Filmmaking / Directing : Interior design tips by Louis Tete

go on youtube and watch some "D-I-Y" videos.

Charles Baldwin thank you, much appreciated. Dan MaxXx , thank you as well i didn't think about that option.

Have you thought of filming in black and white? Also a tinted lens can give an all over green or rouge Etc hue. Don’t waste too much time fretting about colour co ordination furniture in your apartment cos lighting will add final mood. Hire props eg you might want something quirky or historical and can just pay small fee to borrow it. Grip houses also lend equipment if a light or particular lens is too expensive. If you can get a good editor to help they can do wonders with colour tones.

Debbie Croysdale i really dig black and white flicks and thank you for bringing that idea up. The thing is, i read a lot about black and white movies and good ones are pretty hard to pull off, you need to know a lot about shadows and lighting. Unfortunately my budget don't allow me to hire a gaffer. But it's something im gonna test out of curiosity. Exactly i think i might be over my head regarding the colours of the location, lighting will add contrast, same for the props and i ll hire a good post prod team for the colour tones.

Covers are used often on even high budget films but they must be put on perfectly.If you go black and white lighting is even more important than it is in colour.If you want a Film Noir look use a dark ND filter and heavy contrast camera settings(low ISO etc) and use direct overhead lighting for closeups it will create the butterfly shadow effect on the actors face.If you want the shadows like from blinds on an actors face they usually cut a pattern out of rubber sheets and cast a light through it but if you cut the pattern out of thick cardboard and paint it black to minimise light reflection you should get a similar effect.Buy the lowest wattage bulbs for the existing lighting on set if you're planning to use ambient light.Get some reflectors thick blankets and thin white sheets all useful for light diffusion and light control.Beg borrow or steal a wheelchair they can be used as a Dolly,you can also put your cameraman in it and get some interesting camera movements pushing him through the scene and it's also a potential prop.If you want a ghost or spectre in a scene a actor can be projected live into a scene with the use of a light and a sheet of glass Film Riot youtube has a tutorial on it.A you tube channel called aputure has a tutorial called 7 practical lens effects that may be useful to you.I would also learn how to lens flare if I was you both simple technique and effective.You basically remove the lens and hold it against the camera and just tilt it to create light flares on your footage.In the original Aliens movie where the baby alien runs across the floor and jumps on his face.It started on his face and was pulled back across the floor with an attached invisable string(thread from a stocking) and the footage reversed.You can do a face transformation Jeckle and hyde style in B&W by using coloured makeup say green with a green gel/filter on the camera making it invisable and then slowly switch your camera to majenta and you'll get a live action in camera transformation.Hope something their useful best of luck.

Black and white is a great idea. Especially for horror.

Hey, Louis Tete! I've produced several horror/thriller shorts, and I would agree with Debbie Croysdale - decorate for the character, and then light to set the tone. In general, hard light with pools of light (so your characters can step into or out of the light) will serve you best.

Lighting for horror: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B9X9ToFNmg

Setting Tone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tkbto1oLAnE

APE Short film (not one I produced, but a great example of using dark areas of the screen to increase creepiness): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uySyI3IxUA

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

@Karen Kudos on your horror/thrillers. @Craig Thanks for your tips and share. Where are you based in case I need Noir crew? Also @All don’t forget in actual Noir era itself the old “Tungsten” bulb was the must say, replacing a lot of modern gadgets today.

What great advice, Craig Prickett! Would you be willing to start a post in the Cinematography Lounge about lighting for horror films? https://www.stage32.com/lounge/cinematography

Have you see the Adobe Color Wheel? It's interactive (and free, online). You move the circles to the colors you have and the color wheel will show you what colors work together with it (the colors you chose): https://color.adobe.com/create/color-wheel --- perhaps this will assist you in your color scheme ... also get a DP involved as they know about colors as well.

Craig Prickett you're awesome man, can't thank you enough for your tips. Your ideas give me a lot to think about, i'm gonna do lots of test to check that out. More i prepped, more i ll be ready when the shoot comes as i ll mostly everything by myself cause of my micro budget. Karen "Kay" Ross , lady thanks a lot as well for your links, most def gonna check them out. Craig Prickett you should most def make a post about it as Karen said, it would extremely useful to lots of filmmakers...Lindbergh E Hollingsworth indeed about the DP and jeez i didn't know about that, big thanks sir. You all rocks peeps!

Debbie Croysdale I'm in Australia but I'm just a writer.My wife's the photographer.Interesting that you mention Tungsten bulbs.Apart from the light spectrum the temperature of the lights can create some interesting effects.I don't know if this stories true but I heard that when shooting Lawrence of Arabia to get the heat shimmer on the long shot of Omar Sharif approaching the well.They actually had a small fire burning in front of the camera out of shot ,shooting through the heat it created to give the desert heat shimmer.Heat effects both film and digital sensors.We tested it with both a Micro 4/3rds and a DSLR setup and it works.Personally I don't think neutral temperature lighting in micro budget film making where you only have time to do 1 or 2 takes is as important as it is in larger budget productions.Karen E Ross I'm not a camera or a lighting guy my wife's the artist,she like most artists has a great eye and a great ear but not a scientific person.So I research the techniques she's interested in explain it in English to her and she twists it into weird creations.But drop me a message and I'll write something if you want.Louise Tete I'm glad it was helpful look into some basic practical effects and lighting pick some simple techniques and just have fun.I watched your short film about the Russian gangsters and the smurf porno and based on that I'm sure you and your cast and crew will have heaps of fun making your project.Cheers mate.

Craig Prickett, you're an artist as well as you're a writer :) and you have interesting ideas to check out. Your tips and the ones from the others are so appreciated, most def gonna look into more. It means a lot you watched my short, it was my graduation short. Far from great but i managed to have some laughs from the audience. Cheers to you as well and i'll all let you know how's it going :). Take care y'all!

@Craig Thanks for interesting share about heat effects in Lawrence of Arabia. I will keep that in mind for Spain next year (covid permitting). Its a good tip, the heat mist near the outdoor griddles always makes more shimmers than the hot sun alone. I also know directors who paint floor (or outdoor grass even) black or white to change light effect of general atmosphere. Another trick is vaseline on older type lenses.

Have no idea but I can tell by these questions you ask you put a great amount of thought, detail into your craft. I suggest you look at your favorite films closest to what you're making whether its a direct or loose inspiration and go from there, god speed and happy shooting!

Thanks Hayward Crawford for the tips and support. You're right, i put a great amount of thought and detail and that's why im gonna direct the shit outta that project lol.