Cinematography-Theory-And-Practice

Table 13.5. Effects of filters in blackand-whitephotography.WRATTEN# COLOREXPOSUREFACTOREXPOSUREINCREASE DEGREE EFFECT IN DAYLIGHT3LightYellow 1.5 1/2 Slight Penetrates haze8MediumYellow 2 1 ModerateCorrects panchromaticcolor balance11 Green 1 4 2 Light Lightens green foliage12 Yellow 2 1 Strong Increases contrast15DeepYellow 2.5 1 1/4 Heavy Darkens sky, lightens faces21LightOrange 3 1 1/2 Slight Heavy correction23ADeepOrange 5 2 1/4 Moderate Penetrates heavy haze25 Red 8 3 Heavy Dark sky, white faces29 Deep Red 16 4 Extreme Strong Contrast, black skyIR FiltersSome HD cameras are subject to IR contamination, which meansthat they are sensitive to infrared wavelengths to an extent that cansignificantly affect the look of a shot, particularly in day exteriors.IR density filters prevent this by blocking the wavelengths thatcause problems. Tiffen calls their product Hot Mirror filters. Somecameras have built-in IR protection.Filters and Bright Point SourcesWhen shooting a bright point source such as the sun, filters willalmost certainly show double or triple images. This is caused by theimage of the source reflecting off the front surface of the lens backonto the filter. When shooting the sun especially, it is best to go withno filters if possible, but an ND filter may be necessary.Some sophisticated matte boxes permit the filters to be set at aslight angle, which prevents this problem. If all else fails, slightlyloosen the swing-away matte box and give it a bit of an angle. Becareful, though: too much angle and you are creating an openingshould always be checking for light leaks of this sort, especially insituations where the sun or other strong light is hitting the camera.As an added precaution, the grips should always provide a cameraumbrella or courtesy flag to keep light off the camera as well as theoperator and focus puller.This applies to lit bulbs in the frame, candles, or other hot spots.allyvery dark. Another source of trouble is car or truck headlights.When they hit the lens, they are surprisingly strong and flare outtotally. You can cut a piece of Rosco scrim and place it over the headlights.Rosco scrim is an opaque material with lots of small holes. Itis very effective in controlling the light, which still flares enough todisguise the scrim. If that is not available, a heavy dose of or StreaksN’ Tips will help. Streaks N’ Tips is a hair color product that is usedon sets because it is easy to clean off and comes in a variety of colors.CONTROLLING THE LOOK OF YOUR PROJECTThe look of a film or video production is a complex, interactiveis very apparent, such as Days of Heaven, Seven Samurai, and Seven(as well as many others), there are a few prominent devices whichcan be readily identified; in these examples shooting primarily atmagic hour, use of very long lenses or bleach-bypass processing ofthe release prints.The look of the project is something that must be thought throughcarefully in preproduction because it may involve requesting specialfilters, unusual gels for the lights, arrangements with the lab or color cinematography264