American Cinematographer - February 1993 - 74

Study Film

Production & Directing
Intensive 12-week and
One Year Course
*

Film & Video Cameras

Cinematography

*

Dramatic Feature Film

*

Television Documentary
Film Directing

*

*

*

Project Development
Video Technology

*

tensity of the secondary highlights.
Also, flags and black foil were used
to mask the reflections of these

small

from the car.
The car shots were to be
used on the top half of a split-screen

Learn film and video

directing and
production from the pros,
at one of the world's leading
film training centers.
Courses: One year, three-month,

four-week and one-week for film

graduates, working pros.

so the tight compositions
enabled us to get the lightbank
down very close to the car, just
above frame line. The close proxim¬

Film's

Leading
Workshop Center
The International

Film & Television

WORKSHOPS
Rockport, Maine 04856

FAX 207-236-2558

Winter Worshops

in

Malibu
-

March 1993

-

One-week

workshops
for working pros

Workshop
Workshop
The Camera Crew Workshop
Film Lighting Workshop
Film Directing Workshop

16mm Film Camera

*

*

*

Camera Assistant
*

will

produce a blue glow on tung¬
light meter
readings were taken to check the
intensity of the blue glow area, and
a
reading of between T-4.0 and 5.6
was achieved,
depending on the
area read.
Judging the intensity and
saturation of colored light on a
black surface can be deceiving,
however, so as a precaution, a roll
of standard 35mm daylight film
sten film. Reflective

shot with an 80A filter and pro¬
cessed on the prelighting day.

was

ity of the large lightbank created

a
low contrast ratio between the dif¬
fused value (the true tone of the car)

To provide separation un¬
der the car, two 2-lamp fluorescent
fixtures were suspended at wheel

and the primary specular highlight.
The primary highlight now had a

height behind the car. C-stand arms

high level of transparency, which

the

light fixtures

the

arms.

was

Phone 207-236-8581

sources

image,

Post Production

*

watt Fresnel was used to light the
boards. The additional light on the
boards helped to bring up the in¬

what the director had

re¬

quested. Metering for the

car was
done with an incident meter when
the primary specular highlight
dominated the composition of the
shot. The dome of the meter was
aimed at the overhead light source,
and we achieved a consistent read¬

ing of a T4.0/5.6 split. For the long
profile shots of the car, reflective
meter readings were taken from a
grey card held at the side of the car,
and similar readings were
achieved.
To

light the black back¬
ground wall, three 1200-watt HMI
Pars with wide lenses were hung
from the 17-foot grid. The three
lights were directed onto the back
wall; for each shot of the car, black
foil was used on the lights to shape
the light on the wall behind

the car.
previously mentioned, the day¬
light-balanced light from the HMIs

As

were

tion

secured into the wheels, and

gel

were hung from
Sheets of !4 blue correc¬

were

taped under the fix¬

tures to shift the color

temperature

of the light toward daylight blue.
Black gaffer's tape was added to the
underside of the fixtures to knock
down the intensity of the light to
the desired level.
The techniques used on
this shoot resulted in a pleasing,
accurate rendition of the car. The

specular highlight from the main
light source had good transpar¬
ency, and having the lightbank on
wheels enabled Four Square Pro¬
ductions' director Thom Owens to

place the specular almost

any¬
where he wished. The understand¬

ing of the controls of specular con¬
trast is just one more tool to help
provide a director of photography
with complete control over his or
her imagery.
A

*

*

TECHNICAL DATA

Camera in Action

The Director of Photography
Directing Actors for the Camera
Production Management

*

CAMERA: Arri IIC
LENS: Cooke 75mm T2.3 and 50mm T2.3

*

Weekend

T-STOP:

T4.0/5.6 split

FILM STOCK: Eastman Kodak 5296

complete course
listings and catalogue.

FILM RATING: ISO 400

FILTRATION: Tiffen V2 Black ProMist

Film's

Leading

Workshop Center
The International

Film

& Television

LIGHTING: 12

GELS: Vi blue correction

Rockport, Maine 04856

Phone 207-236-8581

FAX 207-236-2558

l,000w nook lights inside Chimera 10'x30' F2

-

WORKSHOPS
72

-

l,200w HMI Pars from grid, 1 - l,000w Fresnel, 1- 650w
Fresnel, 2-8' two lamp fluorescent strips, 3 - 4' X 8' sheets of white
foamcore board

Bank, 3

February 1993

gel

on

fluorescent strips
American Cinematographer - February 1993

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - February 1993
