How do I get this lighting effect right?

harmonica44 · Nov 12, 2013

Basically what I would like to do is, show a lightbulb in a scene start out dark, then get brighter and brighter and show the light spread across the whole shot. My first idea would be to open the aperture slowly to make it look that way, but I have a DSLR and not a movie camera, that allows the aperture to open up smoothly. Are their any alternatives to make it look natural and not synthetic?

Thanks.

Scoopicman · Nov 12, 2013

You could fade in, using a soft "feathered" mask. Alternately, you could use a dimmer on the light, but that may throw off the initial color balance.

jax_rox · Nov 12, 2013

Use a dimmer?

A.D. · Nov 12, 2013

H44 - If you want to try the them out, then old manual lenses with aperture rings can be had for pocket change. The most recent lens I picked up was an old 50mm f1.8 that has some crazy awesome swirly bokeh, and only cost me £3.50.

You'll need an adapter for them (my M42 mount for example cost less than £10), but once you've got one you can then take advantage of all sorts of bargains in charity shops (I think you guys call them thrift stores?) and on evil bay.

Or just do it in post, or dim it as mentioned already.

Sweetie · Nov 12, 2013

Ask your DOP. It's what he's there for right?

harmonica44 · Nov 12, 2013

Okay thanks. The DOP said he was not sure on this one. I should try a thrifstore. Beats going to a photography store for a much bigger price. I will sees if I can get a lens with fast zooming features as well, while I am looking.

Scoopicman · Nov 13, 2013

jax_rox said:
Use a dimmer?

I keep a couple around, in case I need to do the HALLOWEEN fade in on something. Here, I just did a test shot with my daughter. Watch in HD quality.

Dimmer Test shot

Looking at it, it could have been a fade, but I could see using this kind of thing, if I had something else visible in the background, like rim light on a door frame.

jax_rox · Nov 13, 2013

Scoopicman said:
Looking at it, it could have been a fade, but I could see using this kind of thing, if I had something else visible in the background, like rim light on a door frame.

Sure, you could also power window everything, and have all the levels come up at different times and imitate this kinda thing in the grade...

But why would you, when you can just chuck a dimmer on the light?

Scoopicman · Nov 13, 2013

Okay, I was confused for a moment. When I said,

Scoopicman said:
Alternately, you could use a dimmer on the light, but that may throw off the initial color balance.

And you followed up with,

jax_rox said:
Use a dimmer?

I thought you were balking at the dimmer suggestion. Now, I realize you were making the same suggestion. Nevermind. :lol:

baoliun · Nov 13, 2013

Dimmer is da way. If the lightbulb does not provide enough light until it blows out,you can supplement it with offscreen light

Sweetie · Nov 13, 2013

If your DOP couldn't come up with a solution as simple as a Dimmer is he really the right guy for the job? I predict a horror story coming.

harmonica44 · Nov 16, 2013

Well I want to shoot under a gas station roof though, and they won't let us mess with the lights there.

Scoopicman · Nov 16, 2013

harmonica44 said:
Well I want to shoot under a gas station roof though, and they won't let us mess with the lights there.

Then just have your editor do the fade on the timeline.

harmonica44 · Nov 16, 2013

For sure. I am the editor as well, and have been looking for a fade to achieve this effect. Perhaps that feathering mask, and I am figuring out how it works...

A.D. · Nov 16, 2013

harmonica44 said:
Well I want to shoot under a gas station roof though, and they won't let us mess with the lights there.

Why didn't you mention that in your OP? :huh:

For all the excellent advice I've seen offered to you since I joined this forum, you really need to listen to this one, which is repeated continually - you would do better by simply getting out there and learning through experience.

Nobody can double-guess all your caveats that are brought up continually. Every shoot will bring something new to the table, and nobody can predict what that will be for you. Just grab a camera and shoot something! Then do it some more, and some more, and some more...

Just dive in, and if the water is too deep, then you will just have to swim.

jax_rox · Nov 16, 2013

harmonica44 said:
Well I want to shoot under a gas station roof though, and they won't let us mess with the lights there.

Replace them with your own dimmable lights.

Or, simply fade in.

stef · Nov 20, 2013

Sweetie said:
If your DOP couldn't come up with a solution as simple as a Dimmer is he really the right guy for the job? I predict a horror story coming.

I've been wondering this for a while now.

H44 - your first movie is going to be lacking. That's all there is to it. But you'll learn so much from shooting it, that your next one won't be lacking nearly as much.

So, while research and learning is good to get you going, getting out and shooting will teach you more than standing around hypothesizing. Then, you can look and ask "where can I improve?" and have an actual direction for your research.

As it is now, you're just asking a bunch of random questions like you're playing whack-a-mole.