Setting Up a 12x12 Overhead - Using Professional Motion Picture Equipment - Cinema Tools Pro-Tip #2
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- Опубліковано 26 гру 2024
- In the second of our Cinema Tools Pro-Tip series, Cinematographer Jim Ross shows you step by step how to set up a 12 by 12 overhead diffusion just like for a Hollywood movie or a professional TV commercial.
Transcript:
Today we're filming a commercial outside and to make sure our actors look good even in direct sun mixed with partial shade, we're employing a 12x12 overhead to diffuse the sun coming from directly above the actors.
Filming in harsh direct sun is one of the most common mistakes people make when filming outdoors. As you can see here in these earlier tips I recorded, the sun is unforgiving, giving harsh highlights and dark shadows which basically makes people look awful on camera. It didn't matter to me that I did not look cinematic here for a video blog, but for a commercial or film it matters a lot. Like for this expensive lawnmower - diffusing the sun makes all the close-up shots look much better.
First of all to utilize an overhead you need to have an experienced grip crew. This is not something you can do yourself. It takes at least two to assemble and mount an overhead and three or four is better.
The guys have connected four 12 foot speed rail sections with elbow speed rail joints that lock with allen hex wrenches. There are professional kits you can buy to assemble specific overhead sizes, but like many professionals I have a large compliment of speed rail so we build our own frame sizes as needed.
These heavy latches are called ears. These are how the frame is mounted onto an overhead stand, typically a hi hi, also known as an overhead stand. Be sure to mount the ears on the inside or the gobo handle on the stand won't clear the latch to tighten. Once the frame is assembIed it's time to mount it on the stands. You want a stand with a very wide base so it is difficult to turn over. Here you can see where the gobo handle is able to rotate to tighten. You mount the frame first - so when you attach the fabric- also called a rag - it won't touch the ground and pick up dirt or grass stains.
When you attach the rag start at the corners. Then work your way along each rail until you have all the sides nice and taunt. Use a standard bow knot - just like tying your shoe. This is because a bow knot releases on its own under stress and you want the knot to give if a strong wind comes along.
When raising the overhead you need to raise both sides at the same time. It's easier with two on each stand but not impossible for two strong guys or gals to manage it. Now moving an overhead is a tedious thing. When rolling lead with a leg. If you lead with the gap between two legs it can easily tip over. It's also best to lower the overhead as low as possible before moving it.
You will need plenty of sand bags to make the stands safe from tipping over. Even with lots of sandbags it is considered standard procedure to keep a grip stationed on each stand to babysit the overhead. So keep in mind when you add an overhead to your shoot you need to add two more people because to keep safe you need two people who have eyes and hands on the overhead at all times. This is even more necessary when using larger 20 x 20 overheads.
Overheads should not be used in windy conditions - they have enough area to act like a sail, turning your overhead into a gigantic kite. While that may sound funny this kite is no toy and is heavy and could tip over and seriously hurt someone.
Overheads are also excellent for use as bounce sources, bouncing the sunlight onto your talent or product. You can also use them to diffuse or bounce large HMI light sources.
When you use an overhead to diffuse the light you have now reduced the light on your actors or product. So you need to bring in side lighting to bring them up to exposure compared to your background. Side lighting, unlike top lighting, is beautiful. Here we position a 6x6 ultrabounce to reflect the sunlight toward our actors bringing the exposure back to where it should be. We also added a 4x4 floppy for negative fill to give a little contrast to our actors faces.
Ok, So why go through all this trouble? First to make actors look their best. In these shots from Into the Badlands diffused sunlight is soft and side lighting is flattering.
Second - no matter how long it takes to film a scene - the light looks the same. According to DP Shane Hurlbut it took several hours for him to shoot these scenes. If they did not have the overhead, as the sun crossed the sky the light would look different on the actors. As they cut to closeups the shadows of their noses would change. The light shining through leaves would be in different places. This way the shots match no matter if they did a wide angle at 11am and a closeup at 2pm. You want the same lighting consistency for your footage and with the overhead you will get that consistency.
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I work on a smaller scale but this demystified a lot of fundamentals as I prepare to tackle outdoor filming. Also, it gives a great visual so I can see just how challenging a piece of gear a larger diffuser like this really is. Now I know what to do by way of dialing back expectations a bit with smaller diffusion setups until I'm in a position to pull off more expansive shots. Glad this is still posted, thanks so much for the behind-the-scenes views and info.
Love this content. It’s so much experience and knowledge packed into 6 minutes!! Very valuable stuff, thank you!
Thanks Tyler! I've got more on the way. Another dolly tutorial is coming, a set etiquette series, and of course more Grip Truck Extras!
Great video! Incredibly useful! I know the length of the rails are 12’ but what’s the size of the rails?
GREAT CONTENT .. WANN SEE MORE GOOD STUFF FROM YOU SIR.
