Hi, Darkfire, I, and LostBoysMediaGroup will be filming our short this upcoming weekend. The movie is set to be a thriller/horror/drama. Almost 80% of the shots are going to be at night and we will be filming at a friend (who is in the groups) lakehouse in Tennesee. I would like your opinion or suggestions on these questions.

1. What are good methods for shooting night scenes?

2. Are gels good? if so what color? and where can i bye them.

3. Do you have any methods that you suggest to me that worked good on your short?

4. We will have to shoot with 2 different cameras fortunately, When we edit it will there be a huge difference between the digital 8 shots and the mini dv ones?

Thanks for your time

To me digital 8 and miniDV differ greatly... that's just me though. There're several threads on lighting night shots.

Gels can be bought online. search google for lighting gels or something like that.

also.. www.bhphoto.com is a pretty popular dealer.
http://www.dpreview.com/learn/- C. Davis
YELLOW HAMMER PRODUCTIONS

Yeah, there's a difference between Digital 8 and miniDV. The difference can be subtle, and it can also be huge.

I have heard a bunch of things about lighting at night, and have only tried it once. It's a lot harder than I thought it would be. Search the forums heavily.

And yes, there are methods to shooting. Plan everything out, paying attention to ALL the details, so when things go wrong it won't be as bad. If you haven't I would reccomend doing some storyboards. They really help a lot.

Good luck on your shoot, man.

"Don't breathe or I'll kill you!"

alright thanks man

does anyone have any special ways to make a nigh scene look cool (like where to place the lights etc)?

Honestly, what I think you should do is shoot day-for-night (shoot during the day and darken the footage in post). A lot films do that nowadays and it works great, and you'd avoid the need for lights and you'd also avoid the heavy grain that appears on video in low-light shooting.

Day for night is lik any other creative choice. It has to fit what your doing. Shooting D for N in a comedy sems to work, but not so much in a horror. There is something ominous about those dark shadows that you cant fake when the sun is up.

As to how to light. The easiest way probablly is to grab some halogen work lamps from a hardware store. The kind with two heads. Your going to need several (or atleast two and other lights) to make a good looking night shoot. You can gel and diffuse them to soften the light. You probablly want to go with light blue gels to make it look more like an HMI (the light usually used for night scenes) You can fold them over and layer for darker blues. Give your subjects a good key light and maybe bounce just a bit of fill. The rest of the lights use in the background. Light trees, hoses, whatever. Create pockets of light within the frame to add depth. Anytime you can make it look like the light source is the moon. (ie: put the lights up high) its a plus. If you cant afford to buy those lights use car headlights. Gel them off the same way, and use bounce bords to even them out. Also dont be afraid to use street lights and mix colors. Most street lights give off an orangish red. Flourescents give off a green. I shot a short that is completly at night by pickign a location where I liked the avaliable light first and building off that. See stills at...
http://www.tizzyentertainment.8m.com/photo4.html

Good luck.
R. Michael

"Luck, is when opportunity, meets preperation." "There are 3 sides to every story. Yours, mine, and the truth, and none of us are lying" -Robert Evans
Tizzy Entertainment "Redemption" Hi-Def trailer

Here's a tip if you want your movie to have style: pump up your shutter speed during production, and pump up your contrast after production. I'm using these two methods on the live-action footage in my upcoming CGI animated short, and they're working great. I don't know much about lighting yet, or gels, for that matter, so I can't help you there. Good luck!

Alright thanks guys, i guess i better learn a great deal about lighting seeing how i am thinking of becoming a DP. Anyone know some good links or books on lighting?