About shooting at night

[aeroplaneflyhigh]

I'm planning to shoot a flick in b&w at night. Should i be concerned with lighting because i going to rely on a street lamp. or could anyone give me plan advice?
thanks

[Rigo]

can you tell more? what kind of film are you going to use? mood? dialogue scenes?

[mattias]

should you be concerned with lighting? that's gotta be a trick question, right?

[aeroplaneflyhigh]

i'm probably going to use b&w from kodak with a high grain. The plot is going to be somewhat like a noir feel with a little buffalo 66 thrown in.
and for the other guy/gal why do you say it must be a trick question?

[MovieStuff]

Well, I agree with Mattias. On the one hand, you say you are doing a "film noir" style black and white movie, which requires some of the most careful and sophisicated lighting imaginable. But faced with this fact, you also casually ask,"Should I be concerned with the lighting?"

I think Mattias was just having a little fun at the notion of making ANY kind of film and NOT being concerned about the lighting. If you really want the film noir style, shooting by available light is the last thing you want to do. If you want a documentary look, that is more likely what you'll get by shooting the way you've described.

Roger

[eddie]

thats not totally true, if you can find good locations you can get creative with camera angles, and make the most of existing lights. But your best bet would be to have your own lights and get the set up exactly as you like.
The Kodak Plus X (the small grain) is a slower film, but nicer than TriX, you may find a street light doesnt provide enough for Plus X.
You might want to reflect light back up to light actors faces, even then....
Good luck, I should have a dry run, just check out your locations before hand with a friend and a lightmeter and see if they are OK, or if you will need extra lights.

[mattias]

yes, i was trying to be funny. ;-)

imho, even selecting your angles to maximize the use of practicals would be considered being "concerned with lighting", and using reflectors to control available light certainly would. you might very well get a nice look using only a street light and some styrofoam, but don't expect it to be noir.

my suggestions would be to water down the street a good deal, and then add a strong quarter backlight that you can also bounce at the face(s) to get some shadow detail. a sun gun or a car headlight might work for this if your lighting equipment and your funds are limited.

/matt

[aeroplaneflyhigh]

i would like to thank everyone very much for the advice.
Although i think most people miss understood that when i said noir i didn't mean as in lighting, but more with the plot of the story.I am sorry for not pointing this out.
I've came to the concludsion that I'm going to just rely on the street light and use back lighting on facial shots. I've already make a storyboard with some interesting angles in them

[Alex]

Can you create a film noir story but not be as concerned about the light...yes, but it could turn into a Steve Martin movie before you know it.

-Alex

[MovieStuff]

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid. But they do shoot with an 8mm.

Roger