-
Wondering which camera, gear, computer, or software to buy? Ask in our Gear Guide.
How would you create lightning?
- Thread starter Aegis
- Start date
You may run into a couple of problems with a strobe:
First, they're usually pretty rhythmic and don't really look that much like lightning. If you're looking at a photographic strobe, you're liable to run into problem number 2...
...which is, the pulse of the strobe is so fast that you run the risk of it not registering on camera, especially if you're shooting 24p or 25p. If you're shooting interlaced, it will likely only register on one field, which is better than nothing, though, again, doesn't really look like lightning.
If you can rent an old carbon arc light with a manual adjustment, that'll produce a perfect lightning flash because that's exactly what it is. Or, for a cheaper alternative, find an arc welder who'll bring his gear to the set.
First, they're usually pretty rhythmic and don't really look that much like lightning. If you're looking at a photographic strobe, you're liable to run into problem number 2...
...which is, the pulse of the strobe is so fast that you run the risk of it not registering on camera, especially if you're shooting 24p or 25p. If you're shooting interlaced, it will likely only register on one field, which is better than nothing, though, again, doesn't really look like lightning.
If you can rent an old carbon arc light with a manual adjustment, that'll produce a perfect lightning flash because that's exactly what it is. Or, for a cheaper alternative, find an arc welder who'll bring his gear to the set.
Yeah - I thought about that but I wasn't sure I'd get the intensity I'm after - also I'm concerned it'd look like something moving past a light (depends on how fast the Grip can move it I guess) - it's worth trying out before I spend any money though
What camera are you shooting with? CMOS responds oddly to flash effects, it creates random horizontal bands of flash and not flashed parts of the frame. The welding machine idea is interesting. Pops from a mig or a stick welder would flash the room and decay long enough to create a clean flash on a cmos camera. If you are using something with CCD then you don't have to worry as much.
Edit:
Just re-read the question. Outdoors at night? What size area are you trying to illuminate? I'm not certain that 1500w is going to throw enough to cover exterior night stuff. What sort of location? Are there alleys, buildings, or trees that you can use to limit the space you have to flash, and give a surface to work with? Take a forest for example, you'd be lightly back-lighting trees to get a general sense of the space, then flashing with big lights probably more from one side or another to throw strong shadow along the bark texture and whatnot. Lots of variations, that's just the first thing that comes to mind.
Edit:
Just re-read the question. Outdoors at night? What size area are you trying to illuminate? I'm not certain that 1500w is going to throw enough to cover exterior night stuff. What sort of location? Are there alleys, buildings, or trees that you can use to limit the space you have to flash, and give a surface to work with? Take a forest for example, you'd be lightly back-lighting trees to get a general sense of the space, then flashing with big lights probably more from one side or another to throw strong shadow along the bark texture and whatnot. Lots of variations, that's just the first thing that comes to mind.
Last edited:
Thanks for the great ideas everyone!
David: I probably could've worded it better - the storm's going on outside - the scene is INT
We're shooting with a Sony NEX VG10 - it's a APS-C CMOS DSLR-type thing - I'm leaning towards the idea of getting a welder in - think this may get me the look I'm after.
David: I probably could've worded it better - the storm's going on outside - the scene is INT
We're shooting with a Sony NEX VG10 - it's a APS-C CMOS DSLR-type thing - I'm leaning towards the idea of getting a welder in - think this may get me the look I'm after.
The problem I see with this is that the set is going to be (dimly) lit by a number of wall lamps that will be in shot during the lightning flashes - ramping up the highlights will intensify these lamps too which is the opposite of what I want - I'd like them to dim during the lightning flashes (dodgy 1930's electrics
)Ah, okay.
Well, when you break it down into shots you'll know when you need the following to happen:
-- lightning flashes outside when the window is in frame
-- lightning gag to cast on actors/int when window is out of frame
-- "dodgy" house-lights going brown-out during the storm.
Essentially 3 different gags, which will probably benefit from some clean-up in post. I don't really know much about that world though.
The house lights are easy. Dimmers on your instruments as needed, and someone from your crew to run them to simulate the brown-outs. Fortunately they only need to be timed in such a way as meets your artistic desire. If these wall lamps are connected to house wiring and wall switches, then my idea is no good without a qualified electrician to set it up. If you can plug them in to in-line dimmers then you are good to go.
