Blown out faces--MacDV Digest #2196

[Ted Langdell]

> From: "Macintosh Digital Video List" <MacDV at lists.themacintoshguy.com>
> Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 18:52:57 -0700
> To: "Macintosh Digital Video List" <MacDV at lists.themacintoshguy.com>
> Subject: MacDV Digest #2196
> 
> 
> Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 15:37:09 -0400
> Subject: [MacDV] Re: bright faces
> From: Charles Martin <chasm at mac.com>
> Message-Id: <9B107D22-907A-11D7-9DE4-0003934A00F8 at mac.com>
> 
>> From: SkylnPrntg at aol.com
>> 
>> I'm going to be filming a kids musical this weekend. In the past we
>> have
>> filmed the kids on stage and the lighting has blown the faces out to
>> white. What
>> is the best way to keep the faces when filming with a mini DV camera?
>> (we will
>> be using whatever models the parents provide a this point.)
> 
> Manually reset the white balance. Read the camera's manual to find out
> how to do this.
> 
> _Chas_

This actually sounds like an exposure problem, rather than a color balance
issue.

Some cameras have a "spotlight" setting. Try that.

If you have a manual exposure or "iris" function, use that to set the
exposure, preferably while watching a monitor hooked up to your camcorder.

That should let you adjust the exposure for best faces.  The background will
more than likely go darker, but should be a reasonable representation of the
way the scene looks.

Cameras without manual exposure or a spotlight setting  will see a huge area
of black, and try to average the exposure.  That results in the camera
opening the iris of the lens and/or cranking up the gain to better "see"
(expose) into the black areas.

Results:  Washed out area or people, and grainy black areas.

Good luck.

Ted.