Boring Location? | How to Make ANY Setting Cinematic
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 มิ.ย. 2024
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Cinematographers are often met with location challenges, most commonly being spaces not ideal for lighting. However, good filmmakers find solutions such as better staging and composition, so that they open up more interesting angles and creative opportunities. In this episode of 4MFS, DP/host Valentina Vee shows you how to incorporate good storytelling and directing into cinematography. She plans her sequence ahead so that she isn't stuck shooting into a boring corner. With the usual fixings of supplementing natural light and modifying it for the scene, we take a seemingly flat apartment and turn it into something that could appear in a feature film.
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0:00 - Intro
0:32 - Concept/Staging
03:02 - Production Tips
03:53 - Camera
04:41 - Lighting
09:22 - Close-Ups
11:35 - Final Result
12:15 - Outro
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Host/DP: Valentina Vee
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Producer: Moses Israel Guerrero
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Director: Tue Duong
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Episode Cinematographer: Joe Adams
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Summary:
Aputure's TH-cam channel provides free high quality cinematography, lighting, and filmmaking educational content to help you take your film projects to the next level. - ภาพยนตร์และแอนิเมชัน
For those asking about the viewfinder app, it's called Cadrage www.cadrage.app/
And Vee's shirt is from Vienna Pitts' online store vienna-pitts.myshopify.com/collections/tshirts/products/fix-it-in-pre
Thank you; I was very much going to ask about the latter, ahaha.
Vee's hair color is well made too!
"it's actually just a boring apartment!"
The apartment owners: :(
😂 😂 😂 😂
They secretly know that it is boring, too. 😜
I'm always amazed at the lengths film production goes through to capture only seconds of footage that get used in the end. I've been on a few big production film sets as background and spent entire days filming with hundreds of people involved, yet maybe only several seconds gets used in the final film.
Adds up when millions or hundreds of millions watch those seconds
If you have billions of dollars to make the movie, you can get pretty dang scientific about it.
This is one of the best tutorials I've seen for aspiring DP's and filmmakers. Covered a lot of useful info! One thing I like to do sometimes when struggling with a bad location, especially when it's cluttered with stuff, is to just start clearing out the entire frame- removing all the plants and furniture, etc.- so you can work with a clean slate, and then start adding objects back in to the frame strategically.
This one's from Wandering DP: shoot into the "L of the room" (towards a corner), because two white walls at a right angle are better than a single white wall.
Great tip, thanks!
I think Patrick would find this too front lit haha
Unless you're Wes Anderson
Agreed, i don't think Patrick would dig this look. It is subjective at the end of the day. I'm personally drawn to darker images but Aputure did a good job here.@@jakemoore880
Personally I would call this more commercial lighting then cinematic lighting. Especially since you evenly exposed across the frame. I prefer more contrast with lighting away from the camera and a short key on faces for a more "Cinematic look".
I think that ‘cinematic’ lighting holds true to the story’s emotional thread rather than be tied to a particular contrast ratio, look at Hoyte Van Hoytema’s work in the example or John Alcott’s work in ‘A clockwork orange’ which is high key and stylised for the genre. You limit your scope when you define cinematic as one look.
@@GlennHanns I was going to comment and then seen your message and was like, exactly! Good to see I'm not alone here!!
Agreed, I actually preferred the wide shot before any lights were added.
On TH-cam there is a tendency to call contrasting and obscure lighting "cinematic", but that is not necessarily its meaning.
@@CriticasDeCineEn2Minutos that's why I put cinematic in quotations. People use the that word way too much when trying to compare what they see in theaters to what they capture at home on their iPhone. " Wow that's looks Cinematic" not knowing really the depth a production team goes through to achieve that "Cinematic look". I get it hence the quotations just to clarify once again.
I was once told to only light things I want seen, so I commonly reverse engineer that and remove light from things I don’t want seen in a boring apartment. A white wall with no light turns into a gray wall. Gray is much easier to add color to. So I’ll bounce a light into colored foam core to add slight tints of color to that newly gray wall.
Vee, always love watching you bring in solutions for indie filmmakers who can’t always choose their locations or even scout sometimes before shoot day! “Quick” solutions like this are vital for filmmaking regardless of budget. Reminds me of the “high budget/low budget” segments of some older 4mfs vids.
One thing I’m curious to see would be a dedicated video about those common “replacements” of industry things. You commonly do this as asides in videos, but I think a video that goes through “low cost” fabrics, diffusion, bounce, grids, etc could be great! For example, if you don’t have nets to cut down light intensity, the apartment you’re at probably has screens in the windows which can be used to do the same thing. Or if you can’t afford a roll of diffusion, you can always use tracing paper or baking sheets parchment paper. Hearing the pros and cons of these and even hearing from someone like a rep from Matthews who makes the industry fabrics/gels/nets and how they’re engineered for filmmaking can help people make better budget decisions. All of these things came from a simpler solution that eventually was needed in a more advanced situation, but that doesn’t mean the modern advanced solution is always the tool for the job.
