Shooting in a nightclub

[Social Worker Films]

Everyone here has been a big help thus far..maybe I can pick some of the expert brains once again:

I will be shooting a small band performing in a nightclub (not a traditional live music venue). The dance floor is somewhat dark and the stage has a few white spots but is mainly a red and yellow wash.

I know this is vague. Does anyone have any experience/tips/hints/tricks whatever...anything I should look out for? Recommended film stocks (I want to shoot color)? I wrangled a nice camera, a NIzo 4080 and I also have access to a digital light meter.

Thanks again!

[c_77]

I have done this several times with many different results. The best results were obtained when there was two 500 watt halogen worklamps lighting the stage which I filmmed using Ektachrome VNF at 24fps. I also have a Nizo camera like yours I've used. If you can use extra lighting I would try K40. If you must use the existing light go with Ektachrome. I have only tried shooting Ektachrome in the nightclubs, but I imagine I could have possibly used K40 with the extra lights.

Stage lighting is usually more diffused than it might seem like, especially with those colored lights. I have had underexposed footage more than once happen from relying on stage lights. If there is no direct light on your subject, (even a single direct lightbulb will help), you may not get anything or if you do it will look bad. It's a fine line with reversal filmstock as to what will work and what won't. Sounds like in your case I would definitely film at 18fps, and try and bring some extra lights! I usually set the exposure on automatic but I would try and film as wide open as your cameras reading indicates. My last folly involved a backlit stage; the stage lights were more on the audience and in the backgound, so I got mostly sillhouettes of the performers. This might have worked if I set my aperture manually.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ February 10, 2003 12:29 PM: Message edited by: c_77 ]</font>

[jeromecain]

c-77 made sense. good luck! Have fun! Jerome, deaf filmmaker (my suggest try for extra lights and use k40 or 200t as it will kill your heart)