12:45 This section was pure gold. The whole video was great, but this never occurred to me before. Plus, it's a great opportunity to use the world occlusion, which is a fancy word for shadow
Degrees here refers to how wide of a throw they give not how much light they transmit Depth vs cell size is really how you control how wide the throw is. Deeper smaller cells tighten the beam angle more while wide spacing, short ones increases it. thats why honeycrates are 50 degree.
Stop making videos! You killing me smalls! Just kidding. Always great content and so glad you are not one of those spikey haired 25 year-old “influencers” that talk too loud and show off their vintage 80s rock t-shirts.
I would often light a subject who approached the camera using the Light Tools 60 degree grids on Chimeras to apply the "occlusion" effect (first time I've used the word also) by either aiming the light just above the subject or, more typically, to one side or the other, then using a 2' x 3' or 4' x 4' side flag to take down the unwanted spill. You could adjust the angle so that as they approach the light it self limits, or I guess "occludes" and I could get about four steps with zero change in intensity. Worked like a charm, and if needed I would add more lights along the path (assuming the place to set them out of the frame was available.). If the set wouldn't allow me to aim off to the left or right, I'd stick one or two 2'x 3' doubles about six inches apart in the middle of my Chimera so that they were skinny at the far end of the walk but acted as a limiter as the subject approached. "Occlusion" was also something we did a lot with 2K Zips hung in hallway ceilings back in the day, using the eggcrates to limit the light as the subject approached and having the next one start working where the one lighting the moving subject started fading. You could double the eggcrates and really control the spill. That's something those making the cloth and snap on grids could do that would be handy. I've also thought a grid you could open and close control like an A/C vent would be , well, cool.
Oooh, a moveable soft crate... like the old mole lightning shutters but with cube shapes like we used to have in ice cube trays... maybe just the horizontals would move?!
Luke- interesting concept that the egg crate/snapgrid defeats some of the inverse square law...never even thought about that factor. It seems highly subjective about the amount of containment a soft grid/snapgrid contributes versus making the light harder. Perhaps this is a phenomena driven by the location characteristics, e.g. are you trying to keep a white wall darker, rather than optimizing the softness of the key. We make compromises all the time on set - this just seems to be one of the more complicated ones where the larger source contributes softness and then the egg crate/snapgrid takes it away. Where is the point where actually using a smaller source/diffusion makes sense. Perhaps this is unknowable....
@@imiy Hmm, I don't think a clean diffused larger source reduces softness... rather the opposite. If I understand correctly what we find difficult to measure is that not only do eggrates/snapgrids make the source harder, but in the case of large SnapGrids such as 6x, 8x, and 12x that as you move closer to the light you may start to visibly see that you get less and less of the wrap effect from the edges of the soft light. So the SnapGrid is cancelling out the possible gain in softness by being physically closer to the diffused key. It would be very difficult to measure this difference, and the degree of the SnapGrid would be a factor as well. I think if I had a point to make about large SnapGrid usage it is this: I only use them in smaller rooms when there are white walls nearby to keep them darker. Not only are they expensive to rent and buy, but I think that the undeniable fact that they make the source effectively harder with less wrap means their value in use is less than popularly conceived. If I think about the times where SnapGrids and fabric grids have worked best it has often been with a long walk and talk with multiple lights where I want the light to fall off so the subject can continue into another light source, alleviating the "doubling up" effect of lights in a row. I realize I am swimming against the tide; many gaffers think the large SnapGrids are a miracle cure... probably more so if you bought one and now can rent it to production.
Thanks for this video! I have made many grids in my day; I'm glad grids are so easy these days, it especially helps when shooting in tight areas. I noticed Cinegear has "Meet the Gaffer," is that you?
It is nice that we can purchase ready made grids! Yes, Alan Steinheimer and I will be available @Cinegear in the park next to the Paramount Theater, btwn 3-4pm on Sat, to meet with anyone who wants to stop by, say hello, talk about gear that you’re hyped about, ask Lighting questions, discuss career paths, snag some give-aways... I tried to set up a Gaffer Roundtable with notable gaffers, but a venue/time slot was not avail on Sat, just Fri, and Alan and I could only make Sat... so this is what we came up with. Maybe we can get the Roundtable to happen next year?! Will we see you there?
Great video. Interesting point about light occlusion. I'm curious if the quality/softness of light changes as you move closer/further away from the source. In theory, if you are moving closer to the source, then the light becomes harder since you are seeing less of the source? Or does the relative size some how stay the same as you move closer and further from the light? Measuring the "softness" of a light is rather tricky but I'd be interested if there was a follow up test.
