Lighting a large theatre shoot

I've been asked to shoot a promo poster for a local theatre group

which requires a b&w photo of the entire cast (25-30 people) in place

on a set which has been constructed to look like a diner (four

booths, counter and some floor space).

 

I'm still waiting for a detailed diagram of the set, so you'll have

to bear with me.

 

I haven't lit anything on this scale before. The set is being

constructed right now in a large basement. It is well-lit with

fluorescent lighting, with white walls and ceilings.

 

I have four 600 watt hotlights with umbrellas, a 1000 watt hotlight,

a couple of 500's and 250's. Yes, I have nothing but hotlights. I

like them, so shoot me.

 

I have worked with these people many times before (just not on this

scale) and I will have full access to the set in order to set up the

day before the shoot (so I can keep the cast's exposure to the

hotlights to a minimum).

 

Has anyone lit anything on this scale before and if so, what wattage

did you find adequate. I could be persuaded to rent some strobes but

I'm really more comfortable using hotlights.

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Cheers

 

Colm

use your lights as fill & supplemental lighting. My advice would be to use TMAX 3200,

rated at 1200 & pushed one stop. A tripod also isn't a bad idea.

Thanks Ellis. I should have added that I will be using a Mamiya 645 1000s and a Nikon FM, both mounted on tripods. Was actually hoping to use Tri-X or Neopan 400. There will be no movement. It's strictly a large group portrait of sorts. I'll take your advice and pack some TMAX though (I hate it, but I've never tried it in 120 and rated as you suggested).

Colm,

 

Since you're shooting BW mixing hot tungsten and fluorescent lights should not be a problem. If you also have to shoot color then obviously, strobes are the way to go, and strobes would be the preferred choice for me when shooting BW also.

 

As Ellis suggests, I'd use the stage fluorescent lighting as the main light and your hot lights as fill. I'd also scrim the hot lights with large scrims to soften the shadows, making the shot look more natural as it would under the existing fluorescent lights.

 

By the time you place scrims in front of your hot lights you'll find that they're more heat than light but they might provide some fill to lighten the shadows.

 

If your set is lit to a level of illumination by the fluorescents which is similar in brightness to a fluorescent lit office you should be able to use 400 iso film. I've shot in fluorescent lit offices using 100 asa film and an available light exposure of 1 second at f-8. Using 400 iso film, you should be able to achieve 1/4 sec at f 8. In any event, use the appropriate f-stop for the desired depth of field and pick the shutter speed to match that f-stop.

 

Being actors, your subjects should be able to hold still for a one second exposure. Shoot lots of duplicate exposures on each scene so there's a choice later of shots that show no subject movement.

 

I'm not sure why you wouldn't want to use strobes for this kind of shoot other than the usual reasons such as initial purchase expense and uneasiness with visualizing the lighting using the model lights. I've been using studio atrobes for over 20 years and have never had a problem visualizing the lighting. Polaroids are helpful for this issue.

 

All I can say is that strobes would be my first choice for a shoot that includes 25-30 people. Using 3 4800ws power packs and 4 heads you could shoot at almost any f-stop that you like for depth of field and the flash would easily stop any subject motion.

 

But even with strobes, you'd still want to drag the shutter a bit to pick up some of the existing stage lighting. Still you'd get much less subject motion blur using strobes and the ability to use softboxes, scrims etc.

If there's enough space, roll out a white seamless on the floor in front of the people you're photographing. This will act as a giant fill reflector to soften the contrast.