What nobody tells you about haze

[@charlotteice5704]

I as a stage lighting designer clicked on this video wondering what aspect of haze was new to film people and if it was news to me, too. It absolutely was and this turned out to be very insightful. Because of stage lighting being viewed by an entire audience instead of just a camera, we tend to not think about it as a frame we're designing, we just think about the objects we light and not our viewing angle. But in theatre, thinking of lighting design as designing a frame really isn't that far-fetched as a conventional theatre stage only exposes one of its sides to the viewers, composing a frame around it with different kinds of drapes and architectural elements. Thanks to this video, I am learning to think about all the ways in which designing stage lighting is like composing a picture. In the specific case of haze, I have never thought about it as a tool to separate the subject from the background by lifting up the background's shadows. Although there are clear limitations imposed on this technique in theatre use by the distance between viewer and subject being so large, it's still useful because I think about ways to add intimacy or create spaciousness all the time, and this is one more tool for that. Thanks!

[@opsjesse]

Also: the further something is, desaturating objects further way will help with illusion of depth separation!

[@EamonGlavin]

Welp, time to add haze machines to my gear list for shoots

[@XavierJordanMusic]

Same lol

[@StrillLife]

Lol. Ulazani just dropped a pocket sized one... Well almost pocket sized. Probably why I was fed this video because I've been looking at reviews of it. Looks cool but the refills look like a printer ink hustle.

[@benja1378]

​@@StrillLifenahhh that's so little performance compared to a cheaper fog machine

[@schuey323]

I don't understand how you don't have more subs. I love how you're thinking through mental obstacles and researching solutions. The determination and dedication is awesome man!

[@NeilEvery]

Clear, concise, no fluff, high value content. Awesome job man. Your channel deserves so many more subs than it currently has. Keep at it, you deserve to get there

[@videographerstuff539]

Mate! The info in this video is gold, delivered sharp & clean with no haze in sight!

[@igorzhidkov1957]

8:16 For the last part: there are different types of hazers out there, and your looks like water based one. If you will use co2 based one, it will have different characteristics and different behavior, and will look much closer to mist filter than yours. As far as I know, on big productions they always use co2 based, but they are few times pricier and less convenient to use.

[@barneylaurance1865]

You can do what you like with haze now in film. It used to be highly regulated but Hollywood abandoned the haze code in the 60's.

[@jimjimgl3]

Haze, when done well, is great. Takes a light hand to make it integral to the shot and not overwhelming. I began as a still photographer and rarely used a smoke machine. But the few times I did it worked so well. The late and great Peter Lindbergh used smoke machines so well. And a side note. Depending on the type of smoke machine / haze machine used, you can set off smoke detectors. We ran a rental photo studio in NYC for 14 years and we had a clause in our rental contract that forbade the use of smoke machines. Our commercial smoke detectors would be set off by the machines and the fire department would show up and then we'd be billed $800 by the co-op management...not fun.

[@imagesbyrina]

Love how you break it down -- you explain it *and* show it, simply. Well done. Love this kind video.

[@kadecanessa]

This is helpful and confirms the reason why I want to get one. As it help accentuate the atmosphere of the frame and make the subject stand out.

[@J.K.productionsDE]

Took me a while to get, but now that I understand the concept... GENIUS! And I used that a lot without even knowing...

[@EdProsser]

This was super interesting thank you. Saw that doc a year or so ago and have always remembered that incredible interview shot.

[@josephberkeley]

Love the video. Insightful and intelligent. My study on haze is based on fog. Agree that a powerful light source in the background is where all of the drama comes from. God bless you for hazing up your apartment. That cannot be good for domestic relations. Signed up for artlist based on your recommendation. Used the affiliate link. Transaction was Sunday, January 28, about 10:40 am EST.

[@MattSpaugh]

Really good insights with perfect examples to flesh out your conclusions - how refreshing! I watched "High Noon" (1952) last night and couldn't help but notice how Gary Cooper's character is the highest contrast thing in many, many frames. White shirt, black vest and hat help but still the backgrounds are very lifted... 1952 man! Directed by Fred Zinnemann, Floyd Crosby was the cinematographer. Check it out. Also FWIW, there's a difference between Fog and Haze. Typical fog machines can be a nightmare to control unlike haze that's more subtle, easier to control, and tends to last longer on set. And no, you can't use haze juice in a fog machine or vice versa. Keep up the great work. If you're ever in Atlanta, beers are on me.

