Behind-the-Scenes Lighting of Deadfall Movie

It is so sad to say goodbye to Montreal. I love this amazing city. The crew was the best I have ever worked with and I will miss them all. Thank you so much to each and every one of you for giving 150%. Deadfall was a challenging film to make, and your positronic attitude combined with a commitment to excellence made it so rewarding. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

The last week was a very exciting one. Steamy love scenes with Olivia Wilde and Charlie Hunnam, falling in love in a dive bar in upper Michigan, and VFX shots that involved spinning a Lincoln Town Car on a BBQ rotisserie rig. Check out the little treat below.

Watch Behind-The-Scenes of Deadfall movie

Lighting Deadfall Film

Many of you have asked what types of lights I prefer. If there is one light that I use more than any other, it is a Kino Flo. Call me classic but I am still using the units that started it all. I know that Frieder Hocheim has made some incredibly powerful and compact Diva lights and ParaBeams that outperform HMI Par lights, but I go for 2′ and 4′ singles.  2′ 4- Banks and 4′ 4-Banks, and Image 80’s. These are my go-to Kinos that bring my images to life and they are 6 different lights in one. They are the gag light, the key light, the edge light, the backlight, the effects light, and then bring the background to life light. You name it; they deliver it.

Stag Horn Saloon

When the director Stefan Ruzowitzky and I discussed the palette of this film, de-saturation was one of the words we used to describe our colors. However, when Charlie and Olivia walked into this upper Michigan dive bar that we called the Stag Horn Saloon, we wanted the colors to pop. It would be a color oasis in the middle of a white snow-covered world.

Olivia and Charlie enjoy a meal at the Stag Horn Saloon. 4′ 4-Bank Kino used to fill Charlie motivated by a light blue neon in the BG

One light came to my mind to be able to deliver this concept and that was Kino Flos. I used all different colored Kinos to motivate beer neon signs, juke boxes, and pinball machines that surrounded the perimeter of the bar.

I used the red tubes from Kino Flos to simulate a Budweiser Neon sign at the end of the hall

When it came to lighting barmaids and bottles at the bar, once again, there is no other light that can deliver the ease and dimming power of a Kino behind liquor bottles, and beer glasses. You name it, they make it glow and look fantastic.

I lobbed these single Kinos everywhere. When it came to lighting Olivia Wilde’s close-up I turned once again to the 4′ 4-Bank Kino to illuminate Olivia’s beautiful aqua eyes.

Lighting Examples

Once again using the Kino 4′ 4-bank to bask red light onto the pinball machines

Using Kinos dimming ballasts to their advantage behind the liquor bottles. This is a must-have feature when working with HD. On film, these bloom beautifully, but on HD, they burn out and look like video, so using the dimming function is absolutely essential to giving your HD footage a filmic look.

I wanted to reflect the blue-colored light off of Olivia’s sequin dress. Here you see a 4′ 2-Bank unit with blue tubes doing just that

Lighting with Kino Flo

On the ECO/ GREEN side of things, Kino Flo has been leading the march for lower power consumption with higher output since the mid-’90s.  On the first film that I ever photographed, The Rat Pack, Kino Flos were there and Frieder was right alongside me – building whatever I needed to help me shape, control, and color the light.

When I was not happy with the color of his 3200-degree tubes and kept on renting these yellow Flos from him, he made the 2900 Kino. When I wanted to control the Kinos for a contrasty look on The Rat Pack, he designed honeycomb crates that clamp onto the front of the Kino so that it only falls on the area you want.

He is such an innovator. I aspire to be as cutting edge as this man. Take a look at Kino Flos line of lights and accessories. They fit any budget and any story that you want to create.

Saying goodbye images to my crew in Montreal:

Having a blast at the Stag Horn Saloon, mirror balls a spinning

Always ready to jam if there is jamming to be done

Marc Larose, our 1st A.D. This man was amazing. His schedule was brilliant and made my job so much easier with his incredible vision

Our fearless leader Stefan Ruzowitzky, enjoying his green tea. We both loved tea and had tea wars on set – who could drink the most? He held the record of 24 cups, I broke that record in the 7th week and felt very dizzy doing it.

Schedule 1-on-1 Video Call with Shane Hurlbut, ASC

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About Filmmakers Academy Cinematographer Mentor Shane Hurlbut, ASC

Director of photography Shane Hurlbut, ASC works at the forefront of cinema. He’s a storyteller, innovator, and discerning collaborator, who brings more than three decades of experience to his art. He is a member of the American Society of Cinematographers, the International Cinematographers Guild/Local 600, and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Hurlbut frequently joins forces with great directors: McG’s Netflix Rim of the World and The Babysitter, plus Warner Bros. We Are Marshall and Terminator: Salvation; Scott Waugh’s Need for Speed and Act of Valor; and Gabriele Muccino’s There Is No Place Like Home and Fathers and Daughters. His additional film credits include Semi-Pro; The Greatest Game Ever Played; Into the Blue; Mr 3000; Drumline; 11:14, which earned Hurlbut a DVDX nomination; and The Skulls. Notably, his television credits include the first season of AMC’s Into the Badlands.

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