We are looking at a simple way to create a window on your set using nothing but a seamless, some tape, and an x-acto knife, today on The Slanted Lens!
Today’s lesson is focused on a simple idea that should help you figure out how you can adapt it into your own work in order to make your lives a little bit easier. Often we find our sets lacking, like the set I used in this video- my living room. None of you have ever been to my home, but I can assure you that my living room does not resemble a dungeon, though that is exactly what I was trying to recreate. So how do we fix this problem?
The Magic of a Seamless
If I want to transform my living room into a dungeon, I need a window! How do I get the window? By cutting a hole in a seamless! This method is incredibly simple and does not take a lot of time, but completely transforms a set when done right.
The first step in this process is to free hand out your window on the seamless. Almost any window shape will suffice. You can cut a small, rounded window like the one I cut out or a large picture window. You can also create the illusion of broken glass by placing a piece of diffusion on a few holes while leaving others empty.
In my experience, a charcoal gray seamless is the best color to use in this setting. This is because it is dark enough to blend into the shadows, but not so dark that it is completely black.
Final Touches and Lighting
Once the seamless is in place I like to add smoke in the room because it really sells the dungeon idea. Just remember that the heavier your smoke is, the more the shadows in the room are going to fill in. I also used a blue gel on the light coming through the window to give a cooler light to the room. I then used a key light behind her and a fill light with a half CTO to add more light to her face and bring some warmth back into the room.
Remember that the possibilities are endless with this application. Adapt it in your work and post it to our Facebook page!
Keep those cameras rollin’ and keep on clickin’!
-Jay P.
