What to buy and how to set it up? at DVinfo.net

Jason McDonald · July 29th, 2009, 07:46 AM

New to video, not to photography...not sure how to set this one up or what lights I can get away with using.

I would like my talent to be standing/sitting in front of an all white backdrop for interview style shooting (Like the Mac vs PC commercials). With all the new toys I've been buy, I'm on a budget. Living in Japan makes things more difficult as well...everything is more expensive and less available. I'd love it if someone could tell me how to get this scene setup using the hardware store.

I'm using an XH-A1 and Brevis35mm. I have a little HV20 to use on the side for a different viewpoint. H4n for audio.

While I've looked through the threads, please understand that I can't order from BH since I'm in Japan (And the cost of shipping just sucks).

Dan Brockett · July 29th, 2009, 09:47 AM

I would think in Japan, finding the space to set this all up will be one of your main challenges. Any photo supply house can sell you a roll of white seamless paper. Hang the paper between two C-stands with 40" arms hopefully. Affix with two grip clips so that roll doesn't roll open. Pretty simple stuff or are you asking about how to light it?

D

Jason McDonald · July 29th, 2009, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Brockett

I would think in Japan, finding the space to set this all up will be one of your main challenges. Any photo supply house can sell you a roll of white seamless paper. Hang the paper between two C-stands with 40" arms hopefully. Affix with two grip clips so that roll doesn't roll open. Pretty simple stuff or are you asking about how to light it?

D

Looking at how to light it as well. Something like this

aaron + melissa story // excerpt on Vimeo

Dan Brockett · July 29th, 2009, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason McDonald

Looking at how to light it as well. Something like this

aaron + melissa story // excerpt on Vimeo

You need one huge soft source for talent. I see no hair light or fill on any of these. The BG would be most efficiently lit with probably a pair of Kinos but once again, looks like large soft sources to me because there is no specular highlight on the BGs. Could be green screen. A lot of people who want perfectly even BGs shoot green screen because you can then key in the white or black or whatever and control how it looks.

You also need a fairly large room if you are using a real white BG because you must separate the talent from the BG to avoid casting shadows on the white BG.

If I were using my stuff, key would be my 48" Chimera with a 40 degree eggcrate with my Mighty Mole inside of it but you could also shoot a 5k through an 8x8 and get the same look.

I would be lighting the BG with my pair of Kino Diva 200s.

Thia setup is pretty cliche', every apple commercial in the world is shot this way but if that is what you want, it's not real difficult to do.

Dan

Jason McDonald · July 29th, 2009, 08:59 PM

cliche maybe, but I haven't been able to do it yet. it's all part of the learning experience I suppose.

Tsu Terao · July 30th, 2009, 11:47 PM

Light it the same as still photos - see Avedon's setup. An umbrella/softbox, and 2 floods on the BG.

Perrone Ford · July 31st, 2009, 12:24 AM

If you don't have a ton of light, then just make sure the background is exposed 4 stops or so above the talent. Use the least amount of light on the talent you can get away with, and totally blow out the background.

Annie Haycock · July 31st, 2009, 06:14 AM

If you need only top body shots, and have a window, you could natural light coming in though fine white fabric at the window as your background. Use the zebras for exposure, and they should show the background as much too light. But beware of too much light so that it spills over the edges of the subject in the picture. If you have no other light source, you could tape crinkled tin foil to the wall to reflect back on the subject.

Sorry, this is going back to stills photography, but it should work for video too.

Guy Cochran · August 18th, 2009, 05:13 PM

D. Eric Franks of Videopia.org put up a great video on Vimeo with his inexpensive set-up Lighting Infinite White on Vimeo. I think he does a great job and it's worth watching.

We also have a section on white limbo in the DV Enlightenment DVD DV Enlightenment at DVcreators.net

Currently, I'm rather fond of these fancy new 65w fluorescents from Lowel. They've got a high CRI of 90+ and work in regular "Edison" style sockets Lowel lamps
IIRC 65w of fluorescent is about the equivalent of 250w incandescent. I'm using them in regular track lighting overhead and inside of the Lowel Rifa softbox. At $31, I think they're an absolute bargain.

July 29th, 2009, 07:46 AM	#1
Jason McDonald Major Player Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Japan Posts: 295	What to buy and how to set it up? New to video, not to photography...not sure how to set this one up or what lights I can get away with using. I would like my talent to be standing/sitting in front of an all white backdrop for interview style shooting (Like the Mac vs PC commercials). With all the new toys I've been buy, I'm on a budget. Living in Japan makes things more difficult as well...everything is more expensive and less available. I'd love it if someone could tell me how to get this scene setup using the hardware store. I'm using an XH-A1 and Brevis35mm. I have a little HV20 to use on the side for a different viewpoint. H4n for audio. While I've looked through the threads, please understand that I can't order from BH since I'm in Japan (And the cost of shipping just sucks).

July 31st, 2009, 12:24 AM	#7
Perrone Ford Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 4,100	If you don't have a ton of light, then just make sure the background is exposed 4 stops or so above the talent. Use the least amount of light on the talent you can get away with, and totally blow out the background. __________________ DVX100, PMW-EX1, Canon 550D, FigRig, Dell Octocore, Avid MC4/5, MB Looks, RedCineX, Matrox MX02 mini, GTech RAID, Edirol R-4, Senn. G2 Evo, Countryman, Moles and Lowels.

July 31st, 2009, 06:14 AM	#8
Annie Haycock Major Player Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Pembrokeshire, Wales Posts: 734	If you need only top body shots, and have a window, you could natural light coming in though fine white fabric at the window as your background. Use the zebras for exposure, and they should show the background as much too light. But beware of too much light so that it spills over the edges of the subject in the picture. If you have no other light source, you could tape crinkled tin foil to the wall to reflect back on the subject. Sorry, this is going back to stills photography, but it should work for video too. __________________ Canon XH A1; Canon XF100; Nikon D800

August 18th, 2009, 05:13 PM	#9
Guy Cochran DVCreators.Net Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 892	D. Eric Franks of Videopia.org put up a great video on Vimeo with his inexpensive set-up Lighting Infinite White on Vimeo. I think he does a great job and it's worth watching. We also have a section on white limbo in the DV Enlightenment DVD DV Enlightenment at DVcreators.net Currently, I'm rather fond of these fancy new 65w fluorescents from Lowel. They've got a high CRI of 90+ and work in regular "Edison" style sockets Lowel lamps IIRC 65w of fluorescent is about the equivalent of 250w incandescent. I'm using them in regular track lighting overhead and inside of the Lowel Rifa softbox. At $31, I think they're an absolute bargain. __________________ Guy Cochran DVinfo Sponsor, Cool Gear - DVeStore!

July 29th, 2009, 09:47 AM	#2
Dan Brockett Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Los Angeles, California Posts: 2,109	I would think in Japan, finding the space to set this all up will be one of your main challenges. Any photo supply house can sell you a roll of white seamless paper. Hang the paper between two C-stands with 40" arms hopefully. Affix with two grip clips so that roll doesn't roll open. Pretty simple stuff or are you asking about how to light it? D

July 29th, 2009, 08:59 PM	#5
Jason McDonald Major Player Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Japan Posts: 295	cliche maybe, but I haven't been able to do it yet. it's all part of the learning experience I suppose.

July 30th, 2009, 11:47 PM	#6
Tsu Terao Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Monterey Bay area, CA Posts: 82	Light it the same as still photos - see Avedon's setup. An umbrella/softbox, and 2 floods on the BG.