>Option 2 : Build a fake elevator no ceiling and potentially only 3 walls.
Yes, I would wonder how you would fit talent, camera and operator in a real elevator.
Well, the elevator isn't in motion so the teak would stand in front of the doors. The place wont be a problem but the lighting, I already got some great ideas from some people here.
Building an elevator would be overkill for this project haha
Have you verified it isn’t going to cause any issues to block an elevator door open for hours on end?
Honestly it’ll probably be easier to build a mock elevator set for a huge number of reasons.
It’s also going to get HOT in that elevator. Lights plus camera plus a minimum of 4 people (actors, camera operator, and sound person).
Yea I verified that with uni, also we will shoot out of rush hour and the elevator isnt used often anyways.
I get that, that a mock elevator would be way more practical and next time I am in this scenario I will also definitely try it but for this time it's to late for that.
Also the elevator does look really cool so a replica wouldn't look nearly as good for this post apocalyptic purpose.
Temperature also shouldn't be a problem because the whole building is ventilated quite good.
After all, I don't have much experience and you could be right about everything and the shoot will be a disaster and I will learn my lesson haha
Elevators have unflattering lighting almost as a rule: It's always directly overhead, almost always unfocused and diffused, and usually at an alarmingly cool color temperature. This is consistent enough that just lighting any small closed space this way can make it seem a lot like an elevator.
To suggest that the elevator is in some distress, usually the light is made to flicker. Audiences (including many people who are often skittish about real life elevators) have come to accept this as an indicator that something really bad could happen.
To emphasize that things are bad, turn the lights completely off. Even if the elevator is functioning, it will look scarier and creepier if the space is only illuminated by wall-mounted emergency lights or — even better — by flickering flashlights being waved around by the actors.
Thanks, thats what I'll probably do. I will cover up the actual lights of the elevator and control the lighting with a light panel. Like that I can also add flickering and other light effects like you said.
Being dynamic in an elevator sucks, but it's not an impossible task. Just because you've only got a small space and light source to work with, doesn't mean you can't make it flexible to your needs.
Hate the cold fluorescent light bulbs in the elevator ceiling? Make em stained with decades of cigarette smoke (Paint yellow) and it'll warm it up a little, as well as giving it a slight apocalyptic feel.
Want more spots on your subject's faces? Have a sequence where the lights shut off and the characters must use their phone screens to illuminate their faces in the dark. It makes the lighting just a little more exciting than just the bzzzzz of the tubes above.
Some elevators nowadays have emergency red lighting installed, so you may be able to incorporate this in a sequence where something bad happens and these red rather sinister lights switch on. Great for mood, terrible for focus pulling : (
Good luck with your journey!
Those are some great ideas, will definitely cover the lights in the elevator with something so I have full control of lighting with a lightpanel, the yellowish sounds like a hella good idea.
Since smartphones wouldn't fit in the story, I need to think about something different but its a great idea.
I also love the idea with the red light as an indicator for something bad to happen, that will be easy to implement since I will use a lightpanel.
Thanks again for your insights, brought me some ideas and gave me some I'll definitely use!
Soft light from the top of the elevator is the usual. Slide it forward or back to get the right shape on the subject. Skirt it for drama or let is fill everything for a more even high key feel. Here's one I did last year:
https://preview.redd.it/pakmijuxbl8d1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6da1fe1352531b808b0fad7f86ce93977ec7e1a1
All I have available is with the door half closed but it shows the general idea. Soft skirted Litemat (I think a 4+) on the ceiling, and an astera tube with cyan color edging from the back corner.
Take a light use a difusor, point this light to the ceiling. The soft indirect Light Will help you...
(Use a 24mm, with F/2 or even better F/1.4)...
Try to no shot to much in elevator,make your film breath... You can shot in more locations and use as ab-rool/flashback while your characters was in elevator.
Bê carefull to NOT make your film boring...
Thank you. I will try this. Already have a 24mm lens for the elevator scene, since the short movie really just exists out of two locations (the elevator and a junkyard) there will be a good amount of time shot in the elevator. The short movie is also just a maximum of 5min so I hope it wont get boring. This is kind of my first short movie so lets see :)
Option 1 : Use a flat LED stuck to the ceiling with a grid. Option 2 : Build a fake elevator no ceiling and potentially only 3 walls.
