3 Piece Lighting KIT!!

yokelight said:
I have this kit... It stinks! All the bulbs blew.. They get too hot.. Need variable reostat for them.
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haven't had a bulb go bad yet. When you put the bulb in did you tuch it? or did you use gloves like you need to? Never tuch a light any light, the oils in you skin will get on it and it will make a hot spot and blow
 
Sounds like you really don't have the money for a kit right now. Maybe spend the money on renting? I've had really good luck in financing gear, and paying it off with money I get through freelance income. Then again, I have a lot of lighting gear to use at work.

Arri kits are excellent. The 650's are workhorses. You can always "schmutz em" and put difffusion to soften the light if you want, or make a simple softbox with foamcore, or even use them straight up.

You haven't said what kind of shooting you do. How much do you have to spend?
If you shoot a lot of outdoor stuff, maybe reflectors would be better to buy.
Give us more info.

Lighting will effect the look of your video more than just about anything. It's one of the more important building blocks of what you do.

J Patnaude:thumbsup:
 
Well im planning on Shooting a SHort Film for my upcoming local Film festival
(atlantic Film Festival)
there will be scenes indoor outdoor, outdoor at night..(question about that,...in a sec)
i think for this short i will rent some nice equipment, and wait itll i have a bt more money and buy a nicer light kit. i think were planning on a week shoot so it shouldnt be too bad at all...were still in early pre production.
about night shoots....i think were gonna have a scene in a parking lot at night.. yeah there'll be city lights and what not....should i bother renting a set for a night shoot...HOW DO YOU get POWER IN the MIDDLE Of A PARKING LOT???
 
natdizzle said:
IM looking to shoot a short com March...so i need a Kit, want to purchase cause i plan to shoot lots, and i own a production comapny...

how is that working out? buying of ebay one at a TIME?
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I also got my kit little by little - buying a light at a time, but buying decent quality gear.
You'll be better off in the long run if you take that approach.

For the same price as 3 of those smith victor lights you should be able to get 1 decent quality light. If you're concerned about having a light kit because you're going to "shoot lots" and you own a productions company, then it sounds to me like you should be more concerned with the long term - and not concentrate just on this short you'll be shooting in March.

If you buy the cheapest lights you can, and you do in fact what to shoot a lot, you're going to outgrown them quickly.

Personally, I think your best bet is to concentrate on buying decent lights one at a time that are actually going to last you. You want lights you can control, and that are robust enough to still be working for you down the road.

That smith victor kit is just going to throw light everywhere - you won't be able to control it very well at all, and you'll probably wind up fighting your lights more than actually using them on set.

Why not buy 1 or 2 higher quality lights, and rent whatever else you need for this short in March? Little by little you'll get a kit together that you can feel comfortable with.

The other advantage to taking that approach is that after you shoot a few times, and rent a few lights, you'll get a better feel for what you need and what you want. This way each light you purchase is actually serving a specific purpose (as opposed to buying whatever it is you can afford and then figuring out if there is anyway you can actually use them).

I would look at the Britek lights at Rostronics.
They aren't Arri quality - but they aren't Smith Victors either. I think they're a good starter light. They have barndoors and a bit of a focusing distance, so you have room to control the light and really learn what you're doing.

I would also recommend looking into some books or DVDs on the subject of lighting.
Your money might be better spent on that in the meantime.

Good luck with your shoot.
:thumbsup:
 
I found that in going with the photoflood this is perfect in your price range B&H photo offers a good selection as this 2 point kit offers more flexibilty
If this is a hobby then these are good, if your semi-pro consider what others have mentioned. As they say: "buy once, cry once"
Good Luck!
:thumbsup:
 
I have a nice set of Arri's that I purchased after quickly out growing a $1500 Lowell kit (good utility but they kind of suck). I bought 2 650w, 2 300w, and a 1K. I have since been wondering if I would have any use for a 150 in this kit. Does anyone have any experience with these? Are they just good for accents and eyelights, if so I can do that with the Lowell kit?

