Single light source

[jmsinick]

Hello

I am designing lights for a show called Someone Who'll Watch Over Me. Basically it is three guys chained to a wall in a cell. All is good until I hung the single 60 watt light bulb with a large shield in the center of the set. My problem is lighting the actors effectivly while keeping the proper shadows and a similar color temp to that of a 60 watt bulb dimmed @ 50%.

To describe the set, it is grey cinder block that is 16 feet across in the back and 14 feet tall. The downstage edge is 8 feet down from the back wall and the sides taper down from 8 feet tall at the back wall to nothing. Also the downstage edge is 26 feet across.

The shadow problem is with the placement in the center of the cell, so that when the actors are on the downstage edge they are totally backlit, and when i light them from the front they get shadows behind them, which is unnatural for the placement from the only source of light in their cell.

Any thoughts???

Thanks,
Jeremy

[JP12687]

well to only light with one light bulb is very hard.

To eliminate shadows/dampen them you need multiple light directions

Front, back, and side light. when used together will light it up, and allow the people to be seen, with minimum shadow as the shadown is washed out by all the light.

If you are lighting only from the front, it will create a very ugly, very flat effect.

[jonhirsh]

The key to a one source effect is to make it look like its coming from one source it doesnt actualy have to come from one source.

The way i have done this in the past is to create a wash of the stage just as you would for any other show. now just keep this very low just enough to light up the acting area. now with brighter lights put in accents of light to show the single directional source of light. this will put certain areas in to shadow but not as much as if you had no wash. as for matching colour temps. what type of bulb is in this hanging light if its tungston then it should be the same should it not? just dim your other lights to match the intensity.


JH

[propmonkey]

normal incondencent blubs run at ~2,800k and halogen stage lamps run at ~3,200k.

[jonhirsh]

so then just use some gel and step down the lights to match or step up your other lights to match just ask your rosco or apollo gell dealer it wont colour your lights just match the colour temputure.

JH

[Foxinabox10]

Try adding some bar gobos from the sides or the front to add some more dimensions and to make the cell seem more life like.

[jumpjet]

A touch off topic and negative...
but I dislike that show.

[foeglass]

The biggest problem at the moment is the lights from the front are throwing shadow onto the set. As for matching an incandecent bulb, rosco has a gel that can do it, but time and money are issues there. a collection of three gels a variation of amber and grey created what he needed.
back to the shadows. obviously a single overhead incadescent bulb would not throw a 45 degree shadow from the actor and the director is going for REALISM in the strictest form it appears.
The set has no bars. it has one wooeden door, no openings and as said before, one overhead light.

But shadows are the big question and how to keep it cool but realistic and visible. you go to blue to cool it off you get some unrealistic lighting, amber takes away from the atmosphere.

[Radman]

http://radman.freeserverhost.net/pics/

Click on WatchOverMe_4views.jpg

Just drafted your basic description up in cad... Is that what the set basically is? Just trying to get a better idea of what you're looking at...

[jmsinick]

Thanks, Radman. You are close but here are a couple pictures of what is going on.

Pic 1: The set in normal light.

http://svsu.edu/~jmsinick/some1.jpg

Pic 2: The set with the single source of light.

http://svsu.edu/~jmsinick/some2.jpg

Pic 3: The set in stage lighting recreating the look of the single lamp.

http://svsu.edu/~jmsinick/some3.jpg

Thanks all for you help so far. Let me know if Pic 3 is on the right path to looking realistic.

Jeremy