Cinematography Tips: 3 ways to film in the magic hour

Everyone in the film world knows about the magic hour. It is the time just after sunset or before sunrise when the sun is not visible and the light is perfectly diffused. In the film world, it is called the magic hour. The magic hour makes it effortless to film the subject easily. In the cinematography schools, the students are taught everything about the magic hour and how to film the subjects beautifully.



This effect is famously used by Terrence Malick in his film. This effect has generously provided beautiful backdrop in a films. If you are keen to utilize the benefit of magic hours, here are a few things that you should know.

Time Problems


One of the most obvious things to know about magic hour is the the time constraints. Don't compare magic hour to the golden hour. Golden hour is associated with photography. The magic hour casts shadows, creates beautiful effects with the bright colors and diffuses the signature light in the soft hues. A true magic hour lasts about 25 minutes. Unlike the effects created by the computer or technology, this natural effect limits the production capability. This means that you will have to shoot every second if you want to take benefit of it.

Color Temperature

While you might think that magic hour has perfect lighting and color, it is not true. The color temperature changes with every minute. This means that you will have to embrace the changing hues and embrace them, rather than fighting them. If your cameras have presets, make sure you use cloudy setting.

Lighting

Shadows play a huge role while filming in the magic hour. The light dispersion eliminate the dark shadows and works as perfect backlight. Remember, the light spreads lightly and evenly and if you subjects are facing upwards, their face won't catch the illumination that it needs. To work in such an environment, you might need to use bounce boards. They would make the light bounce easily and naturally, giving your film the perfect shot.

If you are interested in the cinematography schools in the New York, contact Digital Film Academy. They are one of the renowned New York film schools with Chad Boseman and a few as the alumni.







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