Thanks

Oh yeah, just rent if you can't buy the good stuff. I had clients that got real skiddish when they saw those Lowell lights come out. Now I bring in that 1k (I don't use it, I just bring it with me) and their eyes light up like I know what I am doing because I have one of amp suckers in the room.
 
Naanan said:
Oh yeah, just rent if you can't buy the good stuff. I had clients that got real skiddish when they saw those Lowell lights come out. Now I bring in that 1k (I don't use it, I just bring it with me) and their eyes light up like I know what I am doing because I have one of amp suckers in the room.
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Awesome story! It scares me, as there are so many stories floating around these boards (and not just with lighting) just like this. "I keep an old Avid around for the clients to see," etc. It's a shame that most people don't realize that a piece of foamcore is a "professional" tool.

And, while I'm all for buying one's own gear... you make another great point about renting. If you need a good wireless kit (for example; it popped up in another thread) and have only two options: rent a good one, or buy a substandard one, then I would rent one every time & save my money to eventually buy the good one. You'll usually regret it later on if you buy the toy...

David Kuznicki
Production Manager, WGTE-TV30
 
I have two 150W and I love them. They are so small that you can hide them anywhere and use them to accent any thing. When I first saw them i thought who could use these small of a light. But I use them all the time
 
david_kuznicki said:
It scares me, as there are so many stories floating around these boards (and not just with lighting) just like this.
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I've found that setting realistic client expectations is KEY.
As long as clients have seen samples of my work, and know what I'm getting - they tend to lay off. You'll always have the occassional client who wants to see the "big gear" - (there was a time when I'd rent a bigger camera when the DVX could have done a bigger job but I knew the client would scoff if they saw it), but for the most part now I've found that as long as I properly prepare the clients they actually have a very positive reaction - instead of saying "you're going to shoot our video with that?" they now say things like "wow, that little camera is incredible" - same goes for the lights, etc. I think if you set the expectations correctly, clients can actually be more impressed with the fact that, in their eyes, you are talented enough to create a professional product with less than perfect tools (which would have cost them more money to rent).

But, like I said, you'll always run into that one client.
And for that one...well.. you pull out the 2K light and bring an extra crew member to walk around and look like he's doing something all day - just so the set looks busy.

:thumbsup:
 
It is all about the machine the goes ping. If it is big and cost lots then it has to be good. Why do you think you see all the different acserories for the DVX. Some do accomplish a task and some are just for show and you hardly ever use them, but you keep it on your camera. The bigger the badder. Yes I can do allot of shoots with a dvx with out a matte box or follow focus on it. But I leave them on. The average client has no idea the big thing can come for something so small as a small light or dvx. They just want what they have seen in the movies. Big sets, big lights, big cameras. That’s all they know. So you need to show them work, and tell them this is what it is going to look like. Get them focused on that and away from any preconceived ideas. This is why you see 5 ton grip trucks on commercial sets and they are only using one 1K and so C stands.
 
The "classics" are the original series of fresnel instruments that Mole-Richardson developed. They are very common at stages, studios, and rental companies. Built like tanks, they are rugged, reliable instruments. The "baby" series of fresnels are similar in power, but have smaller lenses and more compact bodies. They are often favored for location work.
 
natdizzle said:
...
i think for this short i will rent some nice equipment, and wait itll i have a bt more money and buy a nicer light kit. i think were planning on a week shoot so it shouldnt be too bad at all...were still in early pre production.
about night shoots....i think were gonna have a scene in a parking lot at night.. yeah there'll be city lights and what not....should i bother renting a set for a night shoot...HOW DO YOU get POWER IN the MIDDLE Of A PARKING LOT???
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I'd recommend renting for that shoot as well. Ask the rental place about student rates (even if you aren't strictly a student). Maybe they will give you a 3 day week instead of a 4 day week (i.e. keep the equipment for the week but only pay 3-4 days worth of rental). The 1st rule of producing: Everything is negotiable.

