LED Volume Shoots: Avoiding the 'New Toy' Trap?
Hey everyone, Omar here, working Steadicam these days. I've got a gig coming up where we'll be on an LED volume for a good chunk of the schedule, a short film with some ambitious visual effects. I'll be running an ALEXA Mini with a set of Supreme Primes, and it's my first proper deep dive into volume work. I've seen some impressive stuff come out of these stages, but I've also seen a few projects where it feels like the novelty of the tech overshadows basic filmmaking sense.
My question for those more experienced with volumes: What's the most common pitfall beginners (like me in this context) fall into, forgetting that traditional principles of lighting and composition still absolutely apply? Are there specific 'gotchas' with the virtual lights or backgrounds that make people neglect blocking or lensing? I'm trying to prep so I don't get caught up in the 'new toy' excitement and lose sight of fundamentals.