Yes, if I had a brain I would have done it during the 8x8 comparison, but I was in a bit of a rush:( It would be nice to have a larger HMI behind a 12x, but most like the next attempt will be an M18 or two through an 8x. I have other set ups with 1 or 2x M18’s thru the 8x Honeycrates, but they are both sit-down interviews and were use more for reflection help.
Can someone recommend 6x6 and 8x8 units? It seems Canvas Grip makes the most affordable units. Any other places? Anyone has experience with (gasp!) inexpensive china-made ones?
I remember using the original KinoFlo egg crates then putting the flozier over top of the unit. Obviously this diminished the effect of the egg crate but does this set up focus the light on the flozier enough for an effect? Is there a time where skinning the outside of an egg crate make sense? Also, thanks for the series. Really great work!
In retrospect, I never tested the output with or without the egg crate through the flozier. It seems like it would act sort of like a wire scrim: taking down the overall intensity by a very small amount while similarly “focusing” the softness by a small amount. We’ll end up doing that once in a while these days with softboxes that may have a snapgrid/softcrate already applied, where the DP will ask for the light to be further softened and you may not have the time or equipment to add something behind the softcrate so you just add another square of diffusion in front. Technically it isn’t correct, but it gets the job done in the moment.
12:45 This section was pure gold. The whole video was great, but this never occurred to me before. Plus, it's a great opportunity to use the world occlusion, which is a fancy word for shadow
At 13 minutes, that's a fantastic illustration of the effect!
In retrospect the title should have read, “The difference in light output, near to far, is less.” Something like that...
Really cool to hear you talk about the history, not enough people do
Great video Luke! Listening to you it's always a pleasure.
Wow! Deep well on this one. Love the history! Thank you, Luke.
😁
Wow! My new favourite channel!
Ha, ha! Welcome. My apologies in advance for not being a very polished presenter.
@@meetthegaffer No, you are great. A real person! 😂
Great episode, control is very important! That light occlusion trick is a high level light shaping sorcery)
I am glad you enjoyed the information!
Degrees here refers to how wide of a throw they give not how much light they transmit
Depth vs cell size is really how you control how wide the throw is. Deeper smaller cells tighten the beam angle more while wide spacing, short ones increases it.
thats why honeycrates are 50 degree.
Yes, I was wrong, wrong, wrong😀 Thank you. I love my 8x8 Honeycrates LCD!
Stop making videos! You killing me smalls! Just kidding. Always great content and so glad you are not one of those spikey haired 25 year-old “influencers” that talk too loud and show off their vintage 80s rock t-shirts.
Wow I never even imagined this.
I would often light a subject who approached the camera using the Light Tools 60 degree grids on Chimeras to apply the "occlusion" effect (first time I've used the word also) by either aiming the light just above the subject or, more typically, to one side or the other, then using a 2' x 3' or 4' x 4' side flag to take down the unwanted spill. You could adjust the angle so that as they approach the light it self limits, or I guess "occludes" and I could get about four steps with zero change in intensity. Worked like a charm, and if needed I would add more lights along the path (assuming the place to set them out of the frame was available.). If the set wouldn't allow me to aim off to the left or right, I'd stick one or two 2'x 3' doubles about six inches apart in the middle of my Chimera so that they were skinny at the far end of the walk but acted as a limiter as the subject approached. "Occlusion" was also something we did a lot with 2K Zips hung in hallway ceilings back in the day, using the eggcrates to limit the light as the subject approached and having the next one start working where the one lighting the moving subject started fading. You could double the eggcrates and really control the spill. That's something those making the cloth and snap on grids could do that would be handy. I've also thought a grid you could open and close control like an A/C vent would be , well, cool.
Oooh, a moveable soft crate... like the old mole lightning shutters but with cube shapes like we used to have in ice cube trays... maybe just the horizontals would move?!
Luke- interesting concept that the egg crate/snapgrid defeats some of the inverse square law...never even thought about that factor. It seems highly subjective about the amount of containment a soft grid/snapgrid contributes versus making the light harder. Perhaps this is a phenomena driven by the location characteristics, e.g. are you trying to keep a white wall darker, rather than optimizing the softness of the key. We make compromises all the time on set - this just seems to be one of the more complicated ones where the larger source contributes softness and then the egg crate/snapgrid takes it away. Where is the point where actually using a smaller source/diffusion makes sense. Perhaps this is unknowable....
It’s new to me too, so I’m interested in learning more!
Why does larger source take away the softness?