I don't know whether to be happy that this kind of material is free to share with anyone or to be disappointed that in 3 years of film school no one went ever told us any of this.
Whoever gave the dislikes don't know real filmsets. You guys dropped some solid gems for free!
Lol you know film sets??
@@emmanuelnkwocha1275 I run them Sir! You? lol
Production design is super important, even just changing pillows and things like that can do a lot, and if it’s a situation where it’s not possible to move things to give you more depth, corners can save the day.
This! And if you can scope it out in advance, you and/or your production designer will know what small things to bring to match your film's mood and general color pallet.
Valentina is such a fun person. Always love seeing her here giving out free knowledge
She is a delight!
A technique that I recently discovered and loved with Caleb from DSLR video shooter is using mirrors to fake window direct sunlight. When used correctly it looks super convincing especially in a space where you can’t put lights outside (like in a building, would be a cool tutorial BTW)
That’s my hack
Have a great day y’all !
Can you elaborate?
Maybe provide a link?
@@SuperEchinacea th-cam.com/video/VDIQUrOpSDQ/w-d-xo.html
@@gabrielmachadobsb 🙏
When I walk on to a set, either with or without location scouting, my strategy is that I don't look at the room/space in its current configuration, but rather 'how can I configure the room to suit my story needs?'..... I've put chairs where chairs have never been, switched beds, switched headboards, added items from other rms...etc... It also helps to have a great set dec person who can make lemonade from lemons....Again...it's down to having a talented, committed team. I too LOVE the hazer....just sayin. Great work VV!
I'm a huge fan of using peel & stick wallpaper. You can make one room into several and never have to change locations. I've also used posters, magazine clippings and newspapers on the walls to disguise the same room.
"Peel and stick wallpaper"?! This would be brilliant - blank walls are the bane of my existence. Gonna look that one up.
I had a film crew use my house once and in their shoot there was a conversation between actors by the fridge. And I guess the fridge fan motor was intermittently kicking in. So someone opened the fridge doors and turned the dials all down to zero. Which stopped the fan from kicking in, but whomever did it, forgot that they did it and never told anyone. So my well stocked fridge ( and freezer ) looked to be working because the light was on - but all the food spoiled.
So if you work in a house and do something like that, take a few minutes and leave a note on or in the fridge. Or even better take notes to tell the homeowner or turn it back on before leaving.
The trick I've seen used on film sets is that the person turning off or unplugging their fridge puts their car keys in the fridge until they turn it on again. That way it's never forgotten
I just want to thank all those guys at Aputure for their effort and amazing work they are putting in their content. It's amazing how much they help to educate industry-curious people as well as up and coming professionals. I took a fair chunk of tips and tricks from your videos to propel my career as a Creative Producer in Advertisement and you helped a lot! Thanks guys and much love! Keep up the great work!
Thanks for your support!!
I always appreciate how you review the shot and show how the scene looks with each light and the specs on each. Super helpful to see in each video you make. Thanks for doing that!
One way I like to make a boring scene look more cinematic is using objects to create depth and texture, whether that’s putting something in the foreground like a plant of kitchen utensils (whatever makes sense to the scene) or practical lights in the background (such as led fairy lights). Also, love the shirt! Fix it in Pre!
This video was very helpful. The part when you flipped through the changes in lighting with each light/modifier added....please keep doing that.
Also the chapters help alot; thank you.
This is one of your best videos yet! As a low budget filmmaker it's great to see how you can turn a boring room into something with depth and interest. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Lighting wise - bring in lots of practicals, candles, fog it up, block your character into different pools of light with varying temperatures, light up your background props & areas like stairs etc, even outside the door
Production design wise - mirrors and glass object helps add texture, get some water on the windows, definitely change the curtains, add in props that can be used as fg elements
Framing wise - shoot into the L of the room, find opportunities to create frame within a frame
Practicals practicals practicals! That’s my go-to for spicing up a scene/set
The show Bones is the bible of practicals.
Story , blocking , composition and lighting
Thanks for a very helpful video. In just a few minutes, I got answers to most of the questions I encounter when I end up in a "boring-location-situation". Next time on location, I will not hesitate to move around sofas and furniture. This channel is gold.
I love using sheer curtains in nearly every location, softens up the daylight coming in through windows, and adds a nice vertical streak to pretty much any interior composition!
you got me on the intro girl, kuddos also to the editor
This video made me think more about bring in depth to usual shots. Just a small manipulation in space and the set looks so much more bigger and interesting. Thanks for this video.