As for power in the middle of a parking lot, the usual answer is a generator. Real movie generators are ideal. Quiet enough for sound and plenty of power. They may be problematic for your budget, however. One option that I've used in the past is Honda's EU series of generators. They are pretty quiet (not as quiet as real gennys of course), and you can often tuck them around a corner or build a sound barney for them. Check with your local Honda small generator dealer to see about renting one. Another option might be light poles in the parking lot. Some actually have outlets on them, or if you have an electrician, they may be able to rig one for you. Check with the property owner before you start down this route.
 
This is what bothers me, among other things, with this low budget "kit".

"corrugated carrying case"

Does that translate to cardboard?:shocked:

With all due respect to the original poster, you are wasting your money.

I appreciate you have a limited budget but that "kit" is worthless. You have no light control. You're just throwing light everywhere.

If you only have a couple of hundred bucks...go to Home Depot and get some work lights and several 100 foot extension cords. They'll do the same low budget job, with the same lack of light control, as the "kit" you linked to and cost you less while probably lasting longer.

Why do people spend so much money on a good little camera, then buy bottom of the barrel support gear to work with?

I know. I was there once myself and I learned my lessons the hard way.

I'm just trying to help others avoid my early mistakes but...maybe that's the only way many of us do learn.
 
I also got my kit little by little - buying a light at a time, but buying decent quality gear.
You'll be better off in the long run if you take that approach.

For the same price as 3 of those smith victor lights you should be able to get 1 decent quality light.
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Luis said it! I second this advice - you can purchase one or two fixtures at a time of much higher quality than the original kit you posted. Type fresnel, FAY, zip, 1K, tweenie and so on into ebay on most days and you'll see some decent values on what you should really be buying.

Stuff that'll hold up for generations will be branded:

Mole Richardson
Bardwell (or JG) McAlister
DeSisti
(some) Strand
(some) LTM

Here are some excellent values at roughly half their street price. Aside from some scratches (easily remedied with mfg. touch-up paint) you'll almost never find major functionality issues with used fixtures like these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/MOLE-RICHARDSON-MINI-MOLE-FRESNEL-100-W-TUNGSTEN-LIGHT_W0QQitemZ7586391555QQcategoryZ3860QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

If you want to have new stuff but cannot afford Mole, budget another 1/3 higher and buy second-tier names like Strand or LTM to start. These will hold up forever and will still have a place in your kit as you are able to afford better fixtures later.

I've heard some disparaging remarks on Strand based on people's experience with their shoddy theatre line, but the new professional cinema stuff is awesome. We have four of their hot (baby) 1ks and they're awesome. Nice focus train, reflector and heat dispersion technology for the money.

With these three fixtures below, you have the basis of a very nice three-point kit.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=196633&is=REG

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=125371&is=REG

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=125372&is=REG

e

I used the word awesome 78 times in this post, therefore I get the "special" self-awarded Chris Farley image award award.

Farley.jpg
 
Ralph Keyser said:
I'd recommend renting for that shoot as well.

As for power in the middle of a parking lot, the usual answer is a generator. quote]

Thanks man i hace definatly decided to Rent for the shoot and I guess will try to Negotiate:thumbup:
And im gonnna one buy one buy lights to build up my Collection
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Lensmith said:
Does that translate to cardboard?:shocked:

With all due respect to the original poster, you are wasting your money.
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dont worry im am away from that kit,!~!:beer:
 
I started out with photofloods and scoop reflectors with umbrellas and I kept wondering if there was more to lighting than just this. The only real benefit is that with the set-up I had, it was pretty simple to set up and shoot since the light was so diffused. That's the only good thing though. I much happier with directional lights.
 
natdizzle said:
dont worry im am away from that kit,!~!:beer:
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Cool man. Buy what will last little by little. It's worth it in the long run.

Best to you and have fun:beer: .
 
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