Does lighting matter??

[Dalila di Capri]

Hello everyone,

I am very pleased so far with your reaction to photos from my latest video, La Danse.

I am wondering if you like to see this kind of lighting?

Some producers don't like to worry about this element of filmmaking because they believe that you just want to see the fantasy, and don't care about this kind of thing.

Others strive to make their films look as much like a real film as possible.

I can say as an actress it is much more fun to work under well done noir or horror lighting than to just crank out a death with boring room lighting.

Let me know what you think.

Baci

[Bluestone]

Speaking simply as a customer, and not as a producer, I like to see all of the action. I hate mood lighting in death scenes of mainstream movies. That's my two cents for what it's worth

Blue

[Nightposter]

Lighting matters a lot! I like the L1 pic as a scene setter, what I can not stand is the darkness surrounding mainstream death scenes! It looks like they are trying to hide bad effects, or poor acting.

In your scene as shown, you walk into the light from the dark. Your attack is shown, hiding almost nothing.

I saw a movie last night while flipping channels ( don't know the name - does not matter)
serial rapist is in woman's home, watching her walk down street to home. set up shots show rapist from backside in a day light lit home. Victim opens door and walks in, as she closes door, all the light goes away - remember the scene before established a well lit living room - she is moving thru shadows in the living room like nothing is wrong, when attacker reaches out from shadow, and grabs her. Rest of scene is in shadows, you are squinting just to see that they are still there. WRONG!!!

Good topic!

[Dalila di Capri]

Interesting replies...

Yes I think I understand what you are both saying.

I too feel robbed when the stabbing itself happens in the shadows.

Of course I would never produce a film wherein that happens.

The customer is entitled to see what he is paying for.

By the same token there is something about night and murder.

It allows for the killer to come from the dark into the light, do his business and disappear all over again.

Of course I live in not just a city, but the most neon studded city in the world.

A killer would really have to wait until dark to do his business here.

If I had a massive rural location such as what I have seen from KHP or the Wave productions perhaps I would do more day time killing.

The again perhpas not.

I like night

[Dalila di Capri]

Hi Eve,

We use a Panasonic DV 100.

Do you consider these photos too gritty??

They are video caps so it could be our software.
On the other hand these are low resoltution shots so that they can be posted easier.

Let me know.

Baci

[JohnM]

I link creative lighting. Early on, I discovered the majority of customers don't. So, for the most part, I make sure the meat of the scene is lit for the fetishist. However, sometimes, I through caution to the wind, and do something fancy here and their.

Cameras are important. Using old Digital8's or even the Sony VX series will net grain, washed out looking content unless lit well. Even then, some of the lenses on both consumer and prosumer cameras just aren't very good. I don't claim to know a lot. But, I ran a pro camera/video business for 13 years and as habit, still keep up on the latest and greatest equipment. Of course, there is something to be said about an equipment based look. Orgasmagoria used Hi8MM analog cameras for all their content and there is no doubting their success. Ultimately, any camera will work--knowing what to do with them is the most important.

The Panasonic DVX100 is an awesome camera. I have been using them for years, but am going to upgrade to something HD-ready early next year.....probably no Panasonic. In any case, I will have two for sale. :-)

On more thing I want to ask. Is sound important. Back in the early 2000's when I was with Ruemorgue, we switched to Sennheiser mic systems which sounded way better then the hissy, low pickup, internal mics that even the best cameras had. I recommend it to any producer, though make sure your camera will accept XLR's.

JohnM

[Dalila di Capri]

Hi John...

Yes sound is very important. A good sound effect on the stab accompanied by a good blood chilling grunt fromt he actress can make the scene.

I found that out especially after doing all of those clone films. The cutting back and forth created such an uneven sound that we had to disguise it with heavy orchestral music.

Now the orchestral film score has become one of our trade marks and I would not get rid of it at this point, but I am have been using more over dubbed monologues in my films and we are trying to produce a much more even sound track in general.

I like the "fancy lighting" as you put it and I want us to stick with it. So long as the good stuff is still visable I think the fans will enjoy some style here and there.

Baci

[Nightposter]

Yes John,
Sound is somewhat important, (I'm a product of the old 8mm silent loops) but not only in what we hear, but in what we shouldn't hear. You can usually tell when a producer is using a mic that is built into the camera...its all those little squeaks and creaks the plastic makes, one vid I have, you can hear the zoom motor ...or is it the auto focus....anyway, it is amazing what some cams pick up.

On "major" bondage producer, used to have a studio in Chicago. It was on a truck route, in an industrial building. He would set up scenes that it was a deserted whatever, and you'd hear a semi go by, I still have one piece where you can hear a guy directing a truck backing down the alley - right after he'd told his victim (on camera) that there was no one around to save her...

Which is why I'm a supporter of background music, mixed in very low in the background to cover such things. This also helps over awkward gaps in conversation or lack of noises made by those on camera. I'm not looking for a full John Williams sound track, but there is some royalty free,music and works well in "darker" moments . even recording your own...like a single "bummm" of a couple of lower keys on a piano used at the moment of demise adds a lot to an otherwise quiet scene... But, were getting off topic now....

[Nightposter]

Yea, but you did that scene in the basement, walking into and out of the dark hallway, That was great! I was expecting someone to jump out of the dark during that whole scene!

Good scenes can be made with lower end cameras, it just takes some ....whats the word.....ingenuity ( ? let's see if spell check got that right!)

[Dalila di Capri]

Hi Eve,

We use a Panasonic DV 100.

Do you consider these photos too gritty??

They are video caps so it could be our software.
On the other hand these are low resoltution shots so that they can be posted easier.

Let me know.

Baci

your clips are just fine.
if we tried doing the same shot with our camera thye surrounding area would be juet black and the center would be super grainy...which is why we couldn't do a scene like the one you pulled off.
I wish our camera could do something as cool as your clips.
maybe after we buy the new computer we will pitch our pennies and get a studio camera.

Thanks! But it never hurts to examine constructive critiques.

Baci