For closer shots the variety of suggestions above should work well. Outside the window, the welder idea might be good, although you might need to find a way to cheat it up a bit so it doesn't seem like it is coming from below the window or something.
Well, when you break it down into shots you'll know when you need the following to happen:
-- lightning flashes outside when the window is in frame
-- lightning gag to cast on actors/int when window is out of frame
-- "dodgy" house-lights going brown-out during the storm.
Essentially 3 different gags, which will probably benefit from some clean-up in post. I don't really know much about that world though.
The house lights are easy. Dimmers on your instruments as needed, and someone from your crew to run them to simulate the brown-outs. Fortunately they only need to be timed in such a way as meets your artistic desire. If these wall lamps are connected to house wiring and wall switches, then my idea is no good without a qualified electrician to set it up. If you can plug them in to in-line dimmers then you are good to go.
For closer shots the variety of suggestions above should work well. Outside the window, the welder idea might be good, although you might need to find a way to cheat it up a bit so it doesn't seem like it is coming from below the window or something.
Yeah - I'm thinking it'll run something like this:
Buy some standard house lamps (plug-in types) and mount them/wire them up to look like wall lamps - they'll be hooked up to a dimmer and plugged into regular extension leads.
The set interior will be isolated from the rest of the stage with blackout cloth so we can do our fancy arc lightning without any light bleed (apart from the window).
We'll figure something out so we can raise our welder above the window height - doesn't have to be too high (I want long shadows) - probably just above the top of the window frame.
The window will have some sort of rain hitting it anyway and we'll be using a light outside the set to simulate dim moonlight and/or streetlamps.
For actual lightning flashes (and the view out of the window) - that's all going to be CG - I'll be doing that myself in post.
Buy some standard house lamps (plug-in types) and mount them/wire them up to look like wall lamps - they'll be hooked up to a dimmer and plugged into regular extension leads.
The set interior will be isolated from the rest of the stage with blackout cloth so we can do our fancy arc lightning without any light bleed (apart from the window).
We'll figure something out so we can raise our welder above the window height - doesn't have to be too high (I want long shadows) - probably just above the top of the window frame.
The window will have some sort of rain hitting it anyway and we'll be using a light outside the set to simulate dim moonlight and/or streetlamps.
For actual lightning flashes (and the view out of the window) - that's all going to be CG - I'll be doing that myself in post.
wont having that HUGE transformer and what amounts to a SPARK GAP transmitter (Im talking about an arc welder) right next to your electronic gear give headaches? Especially audio..
Stick with the flagged light.. its been done that way in many a movie..
or howbout one of these
http://www.halloweenconnection.com/detail.aspx?ID=102
(but as a strobe, I have the same worry about cmos rolling shutter ..)
Stick with the flagged light.. its been done that way in many a movie..
or howbout one of these
http://www.halloweenconnection.com/detail.aspx?ID=102
(but as a strobe, I have the same worry about cmos rolling shutter ..)
In the days before HMIs, carbon arc lights were the norm on sets. Basically the same thing.
Normally you'd keep your electronics - and everything else - away from the welding equipment.
I didn't read till the end of this so sorry if this has been said, but if you use a luma matte to cover up your lights, and crank the highlights in post using that luma matte, you could probably pull off the lightning effect the way you want to.
Obviously getting the warmth of the light is just a matter of colour correction and the 'strobyness' of the lightning will depend on your expression writing skills. Unless you're a keyframer, in which case, go nuts.
While using lights seems like a good idea, I'm wondering if it will be obvious that the light intensity is centered on the subject and not uniformly lighting the room, ruining the effect. I guess it depends on how close up/wide the shot is, either way, I think this can be done in After effects a lot more efficiently.
Obviously getting the warmth of the light is just a matter of colour correction and the 'strobyness' of the lightning will depend on your expression writing skills. Unless you're a keyframer, in which case, go nuts.
While using lights seems like a good idea, I'm wondering if it will be obvious that the light intensity is centered on the subject and not uniformly lighting the room, ruining the effect. I guess it depends on how close up/wide the shot is, either way, I think this can be done in After effects a lot more efficiently.