This was a really good episode. I learned a lot from this episode.
Love this one! I make a boring room look cinematic by curating the objects in the room. If the budget or time doesn't allow adding things I can remove objects that don't serve the story I am building.
This was super helpful, thanks! I especially enjoyed how you showed the stacked composition from no lights to turning on each one at a time. To answer your question if the contest is still running, my “hack” is using grids on my softboxes. I love diffused light in general but like the grids for a little added contrast and direction.
I always try remember the foreground, mid ground, background layering technique for an opportunity to give some more depth. I feel like that can be easily overlooked and is a super quick fix with often just moving the camera
Really good. Thanks for the insight! Valentina, you always give a great perspective and energy to the cinema talk.
Loving these videos. They are so educational and entertaining at the same time. Thanks for putting the knowledge out there in a way that easily accessible for all type of budgets. I would have loved to see the people who played the couple at the beginning being the actual cast. That also helps making it less boring/irritating. I think it's always good to think about which types of messages we convey with which bodies we choose to portray.
there's more cinematography and production design in this video than most Hallmark Christmas movies.
😂
Você é ótima nas explicações aprendo muito com seus vídeos e com essa produção fica melhor ainda!!
I think finding a way to add practical lights in your shot can add depth and give motivation to certain lighting decisions you don’t always get with just sunlight. I think it adds depth and realism and ultimately a more cinematic shot. Great video!!
For me, I always like using color contrasting lights to create more depth in a character’s face. I really like using a daylight colored light as my key, and a tungsten for a fill/rim (opposite if it’s indoors). It really makes the subject pop.
Personally, I am of the traditional mindset of foreground, mid ground and background-- which makes me think of depth. When I think of boring locations, I think small - white walls - next to nothing in the inside, very minimal corporate offices, things like that. I look for windows or door frames if I can place them into the shot, create spots of visual interest. Cheapest hacks usually include bringing lamps, anything I can add layers of lighting to show distance, also set decor, rearranging what I do have in the space to make it look more populated. All of this depends on what we're going for of course, but getting talent off the walls and into textured backgrounds helps a bunch. Choreographing talent to make the space look not so constricted. Having options for cuculoris can also create the illusion of windows if there aren't any or create a visual separation between spaces. If all else fails, I will try to force a bit of separation either through light value contrast or color temperature lights differently.
I never realized how much effort went into producing typical movie 'feel', that we take for granted. Thank you for posting this. That being said, having seen Dune 2021, I just can't go back to 'fake' lighting. But still can appreciate the craftsmanship for staged lighting in short / corporate endeavours.
Almost all of Dune's lighting is "fake" ...
(JJ Jameson lol)
Textured wall panels! Changes the room every time
Always a great move!
Valentina is a national treasure. So on point.
Every minute of this video was so valuable and informative!! Thank you for this great content
Great info in here. Thank you!
Thanks for this. Proportion is key too. Regardless where you shoot review your scene on frame. Your subject can easily be dwarfed or upstaged by you set design and other features of the environment. When you find balance on frame you won’t really have a boring set anymore.
This is a very important point!
WOW! WOW! You are just amazing. Thanks so much for sharing everything with such details and simplicity and making it easy for us. Thanks a lot.
vids about these real-life sets are the most useful ones!
Glad you liked it!
This was very helpful.. need to watch this more than once
Really love these short tip videos! So great to see
More to come!
So much gear and teamwork for that shot! Despite not having that gear, those light and gripping technique are cool and relevant
Great tips here! I usually make a location more cinematic by trying to create layered depth - open up doors, put stuff in the foreground and very far in the background. Also removing all everyday things from the shot and putting in only some of them really helps to build the story aswell. Thanks!
Well hello there. Thanks for the tips.
the quickest and simplest way to make things more cinematic I have always found to be putting a single light outside and push it back into the house through a window. You can shape it and modify it more but a hard light from outside always looks great.
that was awesome
dont stop these videos
they are really helpful for us
Panty hose over a uv filter or some other essentially clear filter to give a pro mist effect is always cool
Quick tip to spice up a boring place - color temp. I love using good CCT lights to give the background a slightly cooler appearance than the foreground. If you also spice up the subject with some warmer light-spice, boun appetit!
I’ve used that truck before too! Actually for exactly this reason.
@@valentinavee right? Everyone talks about Rembrandt lighting on the face, but nobody talks about how Renaissance artists created depth with cool and warm colors. 🤷🏻♂️😁
Works on paper, works on screen. 💯
Appreciate this guys thankyou
Very enlightening video!! Thank you.
thanks a lot Valentina
My go to is practical lamps in the background and shadows in the foreground. Also fairy lights/ candles in the background of a shot for beautiful bokeh that can be used as leading lines etc.
sometimes youtube made me watch 30 minutes memes compilation, and at certain point they want me to watch valuable knowledge like this, life is weird, and thank you for sharing!
