We have got too may breakdowns and not enough weeks in the year to get through them all.
This week on the podcast we get a chance to see what it looks like when you put one LED in what is basically a small ladder with a bucket at the top of it and try and shoot a wide night exterior set up.
Night exteriors are always tricky and they require the most amount of prep because even the smallest of adjustments after lights are in position can kill your schedule.
Follow along to see how the final images turned out and hopefully you can use these techniques the next time to you have a job that calls for a similar set up.
Enjoy!
The Playbook Series: Volume III is LIVE
Course Link: A Cinematography System: The Playbook Approach - Volume III
The 3rd installment of the B.O.D.V.O. Cinematography System is officially available.
This latest course is all about the most challenging set up for any cinematographer and that is a scene between 3 or more people looking in multiple directions.
The more variables the more chances of things going sideways on the day and in pre-production. If you aren't on top of all of the options and understand all of the choices at your fingertips you are going to leave shape on the table.
This course outlines how I think about shooting these scenes, we go over all of the various options, look at the pros and cons so that you can be the most knowl;edgable person on set when these situations arise.
The further out in to the future you can see the better you are going to be able to guide the crew and those around you to a final sequence that you are happy with.
Happy directors, happy producers and happy crew mean more jobs in the future because you are providing value to the production. It is win, win for everyone.
I am super excited to get this information out in to the hands of cinematographers around the world.
If you want to learn more about the course check it out here:
The Spot - Too Little, Too Late
Shot #1 - The Wide
The Shot
The shot starts with a father and daughter playing basketball in their front yard.
The Lighting
The main moon light ambient is coming from the smallest cherry picker the world has ever known. The base is actually parked in the shot as there was no where else to put it and get it high enough to not look like a stand holding a light on it.
Inside the bucket was 2 Vortexes. One positioned to provide the backlight for the action and one point at the background as a front light to just to give anything back there a little bit of detail.
On the ground the key was coming from two Vortexes pushing through a loosely hung 12x12 that was hanging off the porch of the house.
We added the tungsten work light as an in shot practical and the interior room of the house was just an Aputure LED to give it a bit of interest.
The Result
Shot #2 - The Action
The Shot
This shot covered off all of the action in the lead up to the dialogue back and forth between the father and daughter.
The Lighting
Same as above.
The Result
Shot #3 - The In Tight
The Shot
Close up of the hero talent as he converses with his daughter.
The Lighting
Everything is positioned in the same spot as the previous shots but now we have moved the frames closer to get a bit more wrap from the key light and also lowered the intesity of the backlight to make it more subtle and control some of the bleed in the background.
You can see the top light in the reflection on his forehead.
The Result
Shot #4 - New Direction
The Shot
The other side of the coverage between the daughter and the father.
The Lighting
This was a complete direction change which meant the longest re-light of the night.
For the background we used the Vortex in the bucket front lighting everything it possible can. The talent is keyed with another Vortex pushing through a 8x8 of diffusion and for the edge light it is the previous Vortex pushing through a 4x4 frame.
You can also see a hint of the moon light top light coming from the cherry picker.
The Result
Shot #5 - The Interior Wide
The Shot
Our two talent brushing their teeth before they go to sleep.
The Lighting
We shot this during the day and blacked out the windows above the mirror and the glass doors and windows frame right.
Inside we used the existing practicals as the key light for the wides and adde a practical frame left to break up the wall.
In the mirror you can see a bit of daylight that is leaking through the blacks blocking out the sun to the right of frame.
The Result
Shot #6 - The Two Shot
The Shot
A tighter version of the wide shot almost straight down the line.
The Lighting
Same as above except now that we are closer I pulled all the negative fill much closer to the talent. This soaked up more light than the ambient in the wide.
The Result
Shot #7 - French Over
The Shot
This is one side of the OTS coverage for the dialogue between the two women.
The Lighting
There is the same lighting set up in the wide with the neg closer to the talent plus we added a Helios Tube in a diffusion sock frame right to help carry the key light a little bit further around to the shadow side of her face.
The Result
Shot #8 - Around the Front
The Shot
The tight shot of the reveal of the cancer gums that our talent has just discovered.
The Lighting
This was the same set up as the previous shot. It appears as though there is more level in the key but that is only because it is much flatter to the talent.
In hindsight I should have cut the key light more on camera right to add shape to her face but the size of the location and the lack of space meant it was easier said than done.
The Result
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