2 camera lighting
- Thread starter 2000lux
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Nino Giannotti
Well-known member
Let's take it from the top. Are the cameras to be placed side by side or are the interviewer and the interviewee facing each other and you need a camera on each one.
C
<cameragod>
Guest
I like to keep it as simple as possible. 2 kenos and 4 Dedo’s. the keno as key, the Dedo’s as back lights with a bit of spill for modeling.
2000lux
PRO user
Ok, how many times have I admonished people for not being specific enough on discusiion groups? Duh. And here I was afraid I'd sound dumb for asking for pictures. Ok, I was thinking of the type where the subjects face each other and you need a camera on each one. We could raise the stakes and include a third camera for a two shot. How do you position the lights with out getting them in the shots?
-Brian
acton
Well-known member
We've been doing one or two of these a week lately. Here is how we like to set it up.
2 Keys are chimera's (1 arri 600/1000w, 1 tota 500/750/1000w or two pocket par HMI's) the back lights(Lowel L lights)we try to boom in. Some kind of break up patter for the guests background (LTM Source 4, or a pepper 420). 2 or 3 pro lights if you want to highlight something with a slash of light. A ceiling clamp can be your best friend some times, if a wide 2shot is required. What I find I lack the most in gear is clamps, and flags for controlling spill and flare. A couple of dimmers would also help for bring down desk lamps. We'll often opt for a reflector to bounce the key back for the fill. I'll post a picture if I remember to take the still camera next time.
acton
2 Keys are chimera's (1 arri 600/1000w, 1 tota 500/750/1000w or two pocket par HMI's) the back lights(Lowel L lights)we try to boom in. Some kind of break up patter for the guests background (LTM Source 4, or a pepper 420). 2 or 3 pro lights if you want to highlight something with a slash of light. A ceiling clamp can be your best friend some times, if a wide 2shot is required. What I find I lack the most in gear is clamps, and flags for controlling spill and flare. A couple of dimmers would also help for bring down desk lamps. We'll often opt for a reflector to bounce the key back for the fill. I'll post a picture if I remember to take the still camera next time.
acton
Nino Giannotti
Well-known member
Brian, if you promise not to laugh at my drawing skills I can fax you a diagram, e-mail me you fax number.
Basically on a two-camera set up with the people facing each other, pretend that after you finish setting up a single camera interview there’s a large mirror behind the subject. Set the second camera and lights as if you were looking into a mirror. If your lighting and composition skills are correct in a single camera set up, you should only need to make some minor adjustments to keep everything out of camera view. Simple enough, right? (I can just hear all the comments). The biggest problem will be flare into the lenses, French flag the cameras to eliminate that (can we still say French?) and barn door or flag lights as needed.
Three camera interviews are a bit more complicated, actually a lot more. Most of my work is for your neighbor in Bristol, multi cameras set-up is a standard with them. For 3 cameras interviews where the subjects face each other I don’t even bother with individual light stands, I put 4 HD combo stands at the far corners and build an overhead grid with 2†aluminum tubing, then hang all the lights. Average set-up time for 3 cameras is 3 hours with a crew of 4 or 5; then ten minutes for the interview and 2 hours to pack everything back up.
For front cameras set ups (talk show style) go to my web site. The front page has a picture of a similar set up and you can see the lights.
Lately with each set-up, particularly the more complicated ones (indoor or outdoor). I’ve been putting together a small library of set-ups taped time lapse from beginning to end with a PD150 mounted high in a corner. Now when I work with new crews I can show them in few minutes what I want them to do. It really works (as you said, it's a visual art form).
Once my third one start college maybe I’ll put everything into a DVD and start converting it into cash for some tuition assistance.
Basically on a two-camera set up with the people facing each other, pretend that after you finish setting up a single camera interview there’s a large mirror behind the subject. Set the second camera and lights as if you were looking into a mirror. If your lighting and composition skills are correct in a single camera set up, you should only need to make some minor adjustments to keep everything out of camera view. Simple enough, right? (I can just hear all the comments). The biggest problem will be flare into the lenses, French flag the cameras to eliminate that (can we still say French?) and barn door or flag lights as needed.
Three camera interviews are a bit more complicated, actually a lot more. Most of my work is for your neighbor in Bristol, multi cameras set-up is a standard with them. For 3 cameras interviews where the subjects face each other I don’t even bother with individual light stands, I put 4 HD combo stands at the far corners and build an overhead grid with 2†aluminum tubing, then hang all the lights. Average set-up time for 3 cameras is 3 hours with a crew of 4 or 5; then ten minutes for the interview and 2 hours to pack everything back up.
For front cameras set ups (talk show style) go to my web site. The front page has a picture of a similar set up and you can see the lights.
Lately with each set-up, particularly the more complicated ones (indoor or outdoor). I’ve been putting together a small library of set-ups taped time lapse from beginning to end with a PD150 mounted high in a corner. Now when I work with new crews I can show them in few minutes what I want them to do. It really works (as you said, it's a visual art form).
Once my third one start college maybe I’ll put everything into a DVD and start converting it into cash for some tuition assistance.
2000lux
PRO user
That's basically what I thought but when I tried it, I kept getting light stands in the shot. I guess I just needed to move my key lights way over. At CNN they have a technique of using one side's key as th other side's hair light. However, I think they boomed the keys and I don't have that kind of gear available to me here.
-Brian
-Brian
cameragod
Well-known member
That’s how I used to do it before Kenos, but with two redheads on normal stands. You need to put spun over half of the light face so the backlight doesn’t burn out nearer person but there is enough key light for the person opposite. A good set up if you don’t have many lights but fiddly as hell to get right.
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