Indie filmmaking strategies?

[GlennChan]

Just throwing an idea out there about a potential way of shooting an indie feature with Red...

What if you shot your entire movie with very minimal lighting, and let Red's exposure latitude + color grading in post take care of the lighting?

By doing this, the production saves time + money by spending less time on lighting setups. Very minimal color grading could be performed for screening the movie. If it receives distribution, more detailed color grading work can be performed. This defers your costs, which is a good thing if the film doesn't receive substantial distribution (and chances are, would happen most of the time). Shooting this style allows good screenplays/stories to rise to the top and go through with distribution + polishing.

How much would you need to light?

You'd certainly try to take advantage of natural light a lot, and shoot fast before the sun changes too much. Possibly shoot with two cameras, to shoot even faster. Shooting in Hollywood helps too, since they tend to have more days of sunlight there.

Play location lemonade to get locations with good light. A single light (or a few) could be used to add particular lighting effects where needed. Certain lighting 'flaws' could be finessed in post (although this would likely be more expensive than doing it right in the first place). For example, if it was an overcast day, it would be possible to re-light the shot in post to add some modeling and light onto the faces of the talent.

Definitely see the following article to see where I'm coming from (/ stealing this idea from). Dale Launer talks about his experience in indie digital filmmaking.
http://www.dalelauner.com/press/digitalcinema.html

Where this won't work

The problem with shooting a film this way is that it may be hard to get a big theatrical release. Movies with star power are much easier to market and are profitable. But if you're paying for stars, then you might as well:
(A) Shoot like how Hollywood movies have always been shot, with big production values and lighting and so on and so forth.
(B) Shoot it all in a green screen studio and use virtual sets, like Sin City. Shooting in a studio probably allows you to shoot faster + cheaper than shooting on location with mostly natural light.

[Finner]

Hi Glenn,

I have found the below principles to be true.

If you can light, it doesn't matter what you shoot with.

If you can't light, it doesn't matter what you shoot with.


I have always found without question the light is the key to good images.

[Brook Willard]

Since this isn't specifically RED related [sort of a D.P. 101 post...], it's heading to OT.

[Ralph Oshiro]

Yup, that's my WHOLE strategy . . .

• Find locations that are already lit right, and shoot it there.
• Find locations that already look "just right" at a certain time of the day, and shoot there.
• If you're shooting in a location where you need four 18Ks, a 20' x 20' silk AND a crane to hold it, plus a truckload of other grip equipment, you're either shooting in the WRONG location, or shooting it at the WRONG time of day!

My daily life is occupied with, "Hmmmm . . . that parking lot is REALLY well-lit, AND it's all Mercury-vapor! Note to self . . ." "Wow, at 4:47PM in the spring, the sun hits that location at JUST the RIGHT angle . . . Note to self . . . etc." My basic location rule to myself is, "If I can't light it with a Kamio, a Diva, or one HMI, I simply can't shoot it." This applies of course mainly to locations I am STEALING (basically, all of them).

[Ralph Oshiro]

I was recently on the set of a major network television show (1-hour drama) doing some BTS. The sun and the sky were cooperating (plus they had the luxury of shooting on 35mm film), so the entire exterior scene looked like 100 Musco lights through a giant half-grid and a celocuke. They had a major location exterior scene with Steadicam, dolly track, principals, extras, stunt players, mechanical effects, high-speed cameras, etc. Not a single HMI or silk or ANYTHING was used by the DP. It was already "right."

[Brook Willard]

To throw a brief two-cents into this discussion, I think there's a time and place for everything. Not every shoot can be lit in post. With that said, not every shoot needs a sun on a condor. Just know which battles to pick. Is it a day exterior? Maybe a few shinys and a big silk will do it. Is it a one-line insert of some unimportant character? Maybe their light can suck for all 3 seconds they'll be on the screen.

But what if it's an important scene? What if it's a key moment? What if it's a night exterior? Being a D.P. is not just being a camera operator. Equipment is necessary, but know when to bring it out. You can do a lot with a little or a lot with a lot. Put it in the right place.

Case in point... here are a few production stills from a shoot I just completed. The day interiors? A few kinos and some bounce. The day exteriors? Some shinys, mirrors and cards. All fast, cheap stuff. But the night exterior finale? You can't do everything in post. If you need to spend the money, put the money on the screen.

I blame the director.

[Ralph Oshiro]

Well, just to make myself clear [cool BTS photos, Brook!] . . .

I would NEVER condone or practice, "making up for bad/inadequate lighting in post." My strategy is basically, "don't shoot anything that isn't already 'okay.'" Does that kinda make sense? Brook's advice is excellent, "Just know which battles to pick . . ."

[Tom Lowe]

I plan to shoot my Red feature with basically all natural light, ala my hero Terrence Malick. If I can get away with it, it will be mostly shot around magic hours and at night lit by candles, practicals and firelight.

[Ralph Oshiro]

Wow! You had a Technocrane? Cool!

[Ralph Oshiro]

I plan to shoot my Red feature with basically all natural light, ala my hero Terrence Malick. If I can get away with it, it will be mostly shot around magic hours and at night lit by candles, practicals and firelight.

Sounds NICE! Yup, a million shoot days of magic hour! That's purdy stuff! Like Days of Heaven, huh?