3 basic light setup help

[Matt D.]

Well I think I decided to finally enter the world of lighting. I finally have some money saved up from buying my dvx. I would like just a simple 3 light setup. Some kind of nice stand with a nice light and a light box? Ive read all the articles in the pinned and I am really confused. I am sorry but can someone just list me just a decent lightning setup that wont cost me a lot of money. My dad said he could help me out a little bit. I have 300 bucks.

Thanks for all your help.

 

[Gopher_Greene]

Well Matt you'll get about a hundred responses to this question and it seems to be frequently asked. So let's try to quantify this a little bit. ask yourself

1. What am I going to be shooting?

Live event, like weddings requires very portable and usually small lights. Something on camera will work, like vidleds or other on camera light.

Interviews can be accomplished with simple three point lighting. Many lights can fill this you could use three small leds if your close enough. Or get a 1k flood in a softbox and use bounce for your fill and backlight, or add a small fresnel for backlighting.

Videos or drama, heres where you have to take the big step. It's probably not practicle in a beggining budget to purchase all you would need but you could grow into this over time. You'll need a broad selection of lights to light everything from actors to background. From floods to fresnels, softboxs to flos, space lights to punch lights. This is why grip trucks come in tonnage for size.

Brands, here is where things tend to get heated. Personally I like mole richardson, they are the industry standard, they've been around for ever and will be for a long time to come. You can buy used moles and if necessary refurbish them yourself, parts are readily available. I'd buy used moles before I'd buy new of most of the cheaper brands. Moles are rugged and tried and true performers. You'll also need light stands and eventually flags and other grip gear.

For instance a quick search on ebay I find a mickey mole for 76.00, a tweenie for 67.00 a chimera softbox for 70.00, pick up a couple of light stands and sand bags and you have the start of a good quality kit for under 300.00

 

[Matt D.]

I was planning on using them mostly for a small film I will be shooting. Thanks for all the help already but can someone just give me like a link to what stuff they would purchase in my situation maybe? I just would like even a step in the right direction or anything. Thanks again.

Opps I also forgot I would like some gels? or some kind of filters to give some weird effects. I dont really shoot very conventionally so they need to have some flexibility.

 

[ryan brown]

can someone just give me like a link to what stuff they would purchase in my situation maybe? I just would like even a step in the right direction or anything.

I think Gopher just did that. He even gave you a list... just look it up.

 

[Matt D.]

I am sorry but half the stuff he said does not register with me because I dont understand the terms. Sorry. Thanks for all the help, I at least think I am headed somewhere in the right direction.