Comments on: Lighting Basics: Going With What is Available

By: LIGHTING: GOING WITH WHAT YOU’VE GOT | Strange Magic film blog

LIGHTING: GOING WITH WHAT YOU’VE GOT | Strange Magic film blog — Wed, 01 May 2013 18:43:36 +0000

[...] READ FULL ARTICLE HERE [...]

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 18:08:45 +0000

[...] [...]

By: Ricky Laprade

Ricky Laprade — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 21:00:22 +0000

Your blog is an inspiration. It’s my go to site nowadays not only for tips, but for hope that one can create fantastic things even when on a strict budget. Thank you!

By: Nate Opgenorth

Nate Opgenorth — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 05:58:58 +0000

Thanks shane. I don’t use a 5D I use a Canon 550D but I’m assuming its a similar concept? I’m working on a short film soon so I will take this advice to heart. I will be shooting in afternoon-ish possibly dark as winter is coming…is their ever an “optimal” ISO to stick with? I was thinking stay under 1250 but stay around 320-640…Obviously the 5D can push the ISO much higher but still curious. Primarily using Canon primes. Using Marvel’s Advanced as my PP. BTW, Loved your work on Act of Valor and found the exposure to be offer just the right tone and didn’t find myself squinting or (god for bid!) turning the brightness on my TV up!

This lighting guide helped a ton though! Went to Home Depot with this page on my iPhone…indeed a few strange looks but I’ve got the majority of this stuff minus the ultra quiet Honda generator, thats one thing that I simply can’t afford at the moment. Luckily I own a few other generators and my crew will hopefully be near a house to “leech” power off…if not I’ll have to get a little creative with the extension cords and position the generator far away to dampen the sound.

I find it interesting that you mentioned the 1D C holds highlights similar to film…I always thought of it as digital holding shadows well but not so much with highlights and film holding highlights better and thats it…the 8-bit of the 1D C sorta threw me off but glad to hear a reputable DP approving of it. Again thanks for taking the time to reply to these posts, it means allot getting feedback from established persons in the film industry.

By: DIY Light Kit from Home Depot - The Viral Farm

DIY Light Kit from Home Depot - The Viral Farm — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 02:58:51 +0000

[...] Shane Hurlburt ASC is an amazing cinematographer. His films range movies like Act of Valor and Terminator Salvation, to The Greatest Game Ever Played and Crazy Beautiful. He also runs an amazing website blog that covers everything from cinematography and lighting techniques, to camera and lens reviews. I highly recommend spending a few hours, if not days, browsing through his site. One particular post that is a personal favorite is the write-up on his DIY Light Kit from Home Depot. It’s great to see someone at such a high level in the industry, still grab a clamp-on and some rope light to get the shot. You can read the full write up here: http://www.hurlbutvisuals.com/blog/2011/11/lighting-basics-going-with-what-is-available/ [...]

By: Shane

Shane — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:14:07 +0000

Nate Opgenorth, because of the 5D’s limited latitude I found the best way to expose the camera was to starve the sensor of light, which means underexposing your digital negative. The cameras strength is in is shadow detail. So I would underexpose the 5D 1 to 1.5 stops while shooting and I felt it had much more of a filmic tone. That is how I shot all of Act of Valor. The new Canon 1DC 4K DSLR is more like how I would expose film, you need to overexpose the digital negative about 1/3 to a 1/2 a stop. This seems to be the perfect recipe for that camera. Each camera is like a new emulsion, no rules apply. You need to test.

By: Nate Opgenorth

Nate Opgenorth — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 19:45:46 +0000

“Remember the secret to exposing HD is to starve the CMOS chip of light.” – Can you explain this a little bit more? I think I understand it a little bit but can you go into more detail? Thanks. Good stuff. I’ve always looked at lighting as the key to a good film/video that said Its amazing what these cameras can do with just the right set up.

