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Anatomy of a Lighting Design – Filmmaking in Sandpoint

June 17, 2015 by Aric Spence

Barn Light - Lowell Fren-LSomething that I love to do is watch light. So keep that in mind, if you ever see me staring blankly at an object for an extended period of time or watching how the leaves of a tree dance in the sunlight on a breezy day. The way light falls on things in different situations can be studied and then drawn upon later when the need arises. When I am in the role of Director of Photography (DP), there is a huge responsibility to make things look appropriate, and more often than not, time limits the amount of lighting design that can be done for certain scenes.

For the barn scene in Give up the Ghost (GUTG) I met with the Director Rob Lindner weeks ahead of time and we walked through what he was hoping to achieve in the space. I was able to provide artistic input and then develop a plan of execution for lighting the space. This was the only location where we would be using lights as all the other scenes in GUTG were being shot outside with reflectors and bounce cards being our light modifiers.

Lighting Setup GUTG Barn Scene

Here is a photo showing the location of the lights.

The Barn scene needed to be dark, but not too dark or we would not be able to see anything or follow the action taking place. I do not want to give away too much of the plot, so let me move on to breaking down the lighting that we used in the barn for the initial long shot. With the help of SFN member Roger DeClements I was able to execute my lighting plan in about 3 hours.

What lights were used for the barn wide shot?
3 – Lowell Pro lights 250 watt
1 – Lowell Fren-L 650 watt
7 – Cheap clamp lights
1 – 250 watt hardware flood light
2 – Dimmers (used on the Lowell Pro lights)

Some of the lights listed above are not visible in the diagram as it was a panning shot and they appeared earlier in the frame.

Lighting Setup GUTG Barn Scene Finished Frame Grab

A frame grab from the footage that we shot in that location.

For me, the whole idea of a good lighting design is to create depth in the frame and lead the viewer’s eyes in the direction you want them to look or follow. This means eliminating any overly bright areas, which immediately draw the eye to them, and taking some time to think about the finished composition when setting the initial lights. Lighting is pretty subjective and some may not like the plan I executed, but I am pretty happy with the end result. The initial design also served to light the close shots later in the scene with very little adjustment to any of the main lights.

I hope you found this blog post helpful. If you did, please comment below and let me know. I may break down some other shots from GUTG if there is enough interest.

Filed Under: Filmmaking, Sandpoint

Give up the Ghost – Filmmaking in Sandpoint

June 14, 2015 by Aric Spence

One rarely has the opportunity to work on an low-budget independent film production where all of the pieces fall into place perfectly. Well… I recently had that experience and it was due to exceptional pre-production, close Director and Director of Photography communication/preparation, coupled with talented actors and crew who executed the scenes masterfully. But perhaps most important of all, was the respect everyone showed for what each other does, this really goes a long way when the temperature is rising and multiple takes are required for certain scenes.

Give up the Ghost - Sandoint Filmmaking
That may all sound like an easy thing to pull off, but it is not. For me, filming “Give up the Ghost” a short film by Robert Lindner was a wonderful experience that I will not soon forget. Watching the footage we shot during the four day shoot is magical (truly) and it still blows me away what we were able to capture in such a short period of time. The visuals stir me emotionally every time I see them and I can hardly wait to see what the rough cut looks like a few weeks.

Give up the Ghost - Group Car- Sandoint FilmmakingBeing a perfectionist, of course there are things that wish I had composed or exposed differently, but the majority of the shots (95%) are exactly what I had hoped for and more. Allowing the creative process of filmmaking to unfold organically even though there are time constraints is a hard thing to do, but this is what makes for exceptional footage. There has to be time for the magic to happen, otherwise all you get is footage that falls flat rather than stirring visuals that move people in unexpected ways.

Give up the Ghost - Hailey Hines - Sandoint FilmmakingOne the technical side, I shot most of the film with a very shallow depth of field. I was often shooting wide open to achieve the dreamy look that the Director and I both thought was appropriate to the story he wanted to tell. I also used vintage lenses to enhance, what I feel, is a very cinematic look. Shooting so shallow creates major focus challenges that can sometimes constrain movement within the frame and cause takes to be unusable. Having a dedicated focus puller would have helped some, but we made happen using a focus handle and… the Director and I even tag teamed some of the really complex shots to accomplish what we were both after.

