Things You'll Need:
- Full red filter (Kodak Wratten number 25)
- Light red filter (Kodak Wratten number 23A)
- Full green filter (Kodak Wratten number 58)
- Light green filter (Kodak Wratten number 56)
- 16mm camera matte box that can hold at least 2 filters at a time
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Step 1
You're going to shoot your scene in broad daylight, but filter it in such a way as to look like it's night. So the first thing you need to do is set up your scene as though it is a nighttime scene.
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Step 2
If you're going to see the sky, shoot with a blue sky only--preferably with no clouds--and never shoot against an overcast sky. The filters you'll use will darken your sky to black on film, but they can't darken a white sky. Clouds can also appear fairly bright, and therefore a little surreal, so it's best if there are none. Never show the sun in the sky.
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Step 3
Remember that, although you're shooting during the day, the scene takes place at night. Headlights, street lamps, and lights from windows will need to be turned on. If you have the budget, replace as many of the lamps as you can with higher wattage bulbs, so that they will appear bright relative to your key light, the sun.
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Step 4
Use silks, shade or flags where you can to reduce the hard edges and lighting that sunlight will have on your subjects. While sunlight will appear to be moonlight or light from overhead lamps, moonlight and lamps don't have the sheer intensity of sunlight. Hard, direct sunlight will seem slightly surreal. Bounced, diffused and reflected light are best.
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Step 1
For filming landscapes, buildings, cars, and the like, use a full red filter (Kodak Wratten number 25). This filter will turn your blue sky nearly black, and darken trees, buildings and anything else in your shot. You must not have any actors in your shot, even in the background, as their faces will appear too dark for realistic shooting. Bright red objects will sometimes appear light, so keep them out of frame, or check them carefully through the lens before shooting. When you take your light readings, adjust the T-stop on your lens 3 stops up to account for light blocked by the filter.
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Step 2
Filming landscapes, buildings or cars with extras in the background, use a light red filter (Kodak Wratten number 23A). This filter won't darken your sky or buildings as much as a full red, but it will allow you to see the faces of extras and people in the background. It can actually brighten faces, though, so it won't work very well on closeups or medium shots. This filter is much better for background action and wide master shots. When you take your light readings, adjust the T-stop on your lens 2 1/3 stops up to account for light blocked by the filter.
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Step 3
Filming parks, forests, or large green areas, use a full green filter (Kodak Wratten number 58). This filter has the advantage of darkening the sky (though not as much as the red filter), while actually brightening green trees, bushes and other foliage so that they aren't simply lost against the "night" sky. This filter won't completely darken faces either, if you need to see your actors, but it doesn't darken the overall scene like a red filter will. When you take your light readings, adjust the T-stop on your lens 2 2/3 stops up to account for the light blocked by the filter.
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Step 4
Filming your actors in close up or medium, use a light red filter (Kodak Wratten number 23A) and a light green filter (Kodak Wratten number 56). This combination is the best way to shoot your actors. The combined red and green glass will darken the sky and background dramatically, but neither filter will excessively darken your subjects' faces. When you take your light readings, adjust the T-stop on your lens 2 2/3 stops up to account for light blocked by the filters.
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Step 5
When you've selected the appropriate filters for your scene, place them in the filter holder on your matte box, take your adjusted light reading and shoot your scene as usual.
