16mm Highlights

[oldboy]

I just finished up my final project for school on 16mm 7219. I was using some source 4 lekos to create some highlights in my frame for a day interior. There were small patches that I didn't mind letting burn out. From what I remember they were around 3 1/2 - 4 stops over my incident base reading of a 2. Should I have let them go a little hotter like 4 1/2 - 5? I am sure that 3 1/2 - 4 will be very bright probably burned out white at some points I just don't want to find that I didn't let them go over enough for the effect.

 

[David Mullen ASC]

I'm sure highlights that are 3 to 4 stops over will definitely look hot. 5-stops over is generally white on film. I find though that to get that nuclear glow like in Robert Richardson's work, I just have to make the center of the spot as hot as I can, I don't really meter it, but it's probably several stops over in the center.