Give up the Ghost - Hailey and Hilary- Sandoint FilmmakingAnother thing that made for a successful shoot was the fact that we were very nimble and not weighed down by a lot of gear. What do I mean by nimble? Well, a tripod and camera with variable ND and lens hood. Granted, some shots required more gear, but even then we still traveled very lite which made for gathering footage more quickly than would have been possible otherwise.

Sandpoint Filmmaker - Aric SpenceCar shots can sometimes be problematic and very time consuming, but the Ronin-M made them much easier. I was able to pop out the sunroof of the Saab and shoot both as the lead car and chase car as well as inside the car without a problem. Speaking of car, a special thanks goes out to George Eskridge for allowing Rob the use of his beautiful classic Ford 1956 hardtop convertible for the short film.

Give up teh Ghost - Sandpoint FilmamakingFor anyone interested in the gear details, here is some information about the camera, lenses and gear that was used in the shoot.

Camera: Canon 60D running Magic Lantern firmware hack.
Camera color profile: VisionColor
Lenses: Vintage Takumar lenses (17mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm)
Tripods: Gitzo Studex (vintage French versions) with Manfrotto fluid heads.
Dolly: Nautilus Tripod Wheels on metal conduit track.
Focus Handle: Ultra-Simple Follow Focus
Gimbal: Ronin-M
Camera Jib: Advanced Digital 8′

Give up teh Ghost - Sandpoint FilmamakingFor those wanting to see the finished short film, be sure to attend the Sandpoint Film Festival on November 1, 2015 and vote for “Give up the Ghost”.

CAST:
Barn Girl: Hailey Hines
Field Girl: Solange Marcotte
Make-Out Girl: Hillary Mosman
Savior Boy: Alexander Loper
Make-Out Boy: Shea McCormick
Field Boy: Justin Marks
Field Boy: Greg Marks
Mother: Debbie Lindner
Father: Rob Lindner

To everyone involved in the production (wish I had all your names), you have my sincere gratitude, THANK YOU!!

Filed Under: Filmmaking, Sandpoint

Co-Op Grain Elevator – Sandpoint, Idaho

February 22, 2015 by Aric Spence

I recently had the honor of being able to film inside the Co-Op Grain Elevator. The project started as a simple short and has expanded a bit from what I had initially had in mind. You see there are much more to grain elevators than one might think at first glance. Read on to find out more…

Co-Op Grain Elevator - Sandpoint, IdahoFrom the outside, they look like there must be several levels or floors to the structure, but that is actually not the case. The grain bins are several stories tall and there are no levels to speak of except for two near the very top where a rotatable chute would allow the operator to choose which bin the grain being elevated was to go. You can only access the top by climbing roughly 80 feet up a wooden ladder.

Co-Op Grain Elevator - Sandpoint, IdahoThe first level you reach is the right below the top level and since the windows were boarded up, there is no light to speak of, save for the battery powered lights I brought with me. This level is where the tops of the multistory bins are located. An operator would have accessed this level to service the chutes and take inventory of how much grain was in each bin. This is also the level that contains the metal chute that was used for directing grain to the awaiting train cars on the east side of the elevator.

Co-Op Grain Elevator - Sandpoint, Idaho

Next, it is up another wooden ladder to the top. The reward for overcoming my initial fear, which hit me at ground level by the way, was literally a birds eye view of Sandpoint from the tallest building in town. It is hard to describe my elation of finally being above the Panhandle State Bank Building, or whatever it is now called. SIMPLY AMAZING!

Co-Op Grain Elevator - Sandpoint, Idaho

I still have a lot exterior filming left to do, but just thought I would share some initial visuals of the grain elevator short film project. The Co-Op Grain Elevator in Sandpoint is without a doubt one of the few historic gems our town still has left. Remembering and honoring where we came from is so important to navigating our future. Thanks for reading.

Want to be part of projects like this in the future? Sign up to become a member of Sandpoint Filmmakers Network and join nearly 30 other creatives who have an interest in helping each other make films.