At 5:35 . How can someone get consistency with this overhead scrim when the light at 2pm may be stronger than light at 6pm? I would think the light shinning thru would be different at different times in the day
Good job team
Thanks Luis!
super helpful info. subscribed. I started with your circle dolly setup.
Fantastic stuff! Keep it goin', man!
Thanks! Many more to come!
Very useful ... I wonder how they used overhead in the last scene from the movie (or series)? Were they moving the overhead or it was 12x1200? :D
He didn't tell us about the Anchor Line. on 80 & 728 Off Roster list
very helpful stuff
Glad to hear that!
Great video and great channel! Thanks for this videos!
Thanks for watching!
Great 👍
Wait until you're flying a fifty-by-fifty full grid on truss hung by a crane, then you're cooking with gas. These ten by ten and the twelve-by-twelve set ups are very common on sets even to provide cover for video village every now and then.
50 x 50? Holy crap I'd be sweating bullets worried about something that big, LOL!
Awesome video! On a tracking shot like the one you showed at the end (badlands), is Shane using a larger overhead or would it be moving with talent? I’ve always wondered how wide shots are lit with overheads. Thanks!
According to Shane they strung the diffusion up in the trees, tying them to the trunks and stretching them over head. That way no stands in the shot.
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Over 1250 now, 5 months later, beautiful daughter!
@@HDProsnet yea 😄
Do you have any rules of thumb for using speed rail vs. square tubing? Will 1” square tubing work for a 12x12? Also, could I use a maxi stand to hold up an 8x8 frame? Or should I just suck it up and always go for the combo stand?
I use 1x1 steel square tubing for my 6x6 and 8x8 frames (video coming soon). I'm certain I could connect my 6' sections and create a 12x12 frame with no problems. But the speed rail is lighter by far, and there is less sag. A 12' section of square steel tubing droops noticeably. When I pick up a 20' section for fabrication and I'm loading that flimsy bouncy length of steel into my truck I'm saying to myself - "There is no way I would build a 20x20 with this stuff." If money was no object I'd go with 1x1 aluminum but it's not cheap and it bends easier than steel. I'm not familiar with a maxi stand but I would always go with overkill on stands - be safer than safe. Have stands that are rated HIGHER than your needs. I love working with speed rail, but it is expensive compared to steel and it does take more space. So I use both. Thanks for the question! Where are you located?
@@HDProsnet thanks for the detailed response! Combo stands it is - just too bad there seems to be a shortage of them. I’m based out of Cincinnati.
@@samuelspeck2702 Hell I don't even own a Combo, though I should, I have Hi Hi rollers. Those are combos on steroids! Yes, they are $500 each but they are 40 pounds of steel and safe as a tank! I got them used to save money. Used gear is a great way to get quality gear at less cash.
It is ok to use c stands for a 8'x8' frame? Or should i go for bigger stands, is very rare i use the frame but want to know
Depends on the conditions. I usually use c-stands for a 6x6 and use baby stands with super clamps for the 8x8. If there was no wind I'd trust c-stands for a 8x8. Just use plenty of sand bags!
@@HDProsnet Thanks for replying!! Not all channels take the time to answer questions.
And for this you’ll want 0 mph winds! Haha! But what works even better is shooting this on an overcast day and adding some fill!
Good video. Is that 2" galvanized pipe for the frame?
No. in the film business we use 1&1/4 inch schedule 40 aluminum pipe that we call speed rail. It is much lighter than steel pipe and weight is a big concern when flying frames. Just google "speed rail" or go to filmtools.com and you'll see it. Larger steel supply warehouses usually stock it in 20 foot lengths that you can have cut to your desired length. Most larger cities will have them.
that's so good, you show us the final shots?
Since I was not the DP in this case I do not have the footage, sorry. I was fortunate that my client allowed me to shoot my episode while being a grip on his team.
I laughed at the kite joke…then I didn’t lol 😂
Could you tell , which cloth you were used to diffuse ?
I used a Matthews Full Artificial Silk. I got the silk so it could be used as either diffusion or as a bounce. I was budget minded and wanted to get a "2 for 1" fabric that could be used for both. It works well. Ideally you would use a lighter diffusion such as a 1/2 or 1/4 Griff.
What is the brand please?
The connectors are from buyrailings.com and the fabric is a Matthews Full silk from B&H.
Using roller stands outside on uneven ground…ok
DP can use filters instead out door screens (LDS)or adject time of shoot.These things are foolishness.
Given today's technology it is easy to think that throwing a filter on a lens will solve any problem, but it is not true. There are no filters to reduce or diffuse the exposure and fall of the sun on subjects in direct sun while keeping the background in the same exposure. If there are, I challenge you to produce such items. Filmmakers would buy them up immediately. But, unfortunately, they don't exist. And if these diffusions are foolish as you say, then why are they on all professional sets? I'll tell you: because light is extreme and black shadows are extreme. And today's cameras are limited in the range of exposure they can record. Thus they must be reduced so the technology can record them using these tools. Filters have their place but this is not where they are used.
The things you read on the internet lol