White balance in nightclub? at DVinfo.net

Alex DeJesus · August 22nd, 2010, 12:28 AM

I am doing some band shoots in a showroom nightclub. With color spotlights and darkness everywhere, I have been using the indoor preset on my Canon XHA1s and full manual exposure.

Brian Drysdale · August 22nd, 2010, 01:36 AM

Usually tungsten pre-set or a manual white balance from a 3200 K light works extremely well.

Tim Bradley · November 24th, 2011, 10:54 PM

"Usually tungsten pre-set or a manual white balance from a 3200 K light works extremely well."

I agree 100%.

Any house lights in the club are likely around 2600 - 3000K

Les Wilson · November 25th, 2011, 06:53 AM

Just to pile on what others have said, DON'T use auto white balance. The colored lights will make the AWB shift the definition of "white" and skin tones will be wonky. The A1 has a way to dial in an exact Kelvin temperature so you aren't limited to the 3200K preset. If you notice skin tones in white light are too warm on camera versus what you see with your eye, that's a clue that the house lights are warmer than the 3200K preset and dialing it down to 2800K or 3000K will help. Unfortunately, the A1 viewfinders are so bad you won't be able to tell this until you get it on your NLE.

Matt Shefford · November 25th, 2011, 10:18 PM

We shoot on 5400k in a club where we shoot video 2-3 nights a week. Because the lighting is 50% LED

But in some other clubs we found 4k because of the mix of LED and tungsten.

Ben Fullerton · December 2nd, 2011, 12:13 PM

I would go with the advice from photographer Joe McNally, who said something to the point of, when in situations where you're never going to get a perfect white balance, go for good skin tone, and let everything else go to he'll in a hand basket. There's only so much you can know until you get there. I would just get someone up on stage, and get the lights on, and go for good skin, while still paying attention to the overall ambient look. There's also the added advantage, that i don't think anyone expects to see perfect white balance from concert style footage. Typical viewers have come to accept that there every color of light imaginable blinking, flashing and strobing, and people faces are going to be sorrow of different colors. Go for an overall good look, that keeps in mind that sometimes the blue light will be on and they'll look blue, and sometime the yellow lights will be on and they'll look yellow, and so on.

But like spmeone already said, stay the he'll away from AWB. Every Time the stage lights change, the WB will change trying to neutralize it. It would be a train wreck.

August 22nd, 2010, 12:28 AM	#1
Alex DeJesus Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Henderson, NV Posts: 177	White balance in nightclub? I am doing some band shoots in a showroom nightclub. With color spotlights and darkness everywhere, I have been using the indoor preset on my Canon XHA1s and full manual exposure.

November 24th, 2011, 10:54 PM	#3
Tim Bradley Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 48	Re: White balance in nightclub? "Usually tungsten pre-set or a manual white balance from a 3200 K light works extremely well." I agree 100%. Any house lights in the club are likely around 2600 - 3000K __________________ Tim Bradley - DOP / Cameraman in Sydney Australia www.mindseye.net.au www.sydneydop.com.au www.sydneycameraman.net.au

November 25th, 2011, 06:53 AM	#4
Les Wilson Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 3,014	Re: White balance in nightclub? Just to pile on what others have said, DON'T use auto white balance. The colored lights will make the AWB shift the definition of "white" and skin tones will be wonky. The A1 has a way to dial in an exact Kelvin temperature so you aren't limited to the 3200K preset. If you notice skin tones in white light are too warm on camera versus what you see with your eye, that's a clue that the house lights are warmer than the 3200K preset and dialing it down to 2800K or 3000K will help. Unfortunately, the A1 viewfinders are so bad you won't be able to tell this until you get it on your NLE.

November 25th, 2011, 10:18 PM	#5
Matt Shefford Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Gold Coast, Australia Posts: 40	Re: White balance in nightclub? We shoot on 5400k in a club where we shoot video 2-3 nights a week. Because the lighting is 50% LED But in some other clubs we found 4k because of the mix of LED and tungsten.

December 2nd, 2011, 12:13 PM	#6
Ben Fullerton Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 95	Re: White balance in nightclub? I would go with the advice from photographer Joe McNally, who said something to the point of, when in situations where you're never going to get a perfect white balance, go for good skin tone, and let everything else go to he'll in a hand basket. There's only so much you can know until you get there. I would just get someone up on stage, and get the lights on, and go for good skin, while still paying attention to the overall ambient look. There's also the added advantage, that i don't think anyone expects to see perfect white balance from concert style footage. Typical viewers have come to accept that there every color of light imaginable blinking, flashing and strobing, and people faces are going to be sorrow of different colors. Go for an overall good look, that keeps in mind that sometimes the blue light will be on and they'll look blue, and sometime the yellow lights will be on and they'll look yellow, and so on. But like spmeone already said, stay the he'll away from AWB. Every Time the stage lights change, the WB will change trying to neutralize it. It would be a train wreck. __________________ Fullerton Images - Vimeo - FaceBook

August 22nd, 2010, 01:36 AM	#2
Brian Drysdale Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Belfast, UK Posts: 6,143	Usually tungsten pre-set or a manual white balance from a 3200 K light works extremely well.