I'm shooting a feature with a Sony HDR-FX1 camera and have been told by the dealer that digital doesn't need as much light as film. He recommends a couple Q750 lights and reflectors for fill. Does this make sense?
randall
randall
Digital doesn't "need" as much. But lighting DV as if you're lighting film can make a huge difference. Here is my minimum set up:
2 Junior 2k?s
4 650w tweenies
6 200w peppers
4 china balls
a kino-flo (Diva Light 400)
reflectors
But you CAN use only two lights and reflectors if you want.
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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)
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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)
Certified's point is a good one-- when you shoot DV you don't need the AMOUNT of light that you do for film in terms of EXPOSURE, but you still want to put light in the same places as you would for shooting film-- so you'll want the same NUMBER OF LIGHTS.
It's a simple quantity vs quality thing. You don't need the same quantity of light (stop-wise) but if you want it to look good you need the same quality. Keep in mind that exposure is easy-- anyone can get an exposure. It's about shaping the light-- putting the lamps in the right place for the job and then diffusing them, cutting them, bouncing them, etc.
Another thing that I think is a mistake is to overlook the importance of location and art direction. A lot of people are overly concerned with the lighting and image quality when they should be taking a harder look at what's actually in the frame. Get some depth, get some foreground elements, don't shoot against light coloured walls, pay attention to wardrobe and set design, etc. This will boost your production value a helluva lot more than fancy lighting.
