Videography Lighting Setup?

[TheSlicingEdge]

So I want to do this shot where my subject walks out from smoke and there is a bright light backlighting my subject and the smoke. I don't know how I would go about doing this light though. Any recommendations. Diy build? It is a one-time shot so yea 

[nuttytechy]

Use a couple of 500 watt flood lights and you can normally hire a smoke machine.

[AkiraDaarkst]

Do you mean something like this?  One spotlight, some smoke effect and then a lot of editing in AE.  I'd use a fog machine and a spotlight to get the base scene but to achieve the final look I would use AE or other video compositing software and plugins such as Optical Flares and stock footage to increase the smoke.

[TheSlicingEdge]

8 hours ago, nuttytechy said:

Use a couple of 500 watt flood lights and you can normally hire a smoke machine.

 

8 hours ago, AkiraDaarkst said:

Do you mean something like this?  One spotlight, some smoke effect and then a lot of editing in AE.  I'd use a fog machine and a spotlight to get the base scene but to achieve the final look I would use AE or other video compositing software and plugins such as Optical Flares and stock footage to increase the smoke.

forgot to mention....... Im young and only own a fog machine and cant rent a spotlight. Any DIY ideas? I probably could find some buddies who have access to some floodlights.

[AkiraDaarkst]

44 minutes ago, TheSlicingEdge said:

 

forgot to mention....... Im young and only own a fog machine and cant rent a spotlight. Any DIY ideas? I probably could find some buddies who have access to some floodlights.

You don't actually need a fog machine either.  Go to a store that specializes in selling fireworks and see if they sell smoke bombs or watch some tutorials online to make one.  I'm not talking about military smoke bombs.  If you want the smoke to be moving a certain direction, a fan on low power will also be very useful.

 

For the light you don't need an expensive lighting setup.  You just need one bright and large enough.  Even a powerful flashlight can do.  Even the spot/flood lights people place in their gardens can be used.  You can probably get one from a local garden/hardware store.

 

The smoke from the smoke bomb and the light cast by a flashlight will serve as the foundation for the scene's setup.  I recommend you film with a black backdrop placed behind the light and smoke.  This will make it easier in a software like After Effects to isolate the actor who is supposed to be moving in front of the smoke and lights edit to create the final shot.

 

If you want the smoke to have a color, change the color in post production instead of using colored fog or smoke.  Search online for free stock footage of fog and smoke that can be used for compositing.

 

It's going to be hard to get the shot exactly the way you want it using practical effects and filming in-camera on a shoe string budget.  You'll need to rely on a VFX compositing application like AE.

[TheSlicingEdge]

50 minutes ago, AkiraDaarkst said:

You don't actually need a fog machine either.  Go to a store that specializes in selling fireworks and see if they sell smoke bombs or watch some tutorials online to make one.  I'm not talking about military smoke bombs.  If you want the smoke to be moving a certain direction, a fan on low power will also be very useful.

 

For the light you don't need an expensive lighting setup.  You just need one bright and large enough.  Even a powerful flashlight can do.  Even the spot/flood lights people place in their gardens can be used.  You can probably get one from a local garden/hardware store.

 

The smoke from the smoke bomb and the light cast by a flashlight will serve as the foundation for the scene's setup.  I recommend you film with a black backdrop placed behind the light and smoke.  This will make it easier in a software like After Effects to isolate the actor who is supposed to be moving in front of the smoke and lights edit to create the final shot.

 

If you want the smoke to have a color, change the color in post production instead of using colored fog or smoke.  Search online for free stock footage of fog and smoke that can be used for compositing.

 

It's going to be hard to get the shot exactly the way you want it using practical effects and filming in-camera on a shoe string budget.  You'll need to rely on a VFX compositing application like AE.

ok I just wanted to experiment with compositing a shot. with practical effects. I defitenly will check out doing it in AE I have  fog machine so will use that. maybe just get some friends to hold some lights?

[AkiraDaarkst]

9 hours ago, TheSlicingEdge said:

ok I just wanted to experiment with compositing a shot. with practical effects. I defitenly will check out doing it in AE I have  fog machine so will use that. maybe just get some friends to hold some lights?

If you're doing this just to practice and experiment, go ahead.  Try out various ways of doing things.  FYI, that's why I use interns, they are my Human Tripod/C-stand.  Much better than the normal tripods and stands, the human ones have voice command enabled.

[nuttytechy]

Being a concert electrician - This is an area I can give my expert advice lol. 

 

Home security lights. High power, Cheap. If you go for the LED type then go for the cool white not the warm white. The cool white will give you a more sharper image. If you want to change the colour then there are things we called "GELS" and they are a plastic colour sheet which will go over the lanterns. To give the look of someone coming out from the mist then place a lamp directly behind the subject. You can place one low at a 45 degree angle and one up high on a 45 or if that dont work then one directly behind them at mid back height. 

 

Just remember that nothing is impossible so have a play around to see what works best. 

[AkiraDaarkst]

On 10/5/2016 at 2:29 PM, TheSlicingEdge said:

So I want to do this shot where my subject walks out from smoke and there is a bright light backlighting my subject and the smoke. I don't know how I would go about doing this light though. Any recommendations. Diy build? It is a one-time shot so yea 

Just saw this video and thought you'd be interested.

 

[TheSlicingEdge]

2 hours ago, AkiraDaarkst said:

Just saw this video and thought you'd be interested.

 

cool.... definitely will try that as though my setup didn't work out.

[AkiraDaarkst]

6 hours ago, TheSlicingEdge said:

cool.... definitely will try that as though my setup didn't work out.

Well look at how the lighting is set up in his work, you can apply it to what you want to do.  Around 0:16 when he introduces himself, he's standing in front of the light in an area with poor ambient lighting.  Check out his website, VideoCopilot, there are many tutorials for After Effects' lighting and smoke manipulation and even rotoscoping which you will need to do to enhance your footage.