In this episode we go through a day of production step by step, pointing out the lighting and grip choices. There are many ways of doing the same thing, but seeing how someone else approaches a given set up can be instructive.
Thank you so much Luke..... One 15:00 min Luke Seerveld video is worth 100 hours of looking around YT channels hoping to be taught useful information in the craft!
Luke, your are my hero. I would pay you to let me be on set and learn some of your skills. These videos are so informative. Keep up the good work. I love the easy chill vibe.
This was great! Keep these coming! Invaluable to someone trying to learn how to light. One thing you might consider that would be great is showing a lighting plan for each scene? Just something simple to quickly help viewers get orientated with what you are showing them. I know personally I'd love that!
Great episode, Luke. Thanks for the thorough breakdown- I always learn a lot from your breakdowns- I've never used any Rosco scrim rolls - just ND rolls. I'm def gonna invest in a roll next time I visit my local Expendables house. Cheers! Tom
Luke Seerveld Oh, wow thanks :) I am just a one man band, just now learning about lighting and how to work with a team. There’s so much more to it than I have understood. Huge thanks for giving me an inside peek to how the pros do it!
Hah interviews are my bread and butter lately. Mostly event work(which means I'm doing nothing atm). How you break down and approach things is very simple and nuanced. I have a tendency to overthink lighting. Atalnta doesn't have a great deal of mid-level to high level crews. Its either cheap or super high end. Working on a remedy to that.
Loved this format of breakdowns! Thanks a lot for putting this together. My one question is, what strength of roscoe scrim did you use on the window. Do you have more then one strength in your kit? Thanks!
Hi Luke, love the work, thanks again for this highly informative video! A quick question, when outside, why did you bounce light up into her face (ex. 14:25) instead of down, for level? Personally, I feel like it makes the shot feel less naturalistic because we are, conscious or not, more accustomed to light falling from above a subject. Could you please explain why the light was bounced up into the talent? And, as I'm less familiar with high key commercial cinematography, could you please explain if this is a common way to add level to the talent's face (I usually bounce down from above to help get shape on the jawline) to get the desired 'commercial' look? Sam
Great breakdown Luke. Thanks for sharing. I need to look into the ultra bounce. I generally use a Mathews expendable soft bounce board, but the larger Ultra bounce looks like a big soft bounce source. How big is yours and what's a good size for general use like single person with cowboy framing.
Hi Erik, I know it seems like it should be really straight forward, but the size of your bounce is dependent on how big you want your source to be. Sometimes, if we don't have room for an 8x8, we'll use a 6x6 or two 4x4 floppies or just one 4x4 floppy. On a stage you might use a 12x12 or larger because you have a larger area that you want the light to fall beyond your subject. Other considerations are whether you are competing with other sources in the background, like windows, or if you want to have a smaller key that doesn't spill onto the background. If you are using minimal crew and need to keep your footprint on the smaller side you can create a perfectly pleasing soft source with one ultra flop:-) Mine are not even 4x4, but 42"x42". 8x8 is the size I like the best for the size shoots I'm on, so I usually have more flavors in 8x8. Hope that helps?
It does! Thanks for the info. I ordered a 6x6 to try out for outdoors fill. Looking forward to yet another way to make talent look great outside. Great channel and thanks again.
more walkthroughs please.. and more details about lighting. Dont care much about kid actors or other people on set. Care about how lighting was done.. :) Love your channel btw. Greetings from danish gaffer..
For me, a scratch is a light that scratches the check from behind and to the side. It gives definition and depth to the face, but is not always needed or motivated.
Hi Thomas, I'm not sure what brand/model it was, but it's usually a 17 inch or larger monitor by TV Logic, Flanders Scientific, Sony, Panasonic, or SmallHD.
Great video, very informative. always love your stuff, but I must say the music in the beginning and end of the video is waaay too loud!, please could you lower the volume next time?. again great stuff keep it coming!
I have a grip question: At 11:43 I see you guys leaning the Hi-rollers to allow the 12x12 black to rest on the ground. Is there a name for that technique and is it quite common? Also, I just see sandbags holding balancing it out, are there ropes too? Obviously I see two more guys holding it too, was it a quick impromptu thing to do it this way or is it more stable this way in windy conditions?
Hi David, I've always heard it called "stage-bracing". Yes it's a more stable way to secure a bounce in windy conditions because you are triangulating with the ground as apposed to just ropes in space. These outdoor shots were relatively quick and there was not a lot to tie off to, so having extra PAs for ballast was a bonus:)
Ha, ha! Alan Steinheimer’s book (now in a 2nd edition) and Harry Box’s book are great resources. A scratch is between a side light and a back light that scratches a person’s cheek. Sort of like an edge or a liner😉 Hope that helps.
Luke, do you have the exact name and model of that Roscoe black scrim on the back window? I'd like to buy some. Do you know how big the sheets come in?
Rosco Cinegel 3421 Black Scrim SKU:R3421 It’s under $10 for a sheet and $180 or less for a 4ft X 25ft roll. They have many kinds: black on black, black and silver, and also a version that applies right to the window. Best to go through a knowledgeable Expendables store rather than direct.
Hi Joseph, It totally depends whether you are working with a lighting-cameraperson or someone whose strengths lie somewhere else:-) I prefer to collaborate with the DP, but sometimes it's just up to me, which is fine too. Politically it's wise to to assume there is a hierarchy and you aren't at the top... but have a plan ready so you can step in as needed. It's a dance. Not sure if that helps.
That does help! Thanks Luke, your series is amazing. :) I also have a video request: can you do a video on lights that use circuits higher than 20amps like 2.5kw HMIs and above? I would like to get your take on choosing a generator for different types of jobs. It's all good if it's too involved just thought I throw it out there :)
A double break just means we have two layers of diffusion. For instance, sometimes we put up an 8x8 of 1/2 grid, but we feel it’s not soft enough, so instead of swapping out the 1/2 for a Full, we might slip a smaller frame of diffusion between the light unit and the 8x. We call that a double break b/c we have used two layers to “break up” the light.
Like cheek light that comes from “3/4 back” which is between a direct back light and a side light, and is usually just above the subject head height, but not has high as a back light. It sort of scratches the cheek/side of the face with light. Does that make sense?
@@meetthegaffer Makes perfect sense. Graduating film school on Friday, but I've just never heard that term before. Thank you! I've learned a lot from your content. Please keep putting stuff out!
