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Day Int to Ext Lighting Balance

Many have asked how I balance interior to exterior daylight interiors without the use of window treatment. I hope to respond regarding my "technique". Frankly I've not used window ND's for years. Possibly the techniques have become better for application but I find that the gel often bubbles. Hard Gels are very useful but very expensive. Any expense is too much for Production. Because modern windows are so large the hard gel needs to be pieced together making them time consuming and expensive.?

Thirty years ago I was on a location that was nothing but windows. Try as I might I couldn't "crack" the solution for the set. I stepped away from the set and paced. I was completely lost. Finally it? occurred? to me that the "set" lit itself. The walls (glass windows) lit themselves. All that I had to provide was the key light for the? characters? within the set. I felt really stupid. ?What was seemingly an? insurmountable? problem was so simple.

Film stocks are extremely forgiving. They afford extreme dynamic range potential for those who will test and explore their possibilities.

As for me I often only light those areas where the? characters? will play. Sometimes it's OK for them to step into shadow or places of underexposure but frankly I seldom use huge units to lights standard interiors and yet I hold detail without overexposure on the exteriors and light the interiors? where? they look (to me) natural. I've enough material on DVD or broadcast that can provide scrutiny or criticism. If there is a particular location that you've seen in my work that you would like to discuss I would like to do so. Day interior to exterior balance is not that hard. My? favourite? thing is to do exposure tests. When on a location scout you can take digital or photo-chemical images that will help determine what problems may occur.
The new Rosco material has many exciting possibilities especially in commercial product photography. For that alone I am extremely excited. If there is no color temperature shift (which could as easily be caused by lens polarizers as well as gel) this product has my greatest praise. As for using HMI lights through the material and it not altering the intensity I would personally test this theory. If the material is a linear polarizer it might be possible but I doubt it. If anything it might alter the color temperature of the HMI. I'm still not a fan of HMI's and wish that there was a better high output tool available like David Pringle's Softsun.

Come on, David, give us a short arc Xenon that will replace the carbon arc.

Respectfully,
Roy H. Wagner ASC
Director of Photography


>>“Come on, David, give us a short arc Xenon that will replace the carbon arc.”

Actually Roy I have contemplated it more the other way around, a modern carbon arc. Same old 24” Fresnel lens, but replace the guy standing on a ladder trimming the carbon with modern electronics employing a complex feedback loop. With enough of the right software you might be able to create a very nice clean even result. It is a project that is definitely on my list. Employ modern light weight heat resistant materials, mmmmmmmmmm…..you just can’t beat the sharp shadow of a nicely tuned carbon arc.

David "would love to build a modern carbon arc" Pringle
Founder and CTO of Luminys (formerly called Lightning Strikes)
Hollywood


David,

You've made me extremely? happy,? publicly? announcing your desire to? pursue? this. There is nothing like the arc. I will do anything you wish to aid in your? pursuit. I have been a huge fan and supporter of your technology for years. If anyone can do it - - you can!

Thank you David.

Respectfully,
Roy H. Wagner ASC
Director of Photography


Roy Wagner wrote :

>>The new Rosco material has many exciting possibilities

Credit where credit is due here -- I believe this all comes from Ira Tiffen's clever system developed for one of those morning chat shows done on a set with windows open to the NYC streets.? He put polarizing filters over the windows, and motorized polarizers over the camera lenses -- so the folks shading the cameras (is that still the term used?) could tweak the balance between indoor and outdoor light easily.

Clever, simple, cheap.??

I wonder how useful a Turpin Colorflex (or the more recent Arri version, the Lightflex I think it is) would be in these situations.??

Roy's method is so obvious that most would miss it -- look at what the "set" looks like in real life and work with it.? I'm guessing showcards, reflectors, and negative fill could also be useful, and obviously the camera angle will let you use that outside light as key, or fill, or backlight depending on blocking.

Jeff "still not allowed to light, but appreciates the art and technology" Kreines


David Pringle wrote :

>>Same old 24? Fresnel lens, but replace the guy standing on a ladder trimming the carbon with modern >>electronics employing a complex feedback loop.?

Great idea.? And of course modern electronics have made this a lot simpler -- you could use sensors to maintain brightness to a user-set spec, and even use more complex machine vision technology to maintain a specific size of the arc spot.? While you are at it, you could use motion control to move the whole fixture -- so you could have a fairly simple tower to support it safely and rigidly, but pan, tilt, rotate, and focus it remotely.? Because often you want arcs in out-of-the-way places.

Plus, I think there might be some other clever tricks involving power (but that's not my specialty).
I've got a product name:? Carbon Footprint.

(Just kidding.)

I think there are some interesting things that could be done with form factor, too.? Plus there are some interesting developments in Fresnel lens design, though in this case old is probably best.

Jeff "of course it really is 99% perspiration" Kreines


Roy Wagner wrote :

>The new Rosco material has many exciting possibilities

Credit where credit is due here -- I believe this all comes from Ira Tiffen's clever system developed for one of those morning chat shows done on a set with windows open to the NYC streets. He put polarizing filters over the windows, and motorized polarizers over the camera lenses -- so the folks shading the cameras (is that still the term used?) could tweak the balance between indoor and outdoor light easily.

Clever, simple, cheap.

I wonder how useful a Turpin Colorflex (or the more recent Arri version, the Lightflex I think it is) would be in these situations.

Roy's method is so obvious that most would miss it -- look at what the "set" looks like in real life and work with it. I'm guessing showcards, reflectors, and negative fill could also be useful, and obviously the camera angle will let you use that outside light as key, or fill, or backlight depending on blocking.

Jeff "still not allowed to light, but appreciates the art and technology" Kreines


>>you just can’t beat the sharp shadow of a nicely tuned carbon arc.

Please, pretty please, make this.

I’d add several to my kit requirements

Cheers
Geoff Boyle FBKS
Cinematographer
CML
22 Exeter Road
Dawlish
Devon
EX7 0AG
mobile: +44 (0)7831 562877
Skype geoff.boyle
www.cinematography.net


 

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