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Seeking advice for upcoming production
  • Hello there everyone!

    I'm hoping to tap into some of your collective knowledge if I can. I have a production coming up and I have a potentially difficult scene to shoot.

    The shoot is due to take place in a nightclub during a techno / house music party. I'm in the process of getting permission to shoot in the venue during an actual event, so it is doubtful I will be able to add any extra lights in the space.

    The plan is to shoot a single subject in the crowd during the course of the night, but I will also be required to capture footage of one particular DJ as he performs. Most of the shots will be medium, close and extreme close ups. Both the subject and the DJ will be wearing full face masks; although I would like to capture footage that shows the subjects are present in the club, most shots will of their faces. One of the subjects will be wearing a full face white mask, and the DJ is wearing a red full face mask. I would like to retain as much detail as possible during the shoot, and try to avoid capturing footage full of noise that could render the image unusable.

    Unfortunately, it does not appear I'm going to be given the opportunity to shoot in the club under similar circumstances create test footage. Due to this fact, I'm hoping to be as prepared as possible to capture images of the best possible quality once I arrive on the night.

    I will be shooting on a GH2. I have access to the following lenses; Voigtlander 25mm, SLR Magic 12mm, Samyang 85mm, and a 50mm F 1.4 lens whose name escapes me. I'm shooting on Class 10 Sandisk Extreme 95mbs 64gb cards. I also have a Sekonic 308 to help capture light readings.

    Previously, I have been shooting with the Sedna hacks, but I'm now in the process of testing the Intravenus Ver.1 hack. I have never used the Canis Majoris 'Night' hack, but I'm under the impression this may be another viable alternative. I will be editing grading with PP and AE (and possibly Speed Grade but I'm not too familiar with it at this time).

    I've been to the venue before, and they have fairly good lighting set up for a nightclub. Not cutting edge, but not a dank little hole either.

    If you google 'Corsica Studios London' and check the images, you should be able to get an idea of what I'll be working with

    Any help, advice or tips anyone may be able to offer would be greatly appreciated.

    Thank you for your time

  • 1 Reply sorted by
  • On-camera lighting is your friend, preferably bi-color. Assuming uneven ambient lighting, some dark and some very bright, you could try auto exposure with the on-camera light as fill to pick out the details. You could add a red or blue filter on the light for different effects.