film noir lighting

[metroshane]

I think I can pull off the lighting effectively, but should I use standard or higher speed film? I'm afraid the slower speed won't catch the shadowing effect and the higher by be burned out by the strong key lighting.

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[Cranium]

Use slower film with really stark key lights.
It's ALL about the shadows. In noir, it ain't what you see, it's what you don't.

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Mikel Z

[Nigel]

Cranium has started to hit something. The thing to remember is that "Noir" films were shot at a time when the fastest film you could get was maybe 12ASA. Many of the shadows in the backgrounds of 1930's 40's era films were painted in. Much of what you are looking at is truly fake light, along with really good craftwork. Good Luck

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[Matt Pacini]

Actually, it's the slow speed stock that gives you the "shadowy" look.
Because you want the shadows to go really black.
You don't want to see the detail in the shadows, so expose ONLY for the highlights, and the shadows will go totally black.
If you don't, you'll get blown out highlights, and you'll see the shadows as being more gray, which is not what you want.

Matt Pacini

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