Question: Filming in clubs at night

Post by **Nick** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 8:25 pm

I'm filming some inserts for a music video this weekend using S8. The director wants color so I have easy access to Ektachrome VNF and Vision 200. Does anyone have any suggestions for exposure, filters, etc. Any feedback would be appreciated. Has anyone used Tri-X in clubs. I'll be filming at a small club so I am quite certain K40 will need more light than will be available. I shot some tests with K40 at this place and the roll came back black except for a few bits of light. I'm going to use a Canon 1014xls. If i open the shutter speed up will it give me grainier footage?

Thanks for any suggestions.
N

Post by **onsuper8** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 10:12 pm

Nick,

I've tried shooting in clubs with Super 8 with disasterous results. I've also done it with a high-end DV camera (3CCD low light) with equally (at times) appaling outcomes. I would advise getting as much light into the venue from their lighting rig as possible (but clearly not enough to kill the ambience). I've filmed in a couple of places and the quality of their lighting set-up (and willingness to alter it) has had a massive effect on final results. Maybe the way round it might be to use some very long expoosure times and go for more of a visual ambience than an as is record?

Giles

onsuper8.org
Super 8 is forty in 2005, what will you be doing to celebrate?

Post by **sophocle** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 10:21 pm

V2 500 and wide open should do nicely. If it doesn't, nothing will.

You could aslo push tri-x for similar exposure.

Post by **alan doyle** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 10:45 pm

use canon with shutter in xl low light mode...make sure cameras 85 filter is on light bulb setting.. if it is a small club not much light avoid tri- x..
if it is available low light shoot on 200 neg or 500asa kodak vision product not pro 8s stuff, but kodak.. the shutter adjustments on this camera do not effect grain structure..
if ya cannot see nothing ya gonna get nuffin on filimm and in the tk..

Post by **Nick** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 10:46 pm

Thanks for the suggestions. I will try long exposure times and if I can get some of the 500 soon, will go for that. I may take a few rolls along and try some tests with different stocks.

Cheers,
Nick

Post by **T-Scan** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 10:47 pm

sophocle wrote:V2 500 and wide open should do nicely. If it doesn't, nothing will.

You could aslo push tri-x for similar exposure.

Anything less than the V2 500T would be a waste. i have been shooting in clubs with stage light for a while now. used everything but K-40 and Plus X.. and the 500T is the only thing reliable.

Post by **mattias** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 12:14 am

check out the live performance segment in my venedig sjunker video (in the very middle). it was shot on a small club stage, using a canon 814 wide open and k40. it's lit by two frontal par cans or so iirc, plus the color backlight rig you see in the background. something like that's the minimum for k40 i think.

http://www.mattias.nu/venedig/

/matt

Post by **daddysauce** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 1:39 am

Matias, did you use K40 for the whole video?

Post by **mattias** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 1:48 am

yes. the rest is shot with a canon 814e though. i used a regular 814az on the live shoot, since it has a "looser" zoom and creates cooler flares.

/matt

Post by **soundboy** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 1:43 pm

T-Scan wrote:
sophocle wrote:V2 500 and wide open should do nicely. If it doesn't, nothing will.

You could aslo push tri-x for similar exposure.
Anything less than the V2 500T would be a waste. i have been shooting in clubs with stage light for a while now. used everything but K-40 and Plus X.. and the 500T is the only thing reliable.

I wish kodak made faster B+w reversal stocks..

Post by **matt5791** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 3:18 pm

Hi there,

I have used the Kodak Vison 500T from pro8 in a very dark bar with excellent results, provided you think about the existing light sources. Just open up the lens, and do not whatever you do shoot with the camera in auto exposure - the lens will just close up everytime a light source comes into view.

I should imagine that the new Vision2 500T will yield better results still - well I wont have to imagine much longer as I have just sent some off for processing.

Matt

Post by **downix** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 3:25 pm

K40 did not fare too well at the club shots I did. I'm re-shooting them with V2-500T in a few weeks.

Post by **matt5791** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 4:01 pm

downix wrote:K40 did not fare too well at the club shots I did. I'm re-shooting them with V2-500T in a few weeks.

I think you will be amazed!

Matt

Post by **Nick** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 4:14 pm

Thanks again guys, I am going to try a bunch of things and see if any of it works. I'm going to bring VNF, Tri-x, and Vision along now.

Matt, that video turned out really nice. The club scene looked very good in my opinion. I think my club will have some backlighting also behind the band.

Cheers,
Nick

Post by **T-Scan** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 5:23 pm

I started my project with VNF and only got acceptable results about 30% of the time after telecine. Tri X needs even more light. i have another 350 ft of V2 500T out processing. can't wait because i know it will have great results.. no risk! and yes, max out everything on the camera.

Filmshooting

Question: Filming in clubs at night

Question: Filming in clubs at night

Clubbing

alan doyle