@@imiy Hmm, I don't think a clean diffused larger source reduces softness... rather the opposite. If I understand correctly what we find difficult to measure is that not only do eggrates/snapgrids make the source harder, but in the case of large SnapGrids such as 6x, 8x, and 12x that as you move closer to the light you may start to visibly see that you get less and less of the wrap effect from the edges of the soft light. So the SnapGrid is cancelling out the possible gain in softness by being physically closer to the diffused key. It would be very difficult to measure this difference, and the degree of the SnapGrid would be a factor as well.
I think if I had a point to make about large SnapGrid usage it is this: I only use them in smaller rooms when there are white walls nearby to keep them darker. Not only are they expensive to rent and buy, but I think that the undeniable fact that they make the source effectively harder with less wrap means their value in use is less than popularly conceived.
If I think about the times where SnapGrids and fabric grids have worked best it has often been with a long walk and talk with multiple lights where I want the light to fall off so the subject can continue into another light source, alleviating the "doubling up" effect of lights in a row.
I realize I am swimming against the tide; many gaffers think the large SnapGrids are a miracle cure... probably more so if you bought one and now can rent it to production.
I thought the degree means the angle that the light is constrained to, not the amount of light that makes it through the grid?
That could be... I was kinda punting there and didn’t take the time to confirm with Kino. Let’s follow that up... thank you for keeping me honest!
That's my understanding as well. This is similar to the measurement of different lens tubes on Source Fours.
That is what it means. It's the degree of the beam angle.
Exactly.
Yes!
Pure gold.
Thanks so much, this is so useful.
I wish I had more hands so I could give this video four thumbs up.
😂
Thanks for this video! I have made many grids in my day; I'm glad grids are so easy these days, it especially helps when shooting in tight areas.
I noticed Cinegear has "Meet the Gaffer," is that you?
It is nice that we can purchase ready made grids!
Yes, Alan Steinheimer and I will be available @Cinegear in the park next to the Paramount Theater, btwn 3-4pm on Sat, to meet with anyone who wants to stop by, say hello, talk about gear that you’re hyped about, ask Lighting questions, discuss career paths, snag some give-aways... I tried to set up a Gaffer Roundtable with notable gaffers, but a venue/time slot was not avail on Sat, just Fri, and Alan and I could only make Sat... so this is what we came up with. Maybe we can get the Roundtable to happen next year?! Will we see you there?
@@meetthegaffer YES!! I'll be there, and I have questions :)
Excellent!
Thank you!
Great video. Interesting point about light occlusion. I'm curious if the quality/softness of light changes as you move closer/further away from the source. In theory, if you are moving closer to the source, then the light becomes harder since you are seeing less of the source? Or does the relative size some how stay the same as you move closer and further from the light? Measuring the "softness" of a light is rather tricky but I'd be interested if there was a follow up test.
Yes, if I had a brain I would have done it during the 8x8 comparison, but I was in a bit of a rush:( It would be nice to have a larger HMI behind a 12x, but most like the next attempt will be an M18 or two through an 8x. I have other set ups with 1 or 2x M18’s thru the 8x Honeycrates, but they are both sit-down interviews and were use more for reflection help.
@@meetthegaffer Not a problem. It's a lot to conduct multiple tests at once. I learned something new today so thank you!
This is awesome Luke, thank you!
Also check out the latest Gaffer & Gear episode. He explains both the inverse square law and occlusion better than I do:)
@@meetthegaffer Will do Luke, thank you!
Do you offer help for a lighting problem?
Sure! Hit me up through Patreon or Messenger or regular email:) www.seerveld.com
I spy a Grip Tips tee on the table!
Ha, ha! Yes, I plan to rock it in the next episode:)
Can someone recommend 6x6 and 8x8 units? It seems Canvas Grip makes the most affordable units. Any other places? Anyone has experience with (gasp!) inexpensive china-made ones?
Check out this Gaffer&Gear episode:
ua-cam.com/video/9pkRd2BbF3k/v-deo.html
I remember using the original KinoFlo egg crates then putting the flozier over top of the unit. Obviously this diminished the effect of the egg crate but does this set up focus the light on the flozier enough for an effect? Is there a time where skinning the outside of an egg crate make sense?
Also, thanks for the series. Really great work!
In retrospect, I never tested the output with or without the egg crate through the flozier. It seems like it would act sort of like a wire scrim: taking down the overall intensity by a very small amount while similarly “focusing” the softness by a small amount. We’ll end up doing that once in a while these days with softboxes that may have a snapgrid/softcrate already applied, where the DP will ask for the light to be further softened and you may not have the time or equipment to add something behind the softcrate so you just add another square of diffusion in front. Technically it isn’t correct, but it gets the job done in the moment.