Feel free to leave a comment below.

Filed Under: Filmmaking Tagged With: Co-Op Grain Elevator, Filmmaking, Grain Elevator, History, Idaho, Sandpoint

February Lights – Sandpoint, Idaho

February 16, 2015 by Aric Spence 2 Comments

I have had this idea in my head from quite awhile and I finally took the time to get out and capture what I have been imagining. Sandpoint is a unique place, and even more so when you take the time to notice things that most people overlook. In this creative short, I set out to capture lights and sounds from a point-of-view that would provide the viewer with a different type of visual experience.

There was initially going to be a voice reading some thoughts about the visuals, but once the rough-cut was complete, it was apparent, at least to me, that the piece did not need any further treatment. The unused narration text is below the video in case anyone finds it interesting.

February Lights (unused narration)

Sometimes in the middle of the night when I am half asleep, I see lights
Beautiful lights that have minds of their own
They dance and breath and frolic as if no one is watching, but I see them
One color mingles with the next and then departs like it was never even there
If you listen closely, you might even hear one whisper… “Time Stands Still”

Reflected in places where the hurried masses never look
Is a gem so rare it does not even have a name
Its brilliance is there to behold, but only if you are present enough to notice

Somewhere between awake and dreaming, time truly does stand still
Dazzling lights, like musical notes rise up to create a visual melody so sweet
They can leave you speechless

Filed Under: Filmmaking, Sandpoint

Filming Real Life

December 29, 2014 by Jennifer Chastain

The Documentary: Unscripted Reality… well, sort of.

Documentary FilmmakingI suppose it would be safe to say that documentaries have been around for over 100 years. I read something once that said Thomas Edison recorded the death of an elephant in the 1890’s and that this was considered the first “documentary”.. In 1896 the Lumiere brothers caused quite a hubbub when their short film Train Coming into a Station was viewed by audiences who panicked and thought a train was actually coming towards them. I’ve heard this film to be the first official documentary too so it would seem as though even with a bit of historical inaccuracies, “documentaries” have been around for roughly as long as the motion picture camera itself. At least one thing is certain; there is a long held desire to watch on film, real life happening right in front of us as it unfolds, unscripted and unexpectedly authentic.

I love, love, love documentaries. I watch them all the time and anyone in my family can attest the fact that I would rather watch a documentary than a feature film any day of the week. I love the idea of peeking in at someone else’s life story. I want to hear their thoughts and see what they see and I am very interested in seeing them either rise above tragedy or to fall flat on their face-all in real time. I also enjoy learning about something or someone that I would have had no other way of being introduced to if not for the short, sometimes not so well made film I sat down in front of. This seems to also go hand in hand with a lot of documentaries out there in that many of them are not filmed well, shaky camera work and a boring story does not a good film make and it’s easy to face the truth; many of these films are hard not only hard to sit through- they’re just plain, crap.

loc-photo-archive-8b35446r

Photo from Library of Congress Archive – Sandpoint, Bonner County, Idaho.

The idea of filming real life as it happens, spontaneously and unscripted has been around for as long as I can remember; forget about the history. We are all curious to see what happens, as it happens with no script and no way of knowing what comes next. With personal documentaries that explore a person’s own, real life point of view to the more magazine style shows and bullshit reality TV programs, we are all very curious and very eager to see a personal train wreck as it happens or a triumphant personal achievement edited and fast forwarded over a 6 or 12 week period. While I am certainly no expert, I do have some tips and ideas about interviewing and filming documentary subjects that I have found to make my process go a bit smoother.

Documentary films allow us an extraordinary and unique opportunity to showcase how other people live their lives. Creating an environment where real people will reveal themselves with a camera present is an essential part of the documentarian’s art. I have heard (and tend to agree with) that some prefer to spend a lot of time off camera with their subjects in order to project a kind of “realness” and personal authenticity to the film. Getting people to feel comfortable with you off camera can make the interview feel less like an interrogation and more like an intimate discussion between friends. I have found this to be especially true when filming personal issues in that sharing a cup of coffee or quick meal can create a more genuine and less stiff interview. It also gives your subject the opportunity to learn about you and why you want to tell their story- this too adds to what your subject will reveal and how dramatically it can affect your story.

