This was one of those projects where everything comes together - the idea, the person, and the moment. I worked with Rokas Magic (Rokas Bernatonis), a Lithuanian magician known both locally and internationally, with several Guinness World Records. He creates magic through his performances, and my goal was to translate that into a visual image.
The idea came quite naturally - I wanted to create a feeling of him floating in a cloud of smoke. Something simple, a bit surreal, but still grounded enough to feel real. Lighting played a key role in shaping this image. I used broncolor Siros 800 L and 800 S units.
I used three lights in total. One of them was a Softbox 180×30 cm from the back with a grid, which helped to define the smoke. I rotated it horizontally to spread the light wider across the scene and keep it controlled. To shape the atmosphere, I added a P70 reflector with a blue gel, bouncing it into the ceiling. This created a soft blue tone in the shadows, giving a subtle moonlight feel - like that early night moment after sunset, when everything turns slightly blue and quiet.
The main light was a 50 cm beauty dish with a grid. At first, it was too frontal and the image felt flat, so I moved it deeper into the scene to keep some shadow on Rokas’ face and bring back more depth. The most challenging part was the smoke. We used a low fog machine with dry ice, and it was our first time working with it. We only had enough dry ice for two attempts, so everything had to be prepared in advance - composition, lighting, positioning - all tested before adding the fog.
Rokas was placed on two raised platforms, about 40 cm high, positioned in a way that would make his body look weightless - head slightly lifted, hands and legs creating a sense of movement. On the first attempt, the fog didn’t spread underneath him as we expected. It moved too quickly and didn’t fill the space properly. For the second attempt, we adjusted and spread the fog more from the front, covering the platforms and creating the floating effect.
We had less than a minute to shoot - probably around 30 to 60 seconds. Just a few frames, a few variations, and it was done. But those few moments were enough. This kind of project doesn’t happen on its own. It comes from a clear idea, the right people, and tools that allow you to shape light precisely and bring vision to life. Together with a strong team of creators and assistants, it all turns into something real.
