My second experiment took me on a journey in light sources as well as collaboration. I was aiming for the ‘cinematic’ look, but I was also thinking about how to make light interesting and portray mood. I have been doing a lot of research into lighting, three point lighting in particular. I have been sourcing a lot of my information from a cinematographer who posts ‘How to’ Youtubes and blogs online. I like the way he explains his process. I find his material both informative and inspiring. His blog can be found here and his Youtube channel here.

This experiment took on three stages which I will explain and reflect on below.

For the first experiment I wanted to look at the relationship between natural light and exposure. I had read on a film blog about the magic hour (the time just after dusk/dawn) when the light is soft and cinematic. I decided this was a good time to practice using natural light as my light source. I wanted to use light that fell on one side of the face, so I sat by my window. Then I simply turned the f. stop up two stops with each take, watching how the mood of each shot changed. The vibe of the shots turns from soft and cinematic to a blue darkness, that could be very early morning or night, giving the shot an eerie or lonely feeling. Adding the room light to the last shot provided a subtle red light on my skin, changing the feeling of shot slightly.

For the second experiment I borrowed the Dedo kit from the tech guys. I asked my housemate who is a fantastic photographer to collaborate with me in this experiment. We ended up using one direct light with a soft box as our light source. There was no other light sources as it was night time. The feel of the shots is completely different. We filmed our actors front on, and the shots have a crispness and symmetry to them.

It was interesting working with my housemate. We talked about light and how to use it, and he also taught me how to put the soft box onto the Dedo light d.i.y.  We struggled a little bit with concept. As we are both very chilled people, neither of us really felt the need to take charge and direct the piece. After it was over we reflected on our making process together and decided we would do another experiment, in which I  would bring a concept to him and assume the role of directer and he would assume the role of gaffer, yet share his thoughts on lighting and technique with me.

For the final shot, a friend of mine (who has also studied film) and I decided to mix natural light with artificial light. We set up a Dedo light as our back light, and used the window as our natural light. It was shot around dusk. Although this shot is not very clear or crisp, I must say I found this the most interesting light of all three. The mixing of the red and blue light creates a feeling of contrast, and the shadow creates a feeling of intrigue. My friend shared some valuable advice with me. He said “don’t be scared of shadows, they make your character look more 3D on a 2D screen” and and we went on to discuss how shadows bring more character to the subject and the shot.

I really enjoyed working with my skilled friends on these experiments. There is so much to learn from working with others.

Please watch: