How to light Laundromat?

[simona]

Hello,

Young student soon to shoot a short film which takes place mostly at a laundromat, at night.
Shooting on Sony F-3.
Not too sure how to create an; unsettling, tense, cold, bare, dark - mood for this picture.
The space is big and has one large window.

One of my concerns is that flickering green hue that the florescent bulbs produce.

Wondering perhaps if it's a good idea to leave the florescent-tubes as they are( with the green-hue ), apply a "greenish" make-up on the subject's face and then in Post, take-away all the Green ( - ) out. Ive been told that that would "normalize" and balance out the colors.
Wondering if anyone could tell me if that is true and is good approach...?

Also thinking to minimize some of the bulbs being turned "on" the ceiling (or have just one light flicker), to create that tension, anxiety in the atmosphere.

Any suggestions would be helpful and highly appreciated!

Thank you

Simona

 

[Zensteve]

If you have access to a rental house, you might be able to pick up color corrected flouro tubes. Or you could prolly buy them, I 'spose. It's a fairly common option, different tubes, when renting Kinos, anyway. Pop out the old ones & replace.

Might be worth checking your local Home Depot, too. I know they carry CFLs in a variety of color temps. Maybe they have the longer tunes like that, as well? Dunno. Worth checking.

perhaps if it's a good idea to leave the florescent-tubes as they are( with the green-hue ), apply a "greenish" make-up on the subject's face and then in Post, take-away all the Green ( - ) out

No, that is a terrible idea.

 

[David.rhsc]

Some thoughts to get the ball rolling.

Hello,

Young student soon to shoot a short film which takes place mostly at a laundromat, at night.
Shooting on Sony F-3.
Not too sure how to create an; unsettling, tense, cold, bare, dark - mood for this picture.
The space is big and has one large window.

Clutter it. Old flyers all over the place, bonus if they are rewards for stolen things, missing pets, missing persons, whatever is story appropriate. Fill it with those laundry basket things on wheels, the more broken down looking the better. Use them as foreground objects and to create ominous shadows to taste.

Unless by bare you mean literally empty, which could also work.

One of my concerns is that flickering green hue that the florescent bulbs produce.

Wondering perhaps if it's a good idea to leave the florescent-tubes as they are( with the green-hue ), apply a "greenish" make-up on the subject's face and then in Post, take-away all the Green ( - ) out. Ive been told that that would "normalize" and balance out the colors.
Wondering if anyone could tell me if that is true and is good approach...?

Haven't heard that solution, but I imagine it's one approach. Depending on the kinds of ceiling fixtures, I would just use -green gel on them, tucked under the plastic covers for example. Unless you can rig something else, you are stuck with the 60Hz flicker - have you noticed it being problematic with the f3? I want to say there's a way to shoot under those (shutter angle?) that kills the flicker as well.

Also thinking to minimize some of the bulbs being turned "on" the ceiling (or have just one light flicker), to create that tension, anxiety in the atmosphere.

This is a great idea. Consider pulling tubes from some fixtures, or even all tubes from one or more to create more patches of light and shadow in the space. If you don't see the ceiling, you can skirt off the lights to reduce their spill and enhancing the pooled off effect. Depending on how they are switched you might be able to have someone turning them off/on for various effect.

Not sure I would keep the 60hz flicker for this, would want more of a light on flickerbox sort of thing - the more random the better.

 

[GuerrillaAngel]

The flickering green hue might be just what this short calls for. If you use bounce cards and all, you might be able to put the light money on something else.

 

[indietalk]

Kino-flos

 

[knightly]

I actually think this is a really slick solution... it would take ALOT of tests to get the makeup right, but you could do that and get a minus green (magenta) (you should have 1/4, 1/2 and full in your kit to correct differing amounts of the light) filter for the camera to correct the whole image in camera at that point -- although, you probably wouldn't need the makeup as the light should paint the subject with the green for you.

If you have access to a rental house, you might be able to pick up color corrected flouro tubes. Or you could prolly buy them, I 'spose. It's a fairly common option, different tubes, when renting Kinos, anyway. Pop out the old ones & replace.

Might be worth checking your local Home Depot, too. I know they carry CFLs in a variety of color temps. Maybe they have the longer tunes like that, as well? Dunno. Worth checking.



No, that is a terrible idea.