Help, Quick [Lighting]

Posted By: Lloyd_Humph | May 1st, 2008 @ 4:44 AM
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#May 1st, 2008 @ 4:44 AM
Lloyd_Humph
Lloyd_Humph
If Blackberrys are addictive cellphones, Channel9 is the ultimate addictive website.
I've got a drama final exam to run a show for in about 20 minutes, and I need some help.

We've got this setup: 4x Variable Spotlights, 2 on each T Bar lighting rig (for flexibility). We've also got a pretty much unlimited number of other lights for creating any type of scenario, but we're stumped on this one.

We need to remove some shadows from the performance - without sacrificing too much of the lighting effects. We thought about simply making all the shadows cast backwards, but it looks awful and so we're looking for other options.

So, another thing that crossed my mind was to have an ambient light, so the shadows would remain but they'd be fainter - however this sacrifices our lighting effects and so is a last resort.

Does anybody here have any idea (even if it's just a guess, you never know!) how I can remove them? Google is fruitless, I just keep getting Photo-Editing tutorials (even when I add "live performance".. *sigh*)

Thanks all Smiley

(oh, and if you find it out, if you've got a twitter could you send me a direct message @lloyd_humph Smiley)
#May 1st, 2008 @ 4:51 AM
evildictaitor
evildictaitor
if( !succeed( try() ) ) { while(true) try(); }
Top down lighting removes most of the shadows, so if you increase the angle (by bringing the lights closer to them, or just higher up) you'll get less shadows.

Also if you do multidirectional lighting ( like \|/ at the people ) then you get less shadows. If you're clever and use red then green then blue you end up with a white light on your focus point and three much less obvious shadows.
#May 1st, 2008 @ 5:18 AM
wisemx
wisemx
Live it
If you can't get diffusers make a few out of semi opaque plastic of any kind that can cover some of the direct light sources.

The idea is to soften the direct light and disperse it better.

Imagine for example placing a bright light inside a semi clear milk jug.
#May 1st, 2008 @ 8:45 AM
Isshou
Isshou
evildictaitor wrote:
Top down lighting removes most of the shadows, so if you increase the angle (by bringing the lights closer to them, or just higher up) you'll get less shadows.

Also if you do multidirectional lighting ( like \|/ at the people ) then you get less shadows. If you're clever and use red then green then blue you end up with a white light on your focus point and three much less obvious shadows.


along the same lines, it sounds like you need to work with the gel color. I wouldn't recommend going red/green/blue as anywhere that the light isn't will be colored and can make for an odd scene. For removing shadows stick to a slight warm ( a light red, rose, orange) or a slight cool (light blue) light depending on what other lighting you got going. Or going with a gray gel to just cut light output (likely a 50% transmission gray).

Another tactic would be to use a floodlamp from above (not directly, but in the lines of 70-80 deg above), though I don't know what type of sources you got that would be effective for that.

I don't know what you have there or what you can order/make.
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