How to Light CAR INTERIORS at NIGHT

What's up everybody? I'm Ted from the A-Team. Today we're here with Zach Wallnau, a Narrative DP who just wrapped on the CW series, I Ship It. I drove my super badass Toyota Corolla 2012 into Hurling Studios so we could show you a couple of ways on how you can light car interiors for night. Setup number one, the moonlight look. Now this is a classic lighting setup for car scenes, especially when you're characters alone because it can get a little bit moody. We've shown a 300D through a giant shower curtain to simulate moonlight, then backlit our actress with a 120D on a Fresnel. We then threw a bead board right next to her to add a little overall fill. It's a fairly simple setup, but very effective in giving that classic nighttime look. Setup number two, the car dash look. Now this one is a little bit more contrasty than our first setup. We put an Amaran M9 in the car to mimic that dash effect, then put a green gel over our 120D to give it a little bit more of an urban, sodium paper feel. We then kept the 300D as our main key to keep the moonlight, and the result gave us a nice low-key shot that can be used for more dramatic scenes. Setup number three, the neon look, or the city look. Now this one's a fun one to help give an urban, gritty look. We kept our M9 in the dashboard, but added an LS1S with a CTO to give that old-school incandescent aesthetic. We then kept our shower curtain 300D for our fill, and then backlit our actress using a 120D and Fresnel to, of course, maintain that moonlight again. For the traffic light effect, we then put a green gel over the 120D and a red light over the LS1S, green and red, stop and go, and then had our gaffer turn them on and off. Now the result, in terms of color, gives a little bit of that 80s sci-fi feel to it. Think Blade Runner, think Terminator, think that musty look. Setup number four, rain. We did this last effect as an add-on to setup three to show how easy it is to simulate practical effects. Simply have someone spray the front windshield with a water bottle, and then have the camera focus in on your actor. If you have a shallow depth of field, that water will look out of focus and the audience won't think twice. Then find someone particularly handsome-looking to come shake the car, simulate fast driving, and bam, you've got your driving fast through the rain in that urban city feel. So there's the episode of Guerrilla Filmmaker on how to light car interiors for night. I want to thank Zach Wallnau and our actress, Ida Naukowska. I also want to give a huge shout-out to Hurling Studios. If you guys don't know about them, check them out. They've got a giant white site and black box space up in North Hollywood, and they gave us a great deal to be able to shoot our episode there. Also, leave a comment below with your favorite lighting setup for how to light a car at night. We're going to pick that best comment and give out a 120D to the winner. So think of something special. I'm Ted from The A-Team, and we'll catch you guys next time.