Lighting question...
 

I'm trying to get the "Apple - think different" look.
Clean white lighting on the subject on a flat white background.

My questions:

1) What material is good for the background?
Is any white painted wall or drape fine to use?

2) What light(s) and whattage is suitable for this look?


I filming this with Xl1s.

Thanks in advance.

John

A white cyclorama is best, but you can find those in studios which will run many of hundreds of dollars a day. The white wall is probably your best bet and if you're going to see the floor, lay a white sheet on it.

Lighting wise, you don't need a ton of light on the white wall because well...it's white. I'd use a very soft light on your subject, either a softbox on your light or bouce a light into white foam core. Don't forget to add a backlight to help seperate your subject from the background.

Scott

You can buy a nine foot wide roll of paper, for around $50. They will roll all the way down onto the floor if you need them to. The 12 foot rolls get a bit more expensive.

A good trick to use when you are shooting a white background, is to overexpose the background. This will give you a "whiter than white" look. Then, lock in the camera's exposure (f/stop), and then light the foreground subject correctly for this f/stop.

Dude you guys are awesome! Thanks for all your replies.

"A white cyclorama is best...Don't forget to add a backlight to help seperate your subject from the background."


"You can buy a nine foot wide roll of paper, for around $50"


"... overexpose the background. This will give you a "whiter than white" look. Then, lock in the camera's exposure (f/stop), and then light the foreground subject correctly for this f/stop."


John

Yes, yes yes
 

I would use hard light.. two totas with 650=1k bulbs and 45 degrees
maybe with umbrellas to avoid a hotspot.
Use lightbanks on subject with some hard hightlight

Background close to 2 stops higher that subject.

Pull subject away from background 6-12 ft if possible