Every time I try to shoot in the sun, I have the same problem. The sky is always white, where as it is actually really blue. Bringing down the exposure doesn't help, and everything on the ground gets a little too dark, and it starts to look like there is too much shadow, as if it is cloudy. How do I get the sky to be blue? Thanks.
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I have a problem with shooting outdoors.
- Thread starter harmonica44
- Start date
Okay thanks. But that would require having to get generators to power the lights while outdoors, and I would have to get legal permission to shoot, since I don't technically have permission. Bringing lights that bright with generators will create a lot of attention. And every time I ask for permission they always give me a price in the hundreds of thousands of dollars range. Any much cheaper ways?
What camera do you have?
Hundreds of thousands, or hundreds "to" thousands of dollars? I interested to hear of this place that would charge hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Hundreds of thousands, or hundreds "to" thousands of dollars? I interested to hear of this place that would charge hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Reflectors.
Get a light meter.
Get your actors into the sun and then expose for that. If you've got your actors hiding in shadows that meter at 2.8 and your sun is metering at 16, then there's no way you're giong to hold an exposure on the actors without blowing out the sky.
Get a light meter.
Get your actors into the sun and then expose for that. If you've got your actors hiding in shadows that meter at 2.8 and your sun is metering at 16, then there's no way you're giong to hold an exposure on the actors without blowing out the sky.
Nuff said..use bounce on the talent if ya can. the big boys use lights and flags to keep light from places where they can.
Adding light can be done with a mirror by redirecting the sun... or a bounce card (white) or reflector (silver or gold)... no need for lights out there. Put the sun over the actors shoulder high enough that it won't hit the lens, then bounce it back to the high, opposite side of their face and you have a simple 2 light setup that will provide some cool modeling of their features. Using only the sun.
I've seen TV shows doing outside OBs using 20x20 scrims above talent, then shooting a few high powered HMIs (somewhere in the vicinity of 1.2-2.5k) at the talent.
Reflectors also work well, but require someone to hold them. Foamcore works.
The more tricky solutions include a setup of mirrors, one that tracks the sun, then reflects it into a second one that reflects into the scene. Cheaper than HMIs for higher output.
It's also much easier to shoot on an overcast day than to shoot on a really sunny day.
Reflectors also work well, but require someone to hold them. Foamcore works.
The more tricky solutions include a setup of mirrors, one that tracks the sun, then reflects it into a second one that reflects into the scene. Cheaper than HMIs for higher output.
It's also much easier to shoot on an overcast day than to shoot on a really sunny day.
I just expose for the sky then use a reflector or two to get some light on the actors.
Okay thanks. I will use reflectors next time! Should I use reflectors on overcast days as well?
Always have reflectors, setup the scene, then look in the camera to see if the camera thinks there's too much contrast in the scene... if there is, expose for the light bits and light the dark bits to suit that exposure.
Simple, this is the same process for every location, not just outdoors. Expose for the bits you can't control, then control the parts you can to match.
Use your eyes... if you look at the camera and see that it looks wrong... IT'S WRONG. If it makes you want to post a question, it's probably something that you can fix on set with a simple question/answer: example -- Is the actors face too dark? I'll add light to the face to see if it looks better. You've determined the assumed problem in the question, and by reversing the case, tested the hypothesis. Perhaps the background is too bright. You can do one of two things... add light to the foreground or remove light from the background. Once they're balanced, expose to the subject and move forward with your shoot.
Schedule time for this process so you can get it right on set and not have to worry about it in post when you should be more focussed on storytelling than fixing problems that should have been addressed on set.
One of the drawbacks of most small crew indie fare is that the filmmakers don't counter their lack of crew by scheduling more time to account for the lack of crew. It's simple person hours accounting math. 5 people doing a job in 1 hour would take 1 person 5 hours to do the same job. A camera crew is generally 3 people (op, focus, slate). A lighting crew for me is generally 5 people (Gaffer + 4 grips). If you're the only one on your set doing these tasks... every setup will take you 8 times as long to get going. Schedule accordingly.
Simple, this is the same process for every location, not just outdoors. Expose for the bits you can't control, then control the parts you can to match.
Use your eyes... if you look at the camera and see that it looks wrong... IT'S WRONG. If it makes you want to post a question, it's probably something that you can fix on set with a simple question/answer: example -- Is the actors face too dark? I'll add light to the face to see if it looks better. You've determined the assumed problem in the question, and by reversing the case, tested the hypothesis. Perhaps the background is too bright. You can do one of two things... add light to the foreground or remove light from the background. Once they're balanced, expose to the subject and move forward with your shoot.
Schedule time for this process so you can get it right on set and not have to worry about it in post when you should be more focussed on storytelling than fixing problems that should have been addressed on set.
One of the drawbacks of most small crew indie fare is that the filmmakers don't counter their lack of crew by scheduling more time to account for the lack of crew. It's simple person hours accounting math. 5 people doing a job in 1 hour would take 1 person 5 hours to do the same job. A camera crew is generally 3 people (op, focus, slate). A lighting crew for me is generally 5 people (Gaffer + 4 grips). If you're the only one on your set doing these tasks... every setup will take you 8 times as long to get going. Schedule accordingly.
Although your question is already anwsered (twice), let's move to a more abstract level.
You noticed: the sky is overexposed or the scene in underexposed.
In camera there is nothing you can do about it: the contrast is just far too high.
In theory you can do a few things:
a) make the sky darker
b) make the set lighter
Blocking the sun is no solution in this case.
This can be done with extra light (electric of bounced).
Sometimes with blocking the sky with a gradient ND filter.
Polarized filter can help as well.
Or shoot at another moment of the day when the sun is lighting the sun more efficient. (More frontal)
Okay thanks. Since we are on the subject, this same thing applies to shooting scenes inside a moving car. Legally I am not allowed to have lights or reflectors set up on the car, to aim light into the actor's face while driving. Any ways I can get the interior of the car bright enough, without overexposing the sky, out the windows?
Tape ND film over the windows of the car to dim the sun... then raise the exposure in the camera.
Or... shoot your normal wide shot as a setup, then cut to REALLY tight closeups aimed up slightly to hide the fact that the car is no longer moving (moving the camera slowly to one side will slide the sky against your actors head) and shoot all of your dialog tight and stationary so you can light it.
Or... shoot your normal wide shot as a setup, then cut to REALLY tight closeups aimed up slightly to hide the fact that the car is no longer moving (moving the camera slowly to one side will slide the sky against your actors head) and shoot all of your dialog tight and stationary so you can light it.
ND gel the windows
Shoot on film, or something with a much higher dynamic range
Use a lowloader
Use little LED lights and/or Kino flo minis to brighten faces/interiors
Okay thanks. I won't be able to afford film for all these shots. If I shoot at really tight angles though it will look awkard for some of the scenes I want to do. I mean how many close ups can you get away with to hide microbudget, before it starts to look like really awkward storyboard choices for just normal dialogue shots, which close ups, that are that close, do not call for them? Are there any movies where shooting in a car this close is done to hide that it's not moving, that I can use as an example? Even though it's illegal to rig lights on the outside of the car, I might be able to get away with lighting the inside of the car while it's being driven, and no cops would notice. I would have hide the lights very well though, in order to not be seen on camera. Will lighting the inside of the car, look the same as sun hitting glass though, since glass reflects light?
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