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What are you thougths about hair light (i hope it’s the correct term, i mean the light on the upper part of the head to separate the actor from the background) that has no possible and believable motivation in interiors? I understand it’s purpose and it’s so common that i find it almost natural, at this point, but yesterday i was watching a movie and i was reflecting upon the lights and the shadows . Besides shadows that would be impossible in real world (and once you see it, you can’t un-see it), i begun wondering from where the hair light was coming from. A window on the ceiling? In every room, staircase and cellar?
So, what’s your advice about that? Limiting it because it’s a bit unrealistic or use it for its benefits on the image?
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If it’s motivated, it’s fine, especially in a night interior with multiple lights on — if that’s the look you want. In some environments like a nightclub or big restaurant with lots of sources, it’s even easier to justify one if you want it. It can add a touch of glamour or romance. You just want to be subtle and not overuse the effect.
But I avoid them in day interiors with no artificial lights on if the hair light would be coming from the opposite direction of the windows. And I avoid them when I don’t want to clutter the look of a single dominant source in a room. And I tend to play them on the dim side — if I wanted a true backlight, then I really go for it!
No hair light:
Dim hair light:
Big backlight:
Thanks a lot David! I really love the elegance of your shots, Mrs Maisel has a fantastic style! The effect on the nun’s veil is wonderful.
My scene has the exact same structure of your first shot, the one with the man and the window on his left side, of course with a completely different mood: think to the very same scene but with just the moonlight from the window (it’s a low key scene in a horror short. Later in the scene, to create a bit of variety, i’ll add a lantern to create more contrast and a rim light or a backlight on the actor).
In such a situation would you use a dim hair light (the light from the window bouncing on the ceiling and then on the actor) to add a bit of elegance and separate a bit the actor from the background or no hair light at all, to increase the dramatic factor?
I can’t answer that, it’s up to you! If there’s moonlight coming through the window behind him, haze in the room might do a better job of creating separation rather than a hair light. But if there’s no haze then some soft backlight motivated by the window in the background might be good in a very dark scene to see some shapes. But it’s really your call!
Thanks again David, as always your tips are very useful! I’m planning to use a bit of haze to make visible the beam of light of a torchlight a characters will use at one point, so your tip could be a very interesting idea!
The scene won’t be actually very dark (at least not in camera) since i am trying to use a bit more light than necessary to reduce the noise (not overexposing but still brighter than how it will look after grading) , but above all i’m afraid that with my lack of experience i could mess everything up with a very dark scene, without the freedom to modify things in post.
This short it’s actually just a global test (and, i hope, a showreel for fund rising) for a more complex project. But even the test needed a story, i rewrote it almost 20 times (i always say that if you must do something, you must do it well, ah ah!) and now i care about the characters i created, i’m trying to tell their story in a decent way. And many people are helping me, i am responsible for the result, so for this first time playing safe seems the best idea. If i will able to manage to create something vaguely acceptable – i hope so! – it will be in large part thanks to the tips and teachings by Roger, you and the people here on the forum! : )
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