Dynamic Range

What this is about

Dynamic range is what a location scout is really measuring when they stand in a room and look at the window. A south-facing pane against an unlit interior can span more stops than any sensor holds, which forces a decision in prep: gel the glass, put ND on it, add light inside, or accept a blown window as a look. The gap between the two is paid for in gel rolls, extra lamps and the hours it takes to hang them.

A term only helps when everyone on set means the same thing by it — so what follows is how it is used, not a dictionary definition.

What runs differently here

In planning terms, that means:

• Manufacturer figures rest on different measurement standards, so compare cameras on your own test footage instead of datasheets.
• The stops are not equally useful — the last one in the shadows exists technically but arrives full of noise.
• Scene contrast is measurable in prep with a spot meter, long before anyone argues about the camera body.

With TillyGen

Location notes in TillyGen carry the window and contrast problem into the shooting schedule, so gel and rigging time is booked before the day.

Change one constraint and the consequences travel through the whole plan: affected shots are flagged, the call sheet is regenerated, and nobody keeps working from yesterday's version.