How to film extremely bright subject in a dark room

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Forging films

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How to film extremely bright subject in a dark room

PostTue Jan 30, 2024 12:06 pm

I need help - I am documenting traditional crafts, making videos for web with my BMPCC4K.

I don't use lighting, I'm a fly on the wall in the workshops, and I usually just colour adjust i Adobe Premiere.

Now I´m going go film a series of videos of forge welding in a smithy, where the contrast is too extreme, I loose all light info or all shadow info, until the metal cools down a bit.

Does someone have experience with this? Will I be able to shoot in raw, and color adjust in DavinciResolve, or is it too big of a contrast for the camera to handle, and I'll need to add lights, making it hard for the craftsman to work...?

Much appreciate any advice!
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rick.lang

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Re: How to film extremely bright subject in a dark room

PostWed Jan 31, 2024 6:32 pm

Forging films wrote:… I don't use lighting


Lighting such as open nearby windows and doors and turning on exist practicals could be very helpful to help lighten the shadows around the work area, but without light you need to love those shadows and concentrate of making the literally hot areas look decent.

… I usually just colour adjust i Adobe Premiere.


You have a free copy of DaVinci Resolve. Strongly recommend you learn how to use its tools. Your situation is somewhat similar to the insufficient light I had on a pianist. In Resolve / Colour tab, there’s a Relight effect where you can add more than one AI light to a scene. That could save your shoot in post as it generates a depth map and casts light according to your adjustments. It’s not going to work on a black scene, but will enhance the areas that are too dark and could use a boost.

… I loose all light info or all shadow info, until the metal cools down a bit… is it too big of a contrast for the camera to handle?


Can you possibly do a test before you attempt a complete shoot? Or in the complete shoot, can you run through different shots with different settings?

As a guide, you may clip in the brightest moments, but that might look okay because it’s very brief. I’d try to find a middle ground where you lose a lot of the shadow but keep some shadow while you try your best to keep most of the highlights but don’t worry if specular lights clip. Maximize the use of ‘found’ light if you’re not able to bring some of your own light.
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robedge

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Re: How to film extremely bright subject in a dark room

PostWed Jan 31, 2024 7:51 pm

Forging films wrote: is it too big of a contrast for the camera to handle, and I'll need to add lights, making it hard for the craftsman to work...?


I suggest that you scout the location to find out what the lighting conditions are. If you can, bring a light meter, preferably one that takes incident readings.

You might find it useful to check out the YouTube channels that are about forging. Yes, they exist; for example Black Bear Forge and Fire Creek Forge. The owner of the Black Bear channel has a second channel for which he's made videos about how he makes his forge videos. There are also discussions on the internet about shooting in forges.

This Peter Lindgren video should give you some ideas. Lindgren used a single 150W light and a soft box that he says was larger than he needed. If you don't know, find out what a pocket light is. And think closeups.

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rick.lang

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Re: How to film extremely bright subject in a dark room

PostWed Jan 31, 2024 7:58 pm

Excellent advice.
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carlomacchiavello

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Re: How to film extremely bright subject in a dark room

PostWed Jan 31, 2024 9:34 pm

I did a spot for a metal industries last summer, and I should shoot a bright metal when a guy shape it with an hammer, with sparkle and so on. I should light it with a couple of spot to have he and metal out of shadow and dark.
If you want spectacular sparkles you cannot use fast shutter, if you want to reduce light you can close iris or use ND filter, but to have good yellow red color on metal you should light people to be so clear as metal.

If you never did, do some test, try before to shoot.


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SalopFilms

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Re: How to film extremely bright subject in a dark room

PostThu Feb 01, 2024 10:42 am

You will need another source of light, whether that's from a window or LED as you just are not going to get the blance and you will have to sacrifice highlights or blacks to get a decent image.

There just isnt any other way to do this.
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robedge

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Re: How to film extremely bright subject in a dark room

PostThu Feb 01, 2024 1:42 pm

Unless Silje has already scouted the space, we don't even know how bright the ambient light is. The blacksmith forge where I spend my summers is dark because it predates rural electrification and the local historical society wants to preserve the original space. Look at YouTube channels by people who operate forges and the lighting is what you'd expect in 2023. From Wikipedia: "some blacksmiths work in dim, low-light conditions, but most work in well-lit conditions".

There should be a fair number of YouTube videos on modern blacksmithing in operation because there's a demand for handmade knives.
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Jeffrey D Mathias

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Re: How to film extremely bright subject in a dark room

PostThu Feb 01, 2024 1:51 pm

Another consideration is that you record clips at various exposures and cut together so as to show all even though not at the same moment. For example one clip shows hammering hot white metal and the next a closer shot of the metal in its glorious colors and yet another of the face or hand exposed for those. The trick being to put the entire image together through several images rather than just one shot.
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