Lighting with Candle Light — Low Light Cinematography Techniques from DP Claudio Miranda

Candlelight Cinematography Tutorial with legendary DP Claudio Miranda discussing working with candlelight in scenes from Life of Pi, Oblivion, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

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Chapters:
00:00 - Claudio Miranda on Candlelight
00:41 - Lighting a Large Set with Candles in Life of Pi
02:07 - Large Set with Single Candle in Oblivion
05:40 - Intimate Setting with Single Candle in Benjamin Button
06:44 - Takeaways

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CANDLELIGHT CINEMATOGRAPHY

Working with candlelight is a rite of passage for any cinematographer. As you can imagine, doing so is quite difficult, and there are a few considerations involved. In this video, we’re going to learn how to light a scene with candlelight from a DP who has plenty of experience — Claudio Miranda. Topics include the types of lenses to use, ISO and sensor settings, specialty candles, and more.

HOW TO LIGHT A SCENE WITH CANDLELIGHT

In 1975, Stanley Kubrick and DP John Alcott famously shot Barry Lyndon’s candlelight cinematography. But to do so, they needed multiple candles and a lens specifically designed by NASA. Today, it’s a lot easier, but that doesn’t mean it is easy.

As Miranda explains, one of the first things to consider is the ISO and sensor settings on the camera. On Oblivion, one scene was to be lit with a single candle between two characters. The camera they used was the Sony F65 with an 800 ASA. But that was not enough — the background projection system used to light the set was lowered, and the shutter speed was adjusted to get “the last gulp of exposure.”

Lens choice is also a key consideration. When shooting candles in low light, Miranda recommends a lens that can open up to at least a 1.4 aperture. He also mentions how every lens has unique characteristics and that even though it might have desirable effects in a normally lit scene, it can underperform in low-light scenarios.

Beyond using a single candle, what happens when there are literally thousands? In a crowd scene from Life of Pi, Miranda explains that over 120,000 candles were used. In fact, all the extra lighting Miranda had brought to the set as a contingency plan was not needed.

In other scenes, supplemental lighting is necessary. For example, in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, lighting with candlelight alone proved insufficient. An additional practical was added to boost the level.

Cinematic lighting with candlelight is more possible today than it has ever been. With the right camera, lenses, and (potentially) additional lighting, working with candlelight can turn a simple scene into the most visually striking in the entire project. Thanks to DPs like Claudio Miranda sharing their knowledge, candlelight cinematography is within the grasp of any cinematographer.


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♬ SONGS USED:

Oblivion Soundtrack - "Oblivion (feat Susanne Sundfor)"
Life Of Pi Soundtrack - "Which Story Do You Prefer"
Life Of Pi Soundtrack - "Meeting Krishna"
Life Of Pi Soundtrack - "Appa’s Lesson"
Oblivion Soundtrack - "Tech 49"
Oblivion Soundtrack - "Fearful Odds"
Oblivion Soundtrack - "Waking Up"
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button OST - "It Was Nice To Have Met You"
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button OST - "Daisy’s Ballet Career"
Slow Motion Future - "House Instrumental"

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