DAY-FOR-NIGHT

he speed of modern color films makes it

T possible to shoot night-for-night scenes.
However, there are night scenes that are
impractical to illuminate artificially and actually
film at night. Shooting such scenes day-for-
night eliminares the additional problems and
expense of night shooting and can deliver excel-
lent pictorial results.
Techniques for filming day-for-night scenes in
color or black-and-white vary greatly because of
the many factors involved. Cinematographers
naturally differ in their interpretation of what
constitutes a night effect. The overall effect
must be one of darkness. Processing laborato-
nes differ 1n their negative preferences,
although most prefer sufficient density on the
original negative since it is always possible to
"print down" for a darker effect, but impossible
to obtain a rich, full-bodied print from a thin,
shadowless original negative (if black shadows
are desired, the scene must print at center scale
or higher).
Choice of filters and degree of underexposure
will vary according to sky conditions; color and
contrast of subject and background; the
strength, quality and direction of sunlight; and
the particular effect desired. Very generally
speaking, the most convincing day-for-night
shots, in either color or black-and-white, are
made in strong sunlight, under blue skies and
with low-angle back-cross lighting.
Direct backlighting results in a "rim-light"
effect which, although pleasing in a long shot,
lacks the necessary three-dimensional, half-illu-
minated facial effects required in medium and
close shots. Front lighting will flatten and
destroy all shadows. Side and front-cross light-
ing is permissible but not as effective as back-
cross illumination. Because production <loes not
always permit shooting when conditions are
exactly right, and since day-for-night shots must
sometimes be made all <lay long, often the
choice of sun angle must be compromised.
Under these conditions, avoid front lighting as
much as possible and stay with any sun angle
that results in partial illumination, preferably
with shadows toward the camera.
Skies give the most trouble, since they will
invariably read too high and are difficult to bal-
ance against foreground action. Graduated neu-
tral-density filters, which cover the sky area
only, and Pola Screens, which will darken the
sky with the sun at certain angles, are both use-
ful for either color or black-and-white films
because they do not affect color values and can
be used in combination with other effect filters.
Neutral-density filters will tone down a "hot"
sky even if it is bald white. A partial or gradu-
ated neutral-density filter covering only the sky
will therefore be very useful for bringing the sky

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into exposure balance with the foreground.
Care must be taken, however, that action <loes
not cross the demarcation line between the fil-
ter material and the clear glass area. Pola
Screens are most useful when the sun is directly
overhead at right angles to the camera.
A Pola Screen should not be employed if the
camera must be panned through a wide are,
since the polarization will vary and the sky tone
will change in density as the camera revolves.
Typical underexposure is 11/ 2 to 2 1/2 stops,
rarely more. Brilliant sunlight will require
greater underexposure, gray days less. The
underexposure can be handled in several ways.
One is by ignoring the filter exposure increase
required, if it is close to the amount of underex-
posure desired. Por instance, the filter being
employed may require two stops increase in
exposure for a normal effect. The increase is
ignored and the diaphragm set for the exposure
without the filter, thus delivering the necessary
underexposure for the night effect. Or, a neutral
density of the desired strength is employed and
its exposure increase ignored.
Proceed as follows: insert the effect filter or
combination of filters for the desired effect, and
allow for their exposure increase as in normal
filming. Add the desired neutral (a .30 for one
stop, .50 for 11/ 2 stops or a .60 for two stops).
Ignoring the neutral filter's exposure increase
will automatically underexpose the negative the

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necessary amount. This is a quick and effective
method in fast production shooting where night
effects are suddenly required and little or no
time is available for computations.
If the sky is not sufficiently blue to filter
properly, and if it is impossible to use a gradu-
ated neutral-density filter, try to avoid the sky
as much as possible by shooting against build-
ings or foliage, or choose a high angle and shoot
downward.
The contrast between the players and the
background is very important because a definite
separation is desirable. Dark clothing, for
instance, will merge wi th a dark background,
and the player will be lost. It is better to leave a
dark background dark and players in lighter,
although not necessarily white, clothing than to
have a light background and players in dark
clothing. The latter combination will result in a
silhouette, rather than a night effect. This is the
reason that back-cross lighting is preferable: so
the background is not illuminated and the play-
ers have a definite separation through edge
lighting, which also imparts shimmering
highlights.

Black-and-White Film
The illusion of night in black-and-white cine-
matography is obtained by combining contrast
filtering with underexposure. Since the sky is
light by day and dark by night, it is the principal

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area of the scene requ1nng correction. Any of
the yellow-orange or red filters may be used. A
very popular combination is the light red Wrat-
ten 23A plus the green 56. This combination
does everything the red filters accomplish-plus
it darkens flesh tones, which are rendered too
light by the red filters alone. When combining
filters, remember that red filters add contrast
but green filters flatten, so if a greater flattening
effect is desired add a heavier green filter.
Because flesh tones are not important in long
shots, such shots are sometimes filmed with
heavier red filters, and only the medium and
close shots are made with the combination red-
green filters. Care must be taken, however, that
clothing and background colors do not photo-
graph differently when filters are switched in
the same sequence. If in doubt, shoot tests
before production filming begins. Remember
that only a blue sky can be filtered clown. No
amoun t of color fil tering will darken a bald
white sky. Use graduated neutral densities, or
avoid the sky under these adverse conditions.
The 23A-56 combination is usually employed
with a filter factor of 6, rather than the 20 nor-
mally required (5 for the 23A and 4 for the 56,
which multiplied equals 20). The factor of 6
automatically underexposes this filter combina-
tion approximately 1 1/ 2 stops and achieves the
desired effect without further computation. If a
red filter is used alone, bear in mind that it will

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lighten faces, and use a darker makeup (approx-
imately two shades) on close shots.

Reversa! Color Film

Typical blue night effects can be obtained
with reversa! color films balanced for exposure
with tungsten light by removing the Wratten 85
filter and under exposing 1 1/ 3 stops. If the
bluish effect is too great, an ultraviolet-absorb-
ing filter can be used to filter out the excess
ultraviolet. Flesh tones in closeups can be
adjusted by using gold reflectors or 3200ºK fill
lights to light actors faces. Care must be taken
that the actors are not overlit or that such lights
appear as ambient light with the sun acting as a
moonlight key.

Negative Color Film

A cameraperson shooting day-for-night with
negative color film should check with his or her
processing laboratory before the production
begins. Laboratories have a far greater range of
color correction available than the cinematogra-
pher has at his disposal during the original pho-
tography. They may add or subtract any color, or
combination of colors, provided the original
negative has sufficient exposure. Once the 85
filter is removed, however, it is often impossible
to restore normal color balance to the film.
If the 85 filter is removed, it should be
replaced wi th an ultraviolet filter, which will

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prevent overexposure of the blue sensitive layer
and keep the negative within printing range.
Warmer effects may be obtained by substituting
a light yellow filter for the 85. A Pola Screen
may also be used to darken a blue sky and pro-
vide the required underexposure (by ignoring
its fil ter factor). It will have no effect on a bald
sky, but it will actas a neutral-density filter and
provide the needed underexposure. Remember
that approximately 2/ 3 stop exposure is gained
by removing the 85 filter. This must be included
in exposure calculations.

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