mixing light sources

[mishkin madness]

hello, all.
i have a potential problem, i want to mix daylight with artificial. now i know this is tricky, but i think i can do it by leaving the 85 filter in place, and bumping up the lights to increase exposure.

the lights are 500watt quartz halogen, and the light should be cloudy to shadows.

the reason i ask, is i am worried about the hues, i am using k40, and as far as i remember, sunlight without filter is reddish, and artificial light with filter is blueish?

i need some advice, i intended to shoot with filter in place, use two 500watt lamps, and alot of reflectors(silver)

is there a photographers secret or am i barking up the wrong tree,

thanks, gareth

[Alex]

Originally posted by mishkin madness:
hello, all.
i have a potential problem, i want to mix daylight with artificial. now i know this is tricky, but i think i can do it by leaving the 85 filter in place, and bumping up the lights to increase exposure.

<font size="2" face="verdana, sans-serif">If your shooting outdoors this is difficult, unless you are shooting in shade. Your better off with reflectors. By the way, why do you want to mix the two different light sources. It sounds like you want to mix the sources, but you want the
color temp to balance.

Originally posted by mishkin madness:

the lights are 500watt quartz halogen, and the light should be cloudy to shadows.

<font size="2" face="verdana, sans-serif">Should I assume you're shooting indoors?

Originally posted by mishkin madness:

the reason i ask, is i am worried about the hues, i am using k40, and as far as i remember, sunlight without filter is reddish, and artificial light with filter is blueish?

<font size="2" face="verdana, sans-serif">It's the opposite of that for Kodachrome 40 indoor balanced film.

Originally posted by mishkin madness:

i need some advice, i intended to shoot with filter in place, use two 500watt lamps, and alot of reflectors(silver)

<font size="2" face="verdana, sans-serif">Just go with reflectors (might want to try the gold ones along with the silver ones). Don't shoot if it's windy as the reflectors will be impossible to keep on the actors without one reflector stand and a crew member on each reflector. Even if it's not windy, you may have to "track" the action.

Originally posted by mishkin madness:

is there a photographers secret or am i barking up the wrong tree,

thanks, gareth

<font size="2" face="verdana, sans-serif">hee, hee, hee, they are called HMI lights for outdoor filming!

[mishkin madness]

thanks for the tips,

the shooting will be both in doors and out, as well as reflectors i will go with a couple of lights if need be. if there is any hue of colour, i guess i will have to remove it in editing. although k40 is good with shadows, i worry about losing details.

thanks for the advice!
Gareth

[Alex]

A couple more tips, the silver and gold reflectors are more for outdoor use than indoor use. Inside you can definitely experiment with filters over your lights.

Mixing color temperature is the kiss of death when you have white, cloudy skys in the background. Mixing color temperature is also a problem when the mixed color temperature from different lights all land on the faces of your actors.

Mixed color temperature can work if it's strictly a backlight situation and you don't mind if the actors hair has a "colored high-light" on it.

But if your actors will be moving, you may set up an inside shot with the sun as your backlight, and your tungsten lights as your front and fill lights, but if the actor is going to be moving or turning their head to react to react to something else in the shot, all bets are off.

<font color="#7BC618" size="1">[ October 14, 2003 03:51 AM: Message edited by: Alex ]</font>

[mishkin madness]

sounds pretty difficult?!

well, the trouble is the scenes are a must, and the mixed colours hopefully i can work around by using adobe premier to even them out.

if all else fails i will convert the whole film to black and white!?

thanks for the advice though, now i am going to go through all those weird postings for a giggle.

gareth

[Greg Crawford]

Author Topic: mixing light sources
mishkin madness,

Kodachrome Type A , used outdoors without a 85 filter would be on the blue side. Using this film indoors without the filter would be the way the film was meant to be shot.

The only wild card is that you stated you were using Halogen lighting. These unites are not 3200 k and I am not sure what type of filter you would need to bring them up to 3200 k.

Hear is a test you could run, if you have a video camera. Set it on indoor lighting mode, then light you scene and shoot some video review the footage. Check for color cast in white and gray items and if you can expose to see how the outside world looks coming into your home.

The view of the outside world from within your interior set, will probably look bluish. That's why on a pro film shoot you will see the windows being taped with large (read expensive) rolls of 85 gels. If you would shoot with HMI's you would not need to gel the windows as the daylight and HMI's are the same color temp. aprox. 5600 k.

[mishkin madness]

that was a nasty surprise about the lights, i am positive they are 3200k?

from what i am planning, the shoot will be indoors, cloudy sky outside, qaurtz lights 500w indoors, i intended to leave the 85 filter in place. or remove it if the light loss is too great.

while i will run in to problems with hues, i cannot afford meters of gels, i will have to rely on adobe premier to even out the tones.(something i am loath to do)

then again, the mix of hues could make the shot something incredible! if anyone has advice, or tips, i would appreciate reply.

Thanks, Gareth

[Greg Crawford]

Gel material cost less than $15.00 per sheet.

Another cheap way to test your lighting and color temperature would be to get an adjustable still camera and run a roll of Tungsten transparency (slide film). The film speed of Tungsten Ektachrome is slow, ASA 40 so you will need to use a tripod.

You can evaluate your results using a light box at a good color lab or camera store. You don't need to buy the light box, just review the slides.

That assuming no one comes along to post on this subject..who has better first hand knowledge of Halogen lights.