[@benarnoux]

This. Was. Brilliant. Thank you for breaking this down! Can’t wait to try it!

[@cammackey]

GREAT WORK!!!

[@SoundItOutFilms]

Thanks Cam! I appreciate the share.

[@DanielECulbertson]

Thanks for explaining this so simply and concisely. I'd never really thought about WHY haze was so recommended, but i get it now! Totally subbed!

[@blakestrunk]

This was really well explained! Makes a ton more sense now. One thing I've struggled to find is people talking about different hazers to actually get and I'm curious how you decided which haze machine to buy?

[@bkdjart]

Haze=Better Subject Seperation and adding mood=cinematic. What was really cool was at the end of your video the Haze seems to also fix flaring when using the blackmist filter which is a added bonus on top of the more cinematic look.

[@ConciousCinema]

Great cinematography video. never saw someone talks about these stuff.

[@DEADIKATED]

I did a shot last night with a projector. I thought it might be a bit too much haze but with the video I was projecting it made an awesome effect

[@anthonyventolora4687]

Great breakdown that really gave me more insight into the use of haze

[@darrinlalla9008]

Such a brilliant discussion and observations. I really like your delivery of information as observations welcoming thought and practice.

[@opsjesse]

I think it's important to mention: the haze isn't JUST lifting shadows and blending light colors.. it's desaturating a significant amount of the midtones. [also video experiment idea below] I just watched a completely unrelated video about real estate photography and it spoke about a "game changing" tip to make the bright scenery in the windows of a bright shot seem more natural: desaturating them to make them seem further away. The key takeaway is that our brain relates depth/distance and lack of color saturation because that exists in real life too. This gets reflected in the art of experienced painters as well. If you live in a mountainous region, look at the mountain range furthest away. It should be pretty clear that the extra haze in between you and those mountains is also desaturating their color. I wonder if this would help to make certain green screen shots appear more natural! Maybe you could explore that in a video like you did here :)

[@DastanZhumagulov]

Good one, Eric! Toughest things with using haze on set for me are: 1) Continuity - very hard to maintain a consistent haze density throughout shots and takes. A trick I head on Frame&Reference podcast was to put a grey card in the deep background and meter it through false color as a reference point. 2) Pace of shooting - resets take longer because after several takes the level drops down and then you have to haze the room again and then wait for it to settle so that movement of smoke is not visible in camera etc. I know there's a Tiffen Fog diffusion filter available and I'm curious how it handles as an alternative. My guess is it won't have the advantage of atmospheric perspective which you've demonstrated here.

[@SoundItOutFilms]

The consistency has been a pain literally every time I’ve used it. I love that grey card idea, definitely going to try it, thanks!

[@DanielHasel]

very clear and concrete analysis. love your breakdown. Though, I think "reflect" instead of "absorb" would be more accurate wording when describing some of the effects of haze & light

[@SoundItOutFilms]

You are 100% correct. Neg “absorbs” light, this is basically the opposite, I should have worded that better. Thanks!

[@Verdoux007]

Haze just reminds me of those big '80s and '90s American action movies.

[@mmoszkito]

It's not absorbing but scattering the light. Absorbing would mean the background would be darker instead of lighter, for example with a dark smoke from burning rubber.

[@HotChiliDave]

Good stuff my guy! I will totally keep this in my when shooting my next interviews!

[@auxsom]

Very informative, man. Keep up the great, helpful work. Cheers.

[@Deatarus51]

Awesome video man. This is great info that I hadn't seen anyone talk about before.

[@nick_salazar]

Fantastic observations and demo. Thank you!

[@JosephelLeon]

Great analysis. Thanks!

[@vismicstudios]

This video is soooo helpful and well explained. Thank you!

[@littletheatrefilms5825]

Always worried it would fog the full image. Your explanation was awesome. Question…would you ever do an audio editing video explaining your process? You’ve done the docs and so many great sounding videos. I’d like to know your thoughts.

[@yogifirangi329]

Usable tips, thank a ton Sir

[@PametniTelefoniRS]

Great video. Thanks ❤

[@mpstanwick]

super informative! Thanks for sharing

[@VFXRefugee]

In a small controlled space (like my KZbin studio) I've been getting fun looks with a bg net which gives me some of the benefits of haze without the air quality issues. Doesn't really transfer out into the real world, though...