It’s a good idea to discuss beforehand what’s ok to film and what’s not. What areas are off limits and what is “free range”. I personally think it’s a good idea to have a “Talent and Appearance Release” form signed by anyone you intend to film. For most documentaries it is standard practice to have all subjects sign a release and while there are certain circumstances in which no release is needed, such as public goings- on at an open event- it’s a form I like to keep with me when filming, just in case.

loc-photo-archive-8b35018r

Photo from Library of Congress Archive – Sandpoint, Bonner County, Idaho.

My production is small; most times it’s just me with a camera and a few lights, but occasionally will include one or two other people. I want it to be low key and relaxed and in an environment that allows my subject to feel comfortable and ready to talk. Some people like the camera in your face where others prefer a more open room style picture. I don’t want to be sneaky but I do want to make the filming process as subtle as possible, with fluid transitions between obvious shooting and not shooting. I prefer to not be heard when interviewing, while others want their questions and comments heard outright. As there are as many styles there are preferences when it comes to what you choose to use and what angle you want to showcase. Doing interviews when the questions won’t be heard creates a unique, somewhat bizarre dynamic that takes a lot of practice to pull off successfully. It’s sometimes difficult to get the person talking, but not talking to you-since you don’t technically exist.

The environment is also crucial. Picking a place to conduct your interview is very important. Not only is lighting and surroundings important, but so is what’s going on in the room. You don’t want to begin filming and have a noisy furnace click on in the middle of an emotional testimonial or a dog incessantly barking in the background when trying to ask an important question. Sometimes though, people are more comfortable being interviewed while doing something familiar like gardening or working on their car. I have had success talking to people when they are doing something that puts them at ease- although drinking is not advised as people can get extremely emotional and/or hostile while intoxicated and your creative judgment can be severely swayed.

loc-photo-archive-8b35422r

Photo from Library of Congress Archive – Sandpoint, Bonner County, Idaho.

Another approach is to use a neutral background such as a plainly colored wall or a large black cloth, although if you have a lot of different people to interview the same, boring background can become super dull, super fast. I don’t have the capability to but some film makers choose to film in front of a green screen and then super impose a background as they see fit. Artificial backgrounds can be tricky but when appropriate can be really interesting. Some filmmakers choose to film interviews with no camera movements at all, instead opting for a well timed zoom in or out. This can be great for editing, but also difficult as a completed interview with edited zoom ins and outs can look choppy and awkward. I’ve also learned to include extra room at the bottom of the frame when you want to include subtitles. It’s quite upsetting to discover after the fact that to include a typed introduction or location means that half of my subjects face will be covered by text.

When you make a documentary film about real people doing real things and just living their life- without direction is not only challenging but a true art form. It takes great effort and care and extreme attention to detail. Being not sure of what will happen or when or if it will be captured adequately on film can be exciting and nerve racking too. It can take weeks, months, or even years to complete a project because sometimes you have to shoot so much footage, never knowing what will actually make it to the film and what will end up in your trash bin. When what you’re shooting is the research itself, putting a story together that flows smoothly can be tricky. It helps to focus on the individual story lines and often times it’s within the shooting that you discover the story’s natural arc. Some more blatant stories have an obvious arc and have a clear beginning, climax, and end- a film about a beauty pageant for example would have an easier creative timeline. Editing can take even longer, (a topic to be discussed in another article) but the payoff can be huge, especially if you are able to weave together a coherent and emotive story that is complex but relatable.

Ultimately, there are many different ideas and approaches to filming documentaries and I by no means, am attempting to suggest myself to an expert in any of them. I am learning as I go and enjoy the opportunity to share the things I’ve learned with anyone who can appreciate the art form. Making films is a powerful, imaginative, challenging, and immensely rewarding experience that is all-inclusive and absolute. It can reach the entire world and can change lives in amazingly profound ways. Keep watching and learning and don’t give up on a good documentary!

Filed Under: Filmmaking Tagged With: documentary, film style, interview, real life, technique

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