Videography - Live music and studio lighting ?

[Linford]

Now this isn't a call to all the porn kings (well maybe it might be ) but I have been filming musician friends performing live over the last few years, and am getting into it a fair bit more now.

A couple of problems I've come across are both sound and lighting. Most work with a mix of amplified and un amplified instruments, not all go through a mixing desk, and are invariably always so loud that the internal mic in the cam just clips the input signal all the time (distortion).

I've managed to crack that bit by tripod mounting the mic further back into the room to balance al the levels between them, and then run a cable to the cam which I can then wander around with (took a bit of figuring to come to that conclusion though)

Now onto the lighting.,- I've found trying to film them in dark pubs to be very difficult to get respectable results as the lighting is always poor, any of their own lights they bring with them is usually set up behind them and shining onto the audience (into the cam),

I've done a couple of recordings where I have had control over this lighting bit and got (I feel) respectable results, but would appreciate constructive advice offered

The lighting I used in this one was fairly rudimentary and consisted of a 500watt halogen worklamp bounced off a 3 1/2ft dia gold faced photographers reflector. White balance was adjusted to give her a healthy tan

The reflector has a translucent white gauze option and I have thought perhaps to suspend it on a mic stand and shine the lamp through the back of ?

I've since picked up a steadycam bracket to lose the fixed tripod view so I can float around them a bit, but then risk casting shadows on them

Uploaded in 1080p if you have the bandwidth and a fast PC

 

[david1701]

I have done a lot of the stills side and used to be an audio tech at uni so can probably be helpful here.

take audio from the desk, anything else will just hurt (you could 'maybe' mic the venue nicely but it would be complicated and a pita) See if you can beg borrow or steal someone who can mic everything and feed it into the desk).

Lighting is king with music, its where the atmosphere comes from, I've done some stuff with speedlights mounted high to create interesting light when the available has been crappy, but not an option for you as video lights would likely be too obtrusive. See if you can find a venue with good lighting or tweak the lighting side a bit by talking to whoever sets it up, some people are super helpful some are peanuts...

Failing finding good light, get the guys together and mock up some promo stuff, outside or in a venue during the day ect, with no audience you can bring in light panels and reflectors and anything you can scrounge to have some control.

Sorry about not watching the video but I'm out in the sticks so have crappy internet

 

[david1701]

just watched the video, that audio is great (maybe try recording audio to a separate device next time if you want more freedom). I'd reduce the depth of field a little by opening the aperture some, you want the guy on the guitar a bit soft to throw the focus onto the singer. Also that lightswitch needs lifting out in post.

Good audio and shallow depth of field with no camera shake will make a decent video on their own you also had a pretty good composition/framing

 

[Linford]

I 've done a bit of still stuff over the years, and so did consider what was going on around them.. The cam does have a bit of scope to play with the depth of field and all the other settings as well as manual zoom on the focus ring, but I'm still dabbling with it a bit.. I have found when it comes to the crunch, that the number of factors determining a good result seem to start multiplying, but I guess that is down to my lack of experience when going in there. It is certainly a big learning curve to hop onto.

 

[david1701]

practicing the boring stuff in a more controlled environment and try to pull it together somewhere low pressure before you try it on a gig

 

[Linford]

The mic I've been using is one of these Rode Video jobbies. That was recorded in a concert hall so totally reliant on the acoustics of the room with the guitar amped up a little to richen the bass notes.
The mic has a buit in pre amp, and I found the SPLs to be so high that it clipped all the time in the mics pre amp on the regular settings when recording anything amplified, however, there is a couple of switches under the battery for attenuating by -10db and also by minus 20db, but the latter kills the spark of the music and unless you are stood right in front of the speaker and about a foot away, the whole lot goes very quiet as soon as you side step away from them. My plan was to basically wander around them to a point and leave the mic towards the back of the room and let the distance balance the levels , and then any additional attenuation in the cam itself as there is a bit of control there.