[@lastyrsman]

GREAT Video. Loved the examples!

[@pierrelouismarketing]

Great video, I have learnt a lot! You got a sub my friend !

[@josephpaahana]

Excellent breakdown very useful. Thank you.

[@adezzyade]

Congratulations on getting the sponsorship! 🥳

[@CRPHD]

Love you videos dude! Amazing work as always!😎

[@DuncanDimanche-sreview]

great intel ! thanks

[@J_HNP]

It’s all about diffused room tone. Though as we see cameras like Sony with higher base (or dual) ISO, we may see haze used less and less for this purpose, as the higher base iso lifts shadows overall.

[@SoundItOutFilms]

Hmmm, interesting. How would that impact the ratio between foreground and background? Are you saying with the extra shadow detail you could selectively raise backgrounds in the grade?

[@J_HNP]

​@@SoundItOutFilms The way I look at haze is that it helps balance the roll-off in the toe of the image. It brings back parts of the image that would have fallen off to black, and it keeps the shadows a dynamic part of the frame. As far as ratios, my guess is that the reason haze is often utilized is to help control ratios (though it may not be explicitly articulated) -- we've all heard haze referred to as "atmosphere" or "volume." Most don't want an image to fall off completely to black. The other solution for this would be to have more lighting in the room to elevate the room tone, which we see much more in film. As far as lifting in the grade, this wouldn't be as necessary with haze, as the haze itself is lifting the toe of the image already. Win-Win.

[@J_HNP]

As a mental experiment, imagine this: Shoot a scene at ISO 800, lighting the talent with a softbox in a mid-sized room to +1 stop over middle grey. The background in this situation will fall off to black particularly quick. Three solutions: 1) Add lights to lift room tone. 2) Add haze to help elevate the lower tones by reflecting light into the atmosphere. 3) Move to a higher ISO (preferably a dual gain to prevent noise) and lower your key light. This, in effect, raises room tone (gain through ISO increase), and replicates the effect of adding room tone (though, may be less than ideal).

[@richardwood8815]

Very informative and helpful. Thank you.

[@GriffinConway]

Great video

[@ckhicks]

Fantastic info and very well explained! Subbing for more. 💯

[@faithhouse6111]

Always helpful content. Thanks!

[@KnifeGuy_]

Typo in the intro/ music title. Just pointing it out in case it's misspelled in a template you may use again for other videos.

[@SoundItOutFilms]

Good eye

[@ScandinavianCoward]

Great breakdown! I'm curious how you ended up choosing that particular haze machine. Maybe a topic for another video?

[@SoundItOutFilms]

I went water-based because oil-based can leave residue in the space. Other than that I just picked one with good reviews.

[@danaross]

Great info. Thanks.

[@AustinCarleFilms]

brilliant insight! Thank you for sharing. I do have one question, when it comes to longer form interviews, say for a documentary, how would you go about keeping the haze consistent in terms its volume in the room? At some point the haze will spread out and will create a different look from when the interview starts compared to the end. Turning on the haze machine during the middle of the interview would be distracting as well bring audible noise. Any thoughts and solutions are welcomed! Thanks in advance!

[@chrisk.4312]

damn such a good video, well done

[@Coatsey007]

Really good Video, thank you. I learned a lot from that.

[@caitbrown727]

How frequently do you have to haze your space to have the haze hang around? Keep up the great work 🙏

[@SoundItOutFilms]

Hmmm, I haven't analyzed that yet. looks like I'll need to do more testing in a follow up video!

[@Vitosi4eGG]

Almost watched the video, dropped for Navalny

[@cogmission1]

Wow, I learned so much - thank you! It's funny to think about the pendulum swing (same as slow mo), where now there are going to be a million over hazed videos coming out? I can see it now... 😛 (sub'd)

[@braxtonwoullard1188]

Great video! Have you ever used smoque filters for your lens to create that haze look?

[@arkabit4452]

No film was a film in the eighties without tele and haze...

[@jamieandrei]

This good.. yayz!

