Film and Digital Times - March 2007 - (Page 19)

Lighting with Paint We were recently interviewed on television about how we lit “Cinematographer Style” (two 20x20 frames of Light Gridcloth, two 6K HMI PARs or 10K’s, huge studio, backgrounds out of focus, sparse fill.) The interview, however, was lit by a ring of fire that could have been measured in degrees Fahrenheit instead of f-stops. The host and I were soaked in sweat. I volunteered to help turn off half the lights to illustrate our style of 90˚ side lighting. “No, no,” said the producer. “We need to see your eyes. Eyes are the window to the soul.” That may be true if you’re doing iris scans for identification or run-and-gun news. Even then, they should put a warning on all those on-board camera lights that mount directly above the lens: “Use sparingly or to the side. May be harmful to good looks.” And that brings to mind the helpful producer with gaffing envy. His urgent Blackberry message said, “Paid 20 million bucks for big star actor, and want to see everything we paid for.” Self-portrait. Rembrandt van Rijn, 1628 Oil on panel, 22.6 x 18.7 cm Rijksmuseum, Amerstedam Nicolaes Ruts Rembrandt van Rijn, 1631 oil on mahogany panel, 116.84 cm x 87.31 cm The Frick Collection Portrait of Nicolaas van Bambeeck Rembrandt van Rijn, 1641 Oil on canvas, 105.5 x 84 cm Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels Rembrandt van Rijn painted one of the first of his many self-portraits in 1628 (top). The single source light from a window behind his right shoulder illuminates his cheek, leaving the eyes in shadow. Because the walls and ceiling of the studio are white, there is just enough bounce light to fill the face. There probably was not enough fill light to please one of Rembrandt’s first customers, Susanna Ruts. “I’m paying you a king’s ransom,” I imagine her saying. “Please show me the windows to my father’s soul. Make it brighter.” It was early in his career. Rembrandt didn’t argue and added fill light to the portrait of Amsterdam merchant Nicolaes Ruts in 1631 (below, left). Rembrandt was soon famous enough to ignore Blackberry messages from producers about lighting. His contrasty and often side-lit style is clear in the portraits that followed, for example (below, right), a portrait painted in 1641 of another Amsterdam merchant, Nicolaas van Bambeeck. Mar 2007 19

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Film and Digital Times - March 2007

New from Transvideo
Wizards of Wireless Focus and Remote Control
Cooke /i dataLink, Pixel Farm and Avid
Sony F23
Tiffen Steadicam Merlin and DFX Filters
Kodak Digital Ice and Arriscan
16x9 Inc 1.5x Tele Converter for HDV Camcorders
JVC PL Mount Adapter
Canon XHA1 and XHG1 Camcorders
Kata Camcorder Guards
Formatt Grads
ARRI at NAB
Lighting with Paint

Film and Digital Times - March 2007

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