{"id":82089,"date":"2017-04-21T06:00:55","date_gmt":"2017-04-21T11:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=82089"},"modified":"2017-04-20T09:41:03","modified_gmt":"2017-04-20T14:41:03","slug":"night-lighting-scenes-on-indie-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/night-lighting-scenes-on-indie-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"Moving Lights At Night on An Indie Budget"},"content":{"rendered":"

Need mobile lighting on a DIY-budget? These tips will help you get the most out of your moving night shots.<\/h2>\n

Cover image via American Hustle<\/a> (Atlas Entertainment).<\/em><\/p>\n

Set lighting, for the most part, is stationary. However, when an actor is moving, especially at night, lighting is\u00a0a different ballgame. For example, say your script calls for\u00a0a character to walk from the back of a restaurant\u00a0through an alley and to her apartment. The director wants this shot in a single take<\/strong>. In the daytime, this might be easy\u00a0to pull off, but at night, it presents a problem. Any stationary lights situated along the side, top or bottom of your frame will come into view at some point. You could always\u00a0light a balloon or a cherry picker so the setup is completely out of frame, but what if that is\u00a0out of your reach?<\/p>\n

\"Moving<\/a><\/p>\n

Instead, consider\u00a0moving a light along with the actor<\/strong>. These methods are all low cost, and even feature filmmakers take advantage of them when they can.<\/p>\n

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China Ball\/Chinese Lantern\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Lanterns are ideal for projecting soft, localized light. The most important aspect of a moving light in this circumstance is to make sure the light is soft<\/strong>. A hard, focused beam will quickly make your actor look like they are walking under a spotlight. \u00a0Using a China Ball for a shot with an actor moving through a house with the practical lamps on also works really well.<\/p>\n

\"Moving
\n<\/a>Image via Center for Creative Media<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

You can pick up a China Ball from Ikea for next to $20. Alternatively, there are companies such as Chimera<\/a>\u00a0that specifically build higher-quality lanterns that\u00a0are more durable, fire resistant, and ready for\u00a0accessories<\/strong>. For a more extensive read on Chinese Lanterns, see this article<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The following Film Riot video suggests a similar method but with an\u00a0LED light panel instead of a China Ball. However, I would recommend diffusing the LED light<\/strong>, as it might look harsh and artificial in comparison with light falloff from practicals in the house.<\/p>\n