By: Dan Heywood

Dan Heywood — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 21:31:09 +0000

Just great info, Shane, thanks so much. A question I have is, is buzzing from the fluorescents ever an issue, and if so, how do you or the sound team deal with it? I am looking to set up simple lighting for indoor, on location interviews, and considered building an array of T8′s to simulate light from a window, or now, thinking more likely to use one or more china balls, perhaps with CFL’sin the balls. But I wonder if either choice, T8′s or CFL’s would be unwise due to buzzing.

By: Shane

Shane — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 02:33:19 +0000

Chuck, thank you so much for those kind words. We do things different at the HurlBlog, it actually involves creative content that inspires storytelling.

By: Chuck

Chuck — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 21:43:46 +0000

These articles are fantastic; the knowledge you show us is interesting for everybody and is fantastic written. It’s just great!! Chuck

By: LIGHTING: GOING WITH WHAT YOU’VE GOT | Legendary Film Studios

LIGHTING: GOING WITH WHAT YOU’VE GOT | Legendary Film Studios — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 02:45:35 +0000

[...] READ FULL ARTICLE HERE [...]

By: Shane

Shane — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 00:20:56 +0000

Thanks so much for the kind words and support Skip. I’m always happy to share my knowledge with fellow filmmakers.

By: Skip

Skip — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 18:41:54 +0000

Shane,

I want to thank you for your exquisite website. This is such a valuable resource for independent producers, directors and hobbyists. It lets us gain access to a list of potential tools that can make our stories shine, also letting us all know that we don’t need conventional rental gear from companies that jack our budgets. Which only lasts for one shoot!

This list has become my go to pre-productions spot to figure what color temperatures we can play with and what the different ways we can make it happen; efficiently and effectively. Helps us concentrate on making the story shine.

Again thanks a MILLION for being a true new millennium filmmaker and passing your knowledge out to anyone that wants to listen, read, and soak up the info.

PS. Act of Valor was incredible…but did you really have to make us dig the main character and then have him do the ultimate sacrifice for his company!!! I was holding back the wet works at the end…

By: ‘Act of Valor’ Steps Up the HDSLR Game

‘Act of Valor’ Steps Up the HDSLR Game — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 11:00:59 +0000

[...] movie Shane Hurlbut ASC was shooting on the Canon 5D Mark II. I’ve read about how Shane lit night scenes with practicals, numerous mentions of his man-cam and helmet cam rigs, and how Zeiss lenses worked in tandem with [...]

By: Shane

Shane — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 18:28:30 +0000

Paul Wieczorek, these are the comments that continue to fuel my passion to educate. Thank you so much for the kind words of support.

By: Paul Wieczorek

Paul Wieczorek — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:52:28 +0000

Damn Mr Shane, this post is absolutely amazing! I’m not the daily reader of Your blog but from now on I surely will be! Many thanks for the time and effort You spend to teach us, trust me Sir, many of us would never get this knowledge by themselves!

Kind Regards,
Paul

By: Black Tungsten Ring

Black Tungsten Ring — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:31:01 +0000

Black Tungsten Ring…

[...]Lighting Basics: Going With What is Available | Hurlbut Visuals[...]…

By: Shane

Shane — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 15:38:37 +0000

Jared Alden, I built those strands out of 14 gauge Red and Black wire with Add a Tap household sockets. Their might be places to buy them. Not sure, try party rental places.

By: Shane

Shane — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 15:36:12 +0000

Bill Hamell, Thank you so much for your support. Bouncing into the 12 x 12 was, yes another 150 watt HPS, it was about 10 feet away from our girl. The color temp range that these HPS’s function around is 2600-2900 Deg. Kelvin

By: Bill Hamell

Bill Hamell — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:20:45 +0000

Shane, another great blog! Was the 150 watt also a HPS and how far from the talent was the 12×12? HPS lamps come in temperatures from approximately 1900 to 4000 degrees Kelvin do you vary the Kelvin rating with the shot or do you stay with one value? Thank you, Bill