery ( we dolly with him) - intercut with a "2 shot" of man & woman looking at art on wall ( front & behind shots.. and single shots) 2 persons left photo left edge of frame , when our dolly actor walks out of frame we stay on 2 persons we look/listen to art discussion......

basically it's a set of a art gallery ... several white flats assembled in publiic recreation room ( rented it for day) ...

1st photo : over each painting there is a 200 watt midget on C stand behind the wall armed out over the wall ...
on right there is a 12x12 grifflon with 2 1200watt HMI pars bouced off it ...
far left there is a 1k bounced off 4x4 foam core with skirts above person..

2nd photo: far back on left there is a 1k with barn doors almost closed bounced off 4x4 foam core .. to right of that is a 6x6 grifflon with 1200 HMO par bounced ... up front on left behind camera is a 1200 HMI par bounced off 6x6 grillon ( out of frame ) note: that when we shot -this 1200 par was turned off ... sound blankets are on floor and you can see sound blankets on wall ... you can see a piece of foam core on floor ( right side -near back) - this acts as little bouce BUT it is there mainly because it has the actors lines on it ...

3rd photo: med shot of actor is from dolly ...
4th photo: 2 shot behind man woman ...

for the reverse shots ( actors facing camera ) ... the camera stayed on dolly track ... actors turned towards camera .. art work behind them was changed .. one of the 200 watt midgets ( on art work) was aim at him/her to give kicker on side of face ...

also little smoke was added to room ( rosco fog)

[Don Donatello]

here's a living room scene .. ( depending on how you see photo's they are numbered left to right or just down)
theres' a full front window .. and 3 living room windows on the side ..
for shots looking into living toward kitchen (photo 5) - there is a 1200 HMI par out a side window ( aimed at hats ) and a 1200 HMI par out kitchen window aimed at cabinets ...
for reverse wide ( photo 6 looking out at front window) again a 1200 HMI par hard light -out the side window hitting bath actors back ... and 1200 par bounced in living room.

for med & cu ... the hard light on actors are from a 1k baby baby with blue gel thru sheer window drap on C stand ( see photo 2)...
HMI pars are moved around for different shots for bright area's on walls behind actors - also they could be flag or netted on actors ...

1st 3 photo's are stills setting up ...remaining are frames from film

there was either ND6 or ND9 gel on front windows - only when we shoot out towards front windows as in photo 6...

additional info - this whole movie was improvised ( non actors) so it was lit for actors to be anywhere for master shots ... the master shot ( #5 -actor on couch and we see all the way back to kitchen)
on the finished film this shot is 2min 5 sec before there is a cut .. the 2nd actor enters from kitchen - main actors gets up and greets him- they then talk and walk up to camera and have conversation as if they are looking out the front window( camera) .. the scene is 5min 31sec on finshed movie ...shot on 16mm ASA 100 film .. no video tap -only me looking thru camera - i call it good or bad for visual .. director calls it good or bad for acting ... total 800 ft (20min) shot on this scene ... also #2 coral filter on lens

Note: the script for whole 92 min movie was 5 pages .. this movie was shot on weekends ...
from the script for this scene:
"scene 26 ...INT. DAY
Pasquel snorts coke and prepares dinner for his kids. David arrives and David leaves."

the kids were dropped before we shot ... it took one day to shoot this scene ... we always start with master shot .. then med , and finally close ups ... the close ups on this scene were shot after the sun went down

[Sean Skube]

Excellent pics and descriptions Don. That's exactly the kind of stuff I like to see. It looks in the first batch of pics showing the set that you smoked the room. Is that right?
Thanks for posting these!

Nevermind, I just read your edit. :)