A Word About Film Lighting

I have a degree in film production (not theater, not television, not photography). As a result, I shoot weddings and events just like a movie too.

That means...

1. The recorded image will look exactly the way it did at your wedding or party. If the sky was overcast in reality, it will appear so on video too. If the lights were low in reality, they will appear low on video too.

2. A movie is filmed with the expectation that the audience will be watching it in a dark movie theater. You can best see all the subtle details of shadow and color that way. Filmmakers are rather perfectionistic that way - we want the audience to see it all without distraction.

As a filmmaker, I believe this scene is lit to perfection and has a great true-to-life quality. It is outdoors, at night, in the rain - and looks like it.

This second frame shows a poker game under natural indoor lighting. When lights are low, the color of the light turns orange. That's natural (although for a party, I would adjust it.) There are two people facing the camera in this shot. Can you see them? One is white and the other is shrouded in black. People often wear black outfits to parties - and they are virutally invisible at night. You can only see such people in broad daylight.

 

At last:
I usually do not have any problem filming in low light environments because I have a little 20 watt camera light, infrared settiings and shutter-speed settings if I need them. I will not fight with hotel staff over light levels. If I had my way, I'd shoot day for night.

So... If you like the appearance of mixed natural light and like to watch movies in a dark room then great! If you prefer a more fully-lit television style scene then you need to instruct your facility coordinator to keep the house lights on at FULL STRENGTH all night. It's that simple.