How Do You Make an Interior Shot Look Like Night During Day?
Night scenes make up a large portion of the screen-time that we’ve got scheduled for the stories that we wish to produce. But shooting outside at night can be complicated and potentially dangerous. Depending on where you’re at. Learning how to make an interior shot look like night, during the day, represents one of your options to achieve realistic night scenes without the risk, or added requirements of, keeping your crew around after-hours to achieve the desired results. But, how do you make an interior shot look like night during the day?
Eliminate All the Light – Voila, Night
Okay, it’s actually NOT that simple, but we wish it was! Whale you can’t just eliminate all the light in the studio and then call it a night scene, you can start by eliminating the biggest lights so that you can start to form a foundation that’s a little less… lit.
Nighttime lighting, although not completely devoid of any light at all, is an essential element for any film studio and with the right approach you can achieve a night time look, inside — even during the day!
Start by eliminating the light, if you can. Block windows, close doors, eliminate any light that is filtering in. The goal is to create a canvas that you can work on, and build, yourself — you don’t want any pesky light rays coming in!
Consider Your Motivated Lighting
Next, consider the motivation – what appearance of natural light can you bring in? Whether it’s a moon light, street light, a flashlight, or a lightning storm – you’ve got to decide what our motivated lighting will be.
Some other options include a torch, a cigarette, headlights, or lights from inside a window, apartment or home.
Replication
You have many options for achieving these styles of light. Once you’ve determined what your motivated lighting will be, you’ll go ahead and work your magic on creating the appearance of this lighting on your set.
Replicating the light is going to be one of the most intricate requirements when it comes to making your interior shot look like night, during the day.
Consider Color
Next, you’re going to consider the color of your lighting. A candle, streetlight, and a campfire light will all glow orange. Headlights are a crisp white but they may have a yellow or blue hue. Some street lights have a green hue. The moonlight is naturally blue, even if just a little.
Think about how you can adjust the color tone of the lighting that you create so that it appears most natural. Once you’ve done this, you’re ready to move on to the final steps… incorporating it all into your set to achieve the desired look.
So, how do you make an interior shot look like night during day? Block all your light, create your own light, concentrate on color, and — voila, you’re done!