We always focus on the actual lights and how to change them when talking about lighting for film and photography. It's an enjoyable aspect of the game. There are, however, a slew of lesser-known grip and lightning tools that may take your photos to new heights. The negative filling is an example.
The Three-Point System (key, backlight, and fill) is something you've probably heard of if you've ever studied lighting. The last one is a gentle light that darkens the image and diminishes contrast.
Negative fill, also known as bead-board in the United States, can be achieved with anything black, most often a polystyrene board (also known as bead-board in the United Kingdom), blackout material (also known as duvetyne in the United States), or a flag. The black side of 5-in-1 reflectors can also be utilized for negative fill. In contrast to nets, any of these instruments might be referred to as solids or black solids. This gives the appearance of three-dimensionality to the face – or any other object. As a result of this, the word "form" comes to mind.
When DPS discuss neg fill, the word "form" frequently appears in their explanations. A negative fill is usually added to the talent's camera side (wide side) to keep the other side (short side) bright.
Negative fill is the polar opposite of positive fill. The contrast is increased by lowering the shadows. Because of the broad dynamic range and high light sensitivity of today's digital cameras, taking away light has become just as vital as adding it.
You can create a contrast to your photo and get control over another area of your lighting design by using black cards, flags, or other comparable items. Brady Bessette, a filmmaker, explains why negative fill is such a vital technique to use in your work.
Negative fill is more beneficial when you're working on an uncontrolled set with some big, soft lights shining on your subject and possibly more. It is most usually employed outdoors.
Negative fill is most effective when photographing exteriors, especially in areas with bright walls and a lot of reflective surfaces. Because every surface in the natural and built environment reflects, refracts, or absorbs light in some way, natural light is immeasurably complicated. When you're outside during the day, the majority of the light you see is sunlight reflected in an infinite number of ways. As a result, if you want to create a contrast to your external lighting, you'll need to use negative fill. It's a lot easier to block out some of those natural ambient reflections than it is to try to overwhelm them with adding light. But it can also be useful indoors, such as when white walls bounce light all over the place.
On the opposite side of your subject, the light may not appear to be doing anything, yet it is bouncing back off the background and objects. Negative fill will reduce this by darkening the fill side and increasing the contrast.
The effect can be quite modest in some cases. The smallest details, as we learn in filmmaking, make all the difference. Brady uses a floppy disk, which is a convenient alternative because it can simply be repositioned.
He also does a fantastic job of demonstrating what happens when standard fill is used. The extra boost given to the shadows is noticeable, and it significantly diminishes contrast. Negative fill is the tool to utilize if you want a more punchy image.
The best part about using negative fill techniques is how cheap they are, especially when compared to how ridiculously costly everything else in cinematography seems to be these days. While a 4x4 floppy on a C-Stand is the best way to generate and adjust negative fill, the same effect can be achieved with a sheet of duvetyne (or a black bedsheet) held up by a pair of light stands or a reluctant PA. Anything with a matte black finish will do the trick.
Negative fill is primarily a cosmetic choice, but it is something you should try if you haven't before.
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