If the room is super boring I’ll shoot through the doorways to frame the subject and use them to block anything unsightly. It’s a quick way to add depth and interest on the wide.
Great video as away! What I would use to make a boring location to more cinematic. What I did was adding different color to each layer, ex: foreground, mid and background. Of course shape the lights.
Great tip!
I love using color to make a boring location more cinematic. A lot of time you can motivate practicals with gelled lights, especially using contrasting colors (which don't always have to be lights, sometimes your gelled light can be a contrasting color to an outfit your talent is wearing). PS: I love haze (not fog) and use it too!
Fantastic stuff thanks for sharing
This was awesome guys! Thanks for this 🙏
I learned soooo much from this... Please make more like these ❤
I love you vee😍😍...u made this sooo simple
If about filming, "cinematic" means nothing. But "cinematografic" means a lot, it's the right word to use, actually.
You are not to blame Valentina, the whole YT world carries on with this mistake (without even a doubt about what's meaningful and what's not).
Altough we have computers and dictionaries...which doesn't seem enough !
this is very helpful! please keep posting these videos!!
Thank you! Will do!
Great tips on how to craft the scene so that it evokes the feeling we are going for.🙌
That is an intense amount of lighting going on, thanks for this. Now I know and will apply this to my next endeavors.
one of the best channel for real world shoots/sets
Amazing Job, learned a Lot.
Excellent. Thanks.
MOoving thaat couch was pretty brilliant. This might be my favorite episode!
Excellent work🙌🏾🔥
Awesome tips! Wow, I'm excited to try out some ideas at home!
this video is really dope! thx
I love how the actor smacks his head into the plate at 11:55 and you guys went with the take.
Valentina is the best teacher!
Wonderful video. I learnt a lot from this! 🙌🏼✨
really great one.
for me to make a boring location more interesting i like to motivate the camera angels from where the talent is looking. i also like to keep a cohesive color scheme. also fog machine and a pro-mist are a must.
Having the right practical lights in background of frame can help add to the "cinematic" look
This video is fantastic! super informative!!
Glad it was helpful!
In the past I’ve added pictures or painting from my apartment to add depth to blank walls. Also fake plants help out a lot.
This is interesting.. i really enjoy this.. thank u for sharing
Thanks for watching
Awesome video! I love how she points out details.
Love Mr Jorge Hernandez representing 🙌🏼
The rolls of ND was a great tip I’ll be looking in to. Always something to learn.
Such a crucial trick!
awesome work to the entire team. keep it up watching from Kenya.
Very interesting. Thanks.
To make my footage look cinematic, I like to add foreground elements to shoot through for wide medium and close ups if I have the time and equipment to. Really pulled back wide shots can be be nice to have for the edit.
Thank you!
Loved this one, I mean the spaceship was cool too but this one was super helpful. So, what have I done to make my apartment cinematic? So, I use my apartment as a set 3-4 times a week for my videography and camera gear related TH-cam channel "Power of Drew" and other videography based projects and I have found that painting half of your walls a darker color like grey can really help give some contrast and depth to your talking head shots. Also, I recommend getting a few good quality lights. For example, I currently have two Amaran 100d's that are on C-stands with castors that I can roll around the apartment to change up my shot. One light has the Aputure Lantern for fill the other the Aputure Dome-Mini for key. Which reminds me, try to find furniture that you can puzzle piece together and isn't too large to move around. This way you can have endless different configurations for your place, especially if its a tiny place. Finally, I suggest black-out curtains or something similar so that you are able to control the light coming from your windows, since being able to control the light will be at your advantage.
Thank you Aputure, you guys are my FAVORITE company. I am a HUGE fan. So thankful you guys are making products for people on a tight budget. THANK YOU.
Keeping my fingers crossed I win this MC. But, regardless I'll be here for the next one. 💡🎥🎬
Fantastic video! Not much to add; I’m pedantic about “eye lights” for life/pop, I might throw in a couple of inserts of more extreme closeups of action/interest and possible a camera move, like a swinging motion/tracking shot to add vibrancy and accentuate whatever energy I can.
Excellent tips.👏👏. then everyone add their own personal touch. That's the idea. Great job.
thank you for the lesson! costumes of heroes also makes image more interesting. colours.
Your intro is awesome!! Great info.
I learn something new everytime I watch your videos. AS an indie filmmaker, I will say thank you.
Happy to hear that!
Super impressive. My favorite technique is to create shapes with plants.
Its very very usefull....Thanks you very much......