Bit more info about this comment. Lighting the room and not the actors is a fantastic way to film if you're shooting an easy scene with minimal blocking, like a bar, dining room or restaurant scene. It means you can move fast without having to relight every time you change slate. Constantly relighting is the easiest way to waste time on set (the whole crew and cast's most precious resource) and never get hired again. You do need to tweak things here and there, bring the key, diff or neg a bit closer. But it is absolutely the correct way of doing things if you're on a tight budget, tight crew, or tight schedule. Most DPs that I know, myself included, hate a back light if it isn't naturally coming from the scene. In most cases it completely kills the believability of the scene. Three point lighting with key, fill and back light on digital looks like video. Most DPs will shoot, at least on digital, with just one key and something acting as a fill light, extending the key and wrapping the face, like a bigger diff or a bounce if needed. Actor placement blocking relative to the light sources is more important. If you're shooting correctly, ie into the shadow side, you'll naturally get an eye light, but yes that is important. You'll most likely need a separate light for it if you're doing a Gordon Willis top light or forced to shoot light side

The point of the post was "how to shoot for the grade." From that standpoint, what I said was correct and I stand by it. I've worked in TV for 50 years -- I pretty much know the drill by this point.

Thanks for the love Nicholas!

I'm not sure we would be able to answer that question properly in this format, but the short answer is through testing and good collaboration. Bring this over to Grade School and we'll see if we can dive in a little deeper!

Same goes for set design, and especially contrast. If you light the subject with harsh lighting you can't make it look soft with grading. Palette is also something best done on set.

Pro Lut PAck

If I may offer some advice (I know you’re asking Cullen here), I would say that a good place to start is using reference images to define the look you are going for, then you can try to mimic the elements that you favor in those references. It is difficult to provide someone direction if they can’t imagine where they want to go. References are a great place to find tangible examples of your visual goals.

@@J_HNP thanks for your guidance

the DP could use the same contrast ration or even lower the ratio so the shadows have more information, thus easier to make fixes.

Thanks for your perspective! Though I'm not sure I follow your logic...can't an unskilled or uncollaborative colorist mess up a beautifully shot image just as quickly as a poorly-shot one?

This is why it is better for the director or DoP to be with the colorist to give him precise instructions on what exactly they want. Now, if the colorist has his own creative and artistic desires to satisfy, he can always take a camera and make his own images. (Some directors of photography even have KZfaq channels where they teach the different techniques related to this profession).

@@jmbaillard7015 Definitely agree on the importance of having the image authors in the room during the grade. It’s a great way to help ensure your creative intent is realized…which is of course the theme of this video.

Exactly, he’s basically telling people we’ll fix it in post. A good dp will get the correct white balance in camera