500 watt worklight and 126 LED combination?

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dominichicks

Active member
Hi everybody
First of all, please don't jump down my throat for not getting pro equipment. This stuff is for my first short film - I've spent a lot of my money on getting the locations I wanted, lenses I needed, sound equipment and tripods/dolly systems. I know that lighting is just as important as any of those, but I need to make every penny count - so I'm starting out with some basic stuff, and I'd really appreciate some advice on how to maximize its usefulness.

I'm shooting with a Canon 7D with fast lenses (1.8, and two 2.8s). I have a 500 watt worklight on a tripod, and a dimming 126 LED panel light.

How would you recommend I use these lights to bring my scenes to life? Could I use my worklight as a key, a reflector board as a fill and the LED as a backlight (possibly with a gel or a pattern maker for 'venetian blinds' effect)? Any other lights/equipment that might improve the setup?

Thanks, Dom
 
What are you shooting? I mean, you could pull off an interrogation scene okay with those lights, but not a auditorium.

I'm glad you understand the importance of lighting, but I would encourage you to place it higher on your list. It's good that you spent money on locations, lenses, sound, tripod/dolly...but I would put lighting gear well before several of those. Having a good assortment of lights and an understanding on how to use them is very important.

If you had just said I was grabbing a camera and needed some cheap lights to try something out, than I'd be okay. But if you are investing money, lighting equipment should be more of a priority.

But you're here and need some help...

First, let us know what you are shooting.

Second, I would get way more lights than that. The 126 LED is not a well color balanced light. It's great as an emergency light to have in your kit or an effect light for in a car or by a laptop screen, etc. Your 500 watt work light is going to be very hot and very hard to control. My first suggestion would be to get some clamp lights, gaff tape, and blackwrap (or aluminum foil if you can't afford blackwrap).

In the mean time, learn some great lighting techniques from the sticky pages at the top of the Lighting forum.
 
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If you don't have funds for more lights I'd say get some bounce board (anything that's white and can reflect light) and some form of flags to help control the light. Or if you can get your hands on some scraps of diffusion get that. Unless you want hard lighting you'll need something that's going to even out that work light.

But beyond that you need to give us more info on what your shooting, location, mood of the shoot, etc so we can help. There are so many ways one could tackle lighting with that so it's hard to say what will work for you best as of now.
 
OK Thanks for the help so far..

I actually love lighting in films and would put it to be up there with sound design, but the main reason I'm holding off on pro equipment is that I need quick, portable and cheap options for this film, as I'm not really working with a crew (I'm going to be a bit of a one man band).

The film is a dark comedy about a man who literally sleepwalks through his life. It begins in his bedroom/flat as he prepares to go to work, follows him on his commute on the London underground, and into the office... then to a pub where he socialises, then back to a girl's flat - a woman who he eventually gets married to. It follows him further into his old age, as he rises up the company to the top position, and his marriage breaks down. Ultimately it's a darkly tragic tale of how many lives are lived in the city. Most scenes are in boardrooms, bedrooms, offices etc - and it ends in a hospital room. I'll also be using a library as an attorney's office.

So all quite small, interior locations - places that I'll be renting for two hours or so each, and need to be in and out - hence the need for portable, simple equipment.

I'd like to create the 'venetian blinds' effect for the bedroom scenes (anything inprisoning would be ideal as that fits the theme of the film). I'd like to create a seducing look for the sex scene (although since our protagonist is asleep, the scene itself will be played for laughs). I want a green, clinical look at the hospital. I'd also like something fitting for the office sequences (could use the LED for computer screens, maybe even photocopier scanners?).

As for colour balance - can't I change my WB on the camera to compensate for that? Also, do I really need gels etc? As long as my shots are properly exposed with plenty of light, wont I be able to grade my footage nicely in post?

One special note should go to a particular scene in a boardroom. The subject will be in front of a large window which overlooks London. How do I light to compensate for that?

Also, in one other scene our subject is giving a powerpoint presentation with a projector in a darkly lit room. Any tips for that?

My thanks in advance,
Dom
 
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Sounds like you've got a great concept. Now for the most important piece of advice I can give you...

Get a DP.

Frankly to even try lighting that many different scenes with just two lights is close to impossible. And to light them all and make them look good is pretty much impossible.

I would befriend a DP and see if he would be willing to work on this project with you. Let me explain why.

As for colour balance - can't I change my WB on the camera to compensate for that? Also, do I really need gels etc? As long as my shots are properly exposed with plenty of light, wont I be able to grade my footage nicely in post?
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Yes you can color balance your camera to the 126 LED light, but then every other light in the room will look off. There is a reason that video lights are color balanced very precisely. And "fixing it in post" should NEVER be your plan going into a shoot. Lot's of things can't be fixed in post, and bad color balance can only be fixed so far.

One special note should go to a particular scene in a boardroom. The subject will be in front of a large window which overlooks London. How do I light to compensate for that?
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You would need to bring up the light in the interior of the room so that the window wouldn't blow out. You do this with very bright and very expensive lights. Usually HMIs or 2k, 5k, etc. daylight gelled tungstens.

If you are shooting this as a short "film" than you need a DP. The only way to get around that would be to shoot "documentary" style, but even then it won't look as good as a well lit scene.

Feel free to check out some of my lighting training videos on my YouTube page. See why different lights give you different looks. This is stuff that takes years of practice to get good at.

Again I'm not trying to discourage you. But since you said you spent a lot of money on everything else, I'd hate for that money to be waisted by bad lighting.
 
From the sound of it you're also going to be shooting with location lights on? With just those two lights you'll have a tough time trying to do anything beyond getting an edge light in some of those bright locations.
 
NextWaveG said:
Get a DP.
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Right... good advice methinks. And with 'shootingpeople', if you will it, it is no dream!

Thing is, I want to use my own Canon 7D and generally operate the camera and compose the shots myself where I can. Would a DP/cinematographer expect to compose the shots as well as light them?
 
dominichicks said:
Right... good advice methinks. And with 'shootingpeople', if you will it, it is no dream!

Thing is, I want to use my own Canon 7D and generally operate the camera and compose the shots myself where I can. Would a DP/cinematographer expect to compose the shots as well as light them?
Click to expand...

I think he meant more along the lines of get someone with lighting gear. A DP can't create light out of thin air.
 
dominichicks said:
Thing is, I want to use my own Canon 7D and generally operate the camera and compose the shots myself where I can. Would a DP/cinematographer expect to compose the shots as well as light them?
Click to expand...

It all depend on the production. Usually the DP is the lead camera operator, but the director has final call on composition and shots.

But that's something you can figure out. The main thing you want though is someone who both has lighting gear and knows how to use it.
 
Maybe an experienced gaffer is more helpfull in this case, they usually have more lighting gear, and as they don't usually dedicate to the camera side they are more specialized on lighting. Experienced gaffers will know how to get the most out of lights, they know how to place them correctly and how to set them up fast.
 
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