Lighting to hide someone's identity - like tv interviews etc

[kingkezz]

Hey Guys,

Just wondering if anyone has ever lit for something like this. I'm shooting a doco and my subject doesnt want to be seen. So I guess I'm trying to emulate the sort of style they get of tv/doco's (like your classic 'Today Tonight' style (if your in Aus.)).

Any idea's.

Cheers,

Jared

 

[kjwebb]

Lighting pays an important role. Usually Today Tonight, 7:30 Report and the like use strong backlighting and then change the iris to only show the background strongly with the person either close to or black, or most of the person is hard to see.

A strong light can include a window if you have enough light coming in.

 

[Waiting4MacBook]

Throw some light on your background if you can, and don't put any light on the subject. Another trick you can use is to throw the image slightly out of focus. Kinda gives a shallow depth of field look for the background, and covers up any part of the silhouette that you can still make out.

 

[yoak]

Yep, light your background (or not), and light your subject from behind. Put your light behind him pointing towards the camera, just a little off center of the lens. Gives you a nice rim light and leaves the face in the dark.
Good luck

 

[WildCowboy]

Don't forget the voice modulator...

 

[kingkezz]

Don't forget the voice modulator...

Haha...thanks for your help guys.

 

[aloofman]

It's important to use very strong light on the background and for a backlight (to create the halo along the edge of the shoulders and head). It needs to be strong so that when you iris way down, the halo and background are properly exposed, but the subject is a silhouette, not just in shadow. If you can see parts of their face in shadow, then that kind of defeats the purpose.