[@jeffreynicholson5464]

AMAZING video!! Quick question. What is your mic set up? Your voice quality is incredible and really punches through. What are you using? Lav or Boom? So glad I found you! Slapping da bass. :)

[@SoundItOutFilms]

I’ve started using Adobe’s AI tools. Try Adobe podcast’s enhance feature. It sounds fake if turned up all the way, but around 30% is what you’re hearing.

[@eyosiasg.8557]

so good

[@ChrisFlores22]

Dude awesome video! Simple and entertaining! When would you use the haze and when would you skip it? I shoot a lot of corporate type fundraising videos to run ads with. Is haze something that can apply in the scenario or is it for more moody a roll setups? Thanks!!

[@EricDoggett]

What about issues with a fire alarm in an apartment setting - did you do anything to keep that from happening in your location? Thank you!

[@searchforstory1299]

I am always afraid of all the surfaces being left with residue resulting in being made to sleep on the couch until my wife gets over it. 😢

[@SoundItOutFilms]

Just don’t go oil based! The one I got is water based.

[@WaynesWorldStudioVancouver]

Nice explanation, do find your ending too sudden. Give audience some cue you are finishing this video with a conclusion to make this video a better quality! Thanks

[@DanielKhuu]

💡 💡 💡 love your mind

[@thepropolys]

Cool. Do you have any experience with a non-water based hazer? If so, how does the one in your link compare?

[@SoundItOutFilms]

I don’t. Only ever used water based. My understanding is oil based is better looking with finer partials, stays in air longer, more professional, but leaves residue…

[@jacoborozco4585]

guy smoking the gas mask ahaha too funny. also, i dont think the 1/8 mist filter is a good comparison for haze. still a useful demonstration!

[@tonysluna]

Truly Enjoy your videos... YOU BOUGHT THE NEW CANON LENS... 24-105mm f2.8 L IS USM Z omg🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

[@leobardobivianomedia]

This is good

[@andyk6344]

Nice video explaing haze in an understandable way 😊👍🏼 What is the name of the tune in the background during the first couple of minutes?

[@SoundItOutFilms]

Whatever it is it’s from Artlist 😉

[@andyk6344]

@@SoundItOutFilmsFound it🎉😊

[@WesleyClouden]

and Temp in space also matters ppl

[@MattLinderman-jj5of]

Are you happy with the specific hazer that you purchased?

[@SoundItOutFilms]

To be honest, I’ve only used it for this YT vid so far, I’d need it use on a few real productions to know.

[@RAMSEYSPENCER]

you made the whole haze explanation thing even more complicated than simplified it.

[@thepropolys]

Really? I found it pretty understandable. I've used haze in my own videos and found it less than satisfying in certain scenarios, but now it makes more sense as it relies on depth to exist in the shot already. It doesn't necessarily create it without it already existing.

[@thearabicdp]

Is the mess real? I read somewhere it leaves an oily residue on surfaces

[@SoundItOutFilms]

I've only used water-based hazers... which don't look as nice but there is no residue. Everything's a compromise.

[@thearabicdp]

@@SoundItOutFilms oh ok. How long does the mist hang around?

[@steveennever9905]

Possibly the larger question here is why on earth would you want to watch a so called documentary about Navalny.

[@birthright94]

Because it's a good documentary that won sundance? Because the guy is the only one who is fighting against putin's regime and that's why he was imprisoned?

[@lazysongsang]

@Suyorukun brought me here😂

[@ArthropodSpidey]

Ryan McCaffrey clone?

[@leeevans1874]

I use hazers all the time , but the main reason why he's dark is becuase his cardigan is dark .

[@SpLitSecondS_]

Nice work on haze - bad choice of BS rupophobiac propaganda movie for example.

[@caleb9819]

Omg, we're still sooo far from those movies you've shown at the beginning. NOT a one step closer. Your room tests look so discouraging.

[@Itaketoomanypics]

fanning out the haze is key

[@deadastronaut2440]

Be cautious with the use of haze; it can easily overkill. Ideally, in my opinion, the average viewer shouldn't consciously notice its use in a scene. I personally found the shot of Navalny from the documentary unimpressive; the subject appeared more like a KZbinr in a studio unboxing a phone rather than a serious individual involved in a complex geopolitical conflict. However, this is just my opinion, and everything is ofc subjective

[@timbtentacion8606]

I thought this was Linus

[@LaurenCheyenne2]

Great video thank you!

[@BryanElliott_]

Great video