Lighting to get a GREEN TINT look with Panasonic DVX100 , I want to get a white bala

F

fixie701

Hi,

So i have these 4100 K fluorescent lights, and I want to use them so that on camera the white balance has a slight green tint to it.

I'm using a Panasonic DVX100 and I'm using fluorescent lights because I know they're naturally green looking on camera.

Problem is, I can't figure out how to get the green tint. (Some of these questions might sound basic but I figured I'd ask since I really don't know how to go about this):
- Am I still supposed to white balance with something white to get that tint?
- Or am I supposed to white balance with something of another color?
- I've been doing this with my WB button on A and using the ATW button for a custom white balance and it's weird because it seems like the WB tends to change a bit after I set it. (Example = sometimes I'd get the greenish look I'd want but it would slowly change and the green look would disappear)

- Lastly, is this even possible for these lights? Or is my only option getting gels? And if so, what kinds of gels?

Thanks so much, I've been trying to figure this out for a few days now.

(Oh, and I actually wanted some of the flicker that people sometimes get with these lights. I was messing with the shutter speed but i couldn't get any flicker. Is this possible either? If not, i'm just going to get the flicker another way. thanks!)
 
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If you WB on something Magenta (opposite on the color wheel) it'll push the color green. You may just want to color correct toward green in post so you have more control over it though (does take more post time). Many video folks carry a gel sample pack from rosco and white balance though them to shift the color one way or the other. A 1/4 minus green would be a slight magenta gel, 1/2 is stronger and full would make your whole scene extremely green when you white balance through it.

White balancing tells the camera that what it is focussed on is white... so if you use green lights, then white balance, the green lights will end up looking closer to white than you want. It would be better to light with a white bulb, WB on that, then change to the greener bulb.
 
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It is easier, but takes much more time... If you have that built into your work flow, great... otherwise in camera is a great way to do effects taht take less editing/post time.
 
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We all have preferences I guess, but I'm with techitone. You have to edit anyway, and color correction doesn't really take that much time at all, not if you want something simple like a different color tint. What takes long is when someone wants color correction like an efect in Sin City where one character is in color and the rest of the film is B&W, but one tint color? No problem. It takes about 6-10 mouse clicks in After Affects (maybe a few minor adjustments aftewards with curves and all if you want). with post, you can get it to exactly the right tone and tint you want rather than trying different gel packs for the right effect. But, I'm a post production guy, we need work too and I always push the "fix it in post" mentality. Knightly is more knowledgeable in running cameras, I simply know where the "On" button is and try not to hurt myself. Guess it boils down to what you feel more comfortable with.
 
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Yes, it's a very easy fix in post, and given the feature set of most NLE's these days wouldn't require additional tools to accomplish. But this sounds like it's really an on-set issue to deal with, not a post production issue.

This is exactly the reason that there are such a large plethora of filters available for lenses. Speaking of, I just noticed the other day that you can see the repositioning of a graduated filter in Rain Man. When Charlie fetches Raymond from the middle of the street, as they walk toward camera, the grad. filter is pulled up and out of the camera so their heads are not affected by it.. funny I never noticed it before. :)
 
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I have read several articles about the use of different filters in cameras which create some really cool effects, so people do use this and I have seen some really innovative and cheap ways to create on camera filter effects such as gel, cellaphane paper, etc, so, if there won't be much VFX done in post anyway, I guess it would make sense to use on camera filters, espescially since a lot can be done inexpensively compared to hiring a VFX artist . But, from what I've heard and read, you can't change or delete most camera based filter effects in post. So, I guess the filmmaker better be sure the effect is really what he wants. I just find it pretty cool to read how people do different effects just with a lens, messing with the white balance, etc. It's all foreign to me, so it's pretty neat to learn new tricks without using software.
 
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Don't get me wrong, I love color correction and timing in post... but I'll tell you for free, adding a CC pass to your render times can dramatically increase your post workflow time. Not a big deal if you are not on a dead line... but it pushed us over the edge on this years 48 hour project (render time, not necessarily CCing). Ended up turning in 5 minutes late, no compete, no prizes.

We have a new workflow plan for next year to alleviate this issue.
 
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I second the motion of doing it in post. This way, you have nice stock that you can play around with. What if you decide you don't like the green tint? Now you're stuck! You'll have to re-shoot.
 
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JCNailen said:
What if you decide you don't like the green tint? Now you're stuck! You'll have to re-shoot.
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Technically no, you can (literally as the name says) color correct it. Color correction is all about fixing wrong tints and matching shots, so if the footage was intentionally shot with a tint that is no longer desirable, it can be used to shift the color back to "normal" :)
 
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Will Vincent said:
Technically no, you can (literally as the name says) color correct it. Color correction is all about fixing wrong tints and matching shots, so if the footage was intentionally shot with a tint that is no longer desirable, it can be used to shift the color back to "normal" :)
Click to expand...

Yeah, you're right. But, I always think that shooting an effect is not as good as creating it in post. Might be just me. I like to have raw to begin with, I guess I like having a "safety net".

When I used to shoot medium format photography (still), I did all my effects during shooting, instead of afterwards in photoshop. Back then I used to think it was more creative. But then I got to thinking about it.... If one uses imagination and the tools at hand (Photoshop), isn't it still creativity? It's an argument that occupies me and my friends often. It's the chicken and egg thing.:lol:
 
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It is just as creative either way... The question is where you have budgeted your time. If it's just you, then the time spent is up to you either way, but if you're paying a post house to do it, in camera is faster and cheaper (although more permanent).
 
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