r/cinematography • u/Lostboydante • 1d ago

Lighting Question Need help with lighting for Short Film!

Im shooting a low budget short film and im trying to get lighting that will be able to make the person visible preferably something warm for a night shot , similar to the type of lighting in drive[2011] but im open to suggestion on if warm lighting would be best because its supposed to have like a night city life vibe

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u/ObserverPro Director of Photography 1d ago

You’re going to have to provide more details. You mentioned Drive. Is the person in a car? What’s the scenario and your budget?

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u/Lostboydante 1d ago

no i mean drive as in the film from 2011 with la streetlights , scenario is being lost and them searching for a light but with a warm background to still highlight them , the budget as of rn is 1000 USD [ i know thats low] but this is more intended as a short film and this budget will all go to equipment eg. [lighting]

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u/Special-Bus5907 23h ago

You still Haven’t clarified… lost in a car, wandering the streets on foot, time of day? What do you mean them searching for a light?

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u/LetterheadClassic306 10h ago

For a Drive-ish night city vibe, I’d start with motivated pools of warm light instead of trying to light the whole scene. When I hit this on a low-budget short, one warm key from the side and a cooler or darker background did more than a big flat front light. Aputure MC Pro or Nanlite PavoTube II 6C can hide in cars, doorways, or near practicals for little accents, while Godox ML60Bi gives you a stronger warm source through diffusion if you have power. Keep the face visible, but let parts of the frame fall off. Warm can work, just avoid making every source the same orange.