FINALLY WE DID IT!!!!!
I was so nervous before the filming, because I did not have any lighting experiment in the actual filming place, and addition to the lighting is the most important part in our film, anyway, nothing to say but so stressful.
I have been preparing all the lightings and props since 9 o’clock in the morning. I feel a little bit guilty to remove all the files from the Benji grandpa’s desk, and replace our props. I know it is quite hard to return it back like exact same place, but I tried.
For the lighting, there is one thing I have to demonstrate is that lighting really can change the whole situation and circumstance. I was so worried about that our filming office would not be like 70s style, so still worried about it even u have a fully plan of how to organize the lighting in the plot, but in the actual filming, everything would be changed through lighting in your mind, but the idea is still there, the only thing changing is the position, because I didn’t have lighting experiment in rehearsal.
The cookie lighting, the harsh door shadow and the soft window lighting from the small office, those are all in my control and exact the same visual as I imagine in my mind.
I have faced with the problems of that cookies board. For the board I was going to make, I thought it should be as thick as stable in the stand, but it would be very hard to cut into shape, so I chose that less thick one. But the problem was happened during the shooting. I used two arm hands to control it, the thing is solved, but I have lesson of understanding the situation of the board, it could not be stable if it is thin. Another problem about this board is that the shape is quite blurring to display on the wall that it’s different from what I thought it would be. Finally, I have addressed this problem with the help of other peers. It takes a long time to deal with it and the actors and crews are all waiting for me to finish the set up. To be honest, I am such a bad lighting person.
With the deep progress of filming, I was getting more confident with the lighting set up. The redhead was awesome tool for our 1970s color temperature, we used it for different set ups, because it is really useful and the color looks perfect in the camera.
There are three lighting set up which are my favorite and really appreciated with the help of Sebastian and Scott.
- The harsh door shadow. I am using this shadow when Johnson knocks the office’s door, and creates the mystery of this person. The idea is there, set up this lighting is not easy. We were using the 1k Fresnel, which can be the very strong lighting source. Sebastian was helping me with the position of Fresnel. There were many tries of different shape of shadows, and finally we made the most perfect shadow with everyone’s appreciation. This is such a prideful moment that you got the affirmative with the result.
- The cookies lighting. This thought I was taking out from a video from YouTube that is teaching you how to created the window effects on the wall. I was putting the situation in our filming office, the wall is blank and nothing can be decorate except the wallpaper and painting, but for public office, we are not allow to do it. Therefore, I came up with this idea of cookie lighting.
- The phone call from Paton
In this scene, I would like to make it as dark as possible in Paton’s face, because it would be easy for the audience to figure out who the person is. We were using two dedo kit, one is the right parallel position with Paton, and another one is at his back, to light his edge of left face. That takes a long time to set up because it is such an important scene and I was trying different position to make the lighting perfectly in the camera. Using the board to cut the light from his above face and only light in his mouth, with the light from his left face edge and the floating dust is showing in the light. I have to say it is such an amazing shot.
Precious things I have learned in this lighting experience
- Calm down, and have confidence to achieve your visual mind.
- Flexible to the lighting. Lighting is being controlled by your mind and the lighting atmosphere can be exchanged when you change the lighting position.
- Lighting continuity (most important)
- Perfectly corporate with the camera operator. Check the monitor or screen, and to see what the actual looks in camera. It is different to see between your eyes and the screen.
- Be safty. Do not trip the crews in the plot by those disorganized lines.
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vickiedeng 