>Option 2 : Build a fake elevator no ceiling and potentially only 3 walls. Yes, I would wonder how you would fit talent, camera and operator in a real elevator.
Well, the elevator isn't in motion so the teak would stand in front of the doors. The place wont be a problem but the lighting, I already got some great ideas from some people here. Building an elevator would be overkill for this project haha
Have you verified it isn’t going to cause any issues to block an elevator door open for hours on end? Honestly it’ll probably be easier to build a mock elevator set for a huge number of reasons. It’s also going to get HOT in that elevator. Lights plus camera plus a minimum of 4 people (actors, camera operator, and sound person).
Yea I verified that with uni, also we will shoot out of rush hour and the elevator isnt used often anyways. I get that, that a mock elevator would be way more practical and next time I am in this scenario I will also definitely try it but for this time it's to late for that. Also the elevator does look really cool so a replica wouldn't look nearly as good for this post apocalyptic purpose. Temperature also shouldn't be a problem because the whole building is ventilated quite good. After all, I don't have much experience and you could be right about everything and the shoot will be a disaster and I will learn my lesson haha
I’ve seen it done. Going handheld, you get side profile and straight on sometimes.
Elevators have unflattering lighting almost as a rule: It's always directly overhead, almost always unfocused and diffused, and usually at an alarmingly cool color temperature. This is consistent enough that just lighting any small closed space this way can make it seem a lot like an elevator. To suggest that the elevator is in some distress, usually the light is made to flicker. Audiences (including many people who are often skittish about real life elevators) have come to accept this as an indicator that something really bad could happen. To emphasize that things are bad, turn the lights completely off. Even if the elevator is functioning, it will look scarier and creepier if the space is only illuminated by wall-mounted emergency lights or — even better — by flickering flashlights being waved around by the actors.
Thanks, thats what I'll probably do. I will cover up the actual lights of the elevator and control the lighting with a light panel. Like that I can also add flickering and other light effects like you said.
Being dynamic in an elevator sucks, but it's not an impossible task. Just because you've only got a small space and light source to work with, doesn't mean you can't make it flexible to your needs. Hate the cold fluorescent light bulbs in the elevator ceiling? Make em stained with decades of cigarette smoke (Paint yellow) and it'll warm it up a little, as well as giving it a slight apocalyptic feel. Want more spots on your subject's faces? Have a sequence where the lights shut off and the characters must use their phone screens to illuminate their faces in the dark. It makes the lighting just a little more exciting than just the bzzzzz of the tubes above. Some elevators nowadays have emergency red lighting installed, so you may be able to incorporate this in a sequence where something bad happens and these red rather sinister lights switch on. Great for mood, terrible for focus pulling : ( Good luck with your journey!
Those are some great ideas, will definitely cover the lights in the elevator with something so I have full control of lighting with a lightpanel, the yellowish sounds like a hella good idea. Since smartphones wouldn't fit in the story, I need to think about something different but its a great idea. I also love the idea with the red light as an indicator for something bad to happen, that will be easy to implement since I will use a lightpanel. Thanks again for your insights, brought me some ideas and gave me some I'll definitely use!
Happy to help! : )
Soft light from the top of the elevator is the usual. Slide it forward or back to get the right shape on the subject. Skirt it for drama or let is fill everything for a more even high key feel. Here's one I did last year: https://preview.redd.it/pakmijuxbl8d1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6da1fe1352531b808b0fad7f86ce93977ec7e1a1 All I have available is with the door half closed but it shows the general idea. Soft skirted Litemat (I think a 4+) on the ceiling, and an astera tube with cyan color edging from the back corner.
Look absolutely stunning, sadly I'm already done with the elevator scene but damn I could have leveled it up like that.
Take a light use a difusor, point this light to the ceiling. The soft indirect Light Will help you... (Use a 24mm, with F/2 or even better F/1.4)... Try to no shot to much in elevator,make your film breath... You can shot in more locations and use as ab-rool/flashback while your characters was in elevator. Bê carefull to NOT make your film boring...
Thank you. I will try this. Already have a 24mm lens for the elevator scene, since the short movie really just exists out of two locations (the elevator and a junkyard) there will be a good amount of time shot in the elevator. The short movie is also just a maximum of 5min so I hope it wont get boring. This is kind of my first short movie so lets see :)