advince for renting a light kit

ernesto

ernesto

Well-known member
I am going to be shooting this short in about a month and I am going to rent some light equipment from IFP Minneapolis. I don't have very much experience with pro lights but I've been reading up on them lately. What would you guys recommend for the most cost-effective 3-point lighting kits from their list?
FIXTURES


MOLE-RICH BABY 1K - $15/day
MOLE-RICH TWEENIE KIT (3 650W) - $45/day
MOLE-RICH BETWEENIE KIT (3 300W) - $45/day
COMBO KIT (3 650W) - $20/day
ARRI KIT (3 1000w) - $30/day
COMPREHENSIVE KIT (3 1000w) - $20/day
STROBE KIT (2 400W FLASH) - $20/day
MOLE-RICH 2K FRESNEL - $18/day
MOLE-RICH 4K SOFTLITE - $25/day
MOLE-RICH 200W MIDGET - $8/day
PRACTICAL KIT (Misc. House Bulbs, Photofloods) - $5/day
SCOOP LIGHTS (Practical Fixture) - $3/day
150W CAMERA MOUNTED LITE (WALL POWERED) - $3/day



GRIP & ELECTRICAL (SOME ITEMS FREE WITH LIGHTING RENTAL)


SEKONIC L-398 LIGHTMETER - $8/day
C-STANDS - $3/day
2 NET / 2 FLAG SANDWICH - $3/day
GEL SUITCASE - $3/day
MISC GELS - $3/day
SANDBAGS - $1.50/day
APPLE BOXES - $1/day
BLACK WRAP - $1/day
FOAMCORE - $1/day
DUVATINE - $1/day
#1 and #2 CLIPS - $1/day
C47'S (CLOTHSPINS) - $1/day
CHEATERS - $1/day
Click to expand...


I don't want to spend more than $50 a day with lights. So I was thinking maybe a combo kit ($20) + 2k fresnel ($18) + 4 c-stands ($12) + a gels suitcase? Any advice on what to spend my money on?

Thanks,

Ernesto.
 
A gaffer with his/her own lights. Ba-dum-pa.

3 point lighting is a standard that was set years ago for practicality, visual interest, accentuating beauty/ shaping the face, and defining / highlighting shape.
3 point lighting should be mastered first as a teaching tool, and adjusted for individual set ups.
I don't wake up in the morning thinking 3 point lighting everytime I shoot an interview, nor would I think about it for a short , or even feature for that matter.
Go to the library, use the internet.. There are far more things about lights you need to know than "What should I rent?" Your going to get 20 different opinions.....
You can describe in detail ,each scene your going to shoot, what the actors are going to say and do, and what the room dimensions are.. but without knowing what the mood is, what time of day your shooting at-and what time of day that you want during this scene..not to mention your location-Physical dimensions.. do I need a genny to power up my lights, can I use the outlets, how many are there, and what circuits are they on? " If I shoot the wide shot first, then have to reset for the over the shoulders shots, where am I going to place my light so it's not going to be in the shot ?
Lighting and good audio are almost always overlooked by folks starting out...It's a learning process, but before you push record on your camera, go watch a film in a whole new way....Turn off your cell phone, tell your girlfriend/boyfriend your busy ...and watch a movie with new eyes. Look at the camera angle..Why did they choose that angle..Where is that light coming from..? Did they put that there for separation from the background, is it to diminish or accent the actors hair ? Why are there two light reflections in the actors eyes.. and in the other shot, there is only one.
Light theory and it's application are very important, and so is believability.
"Should we put several lights outside the window to light up this scene?"
I'm sorry I've gone off on a rant here, but lights are tools, and the different tools have different functions, and each function is determined by mood, location, power needs, coverage , spread,(pattern of light and throw distance)
distance to actor or object, hard or soft, pattern or filtered,color corrected, fresenel or open face..yadda, yadda.
Let your STORY BE YOUR GUIDE, ask a pro to go with you on a scout and determine your light needs, and research what lights can do or not do for you.
 
Hey, thanks for the reply and the valuable advice.

I'd love to get a person who knows about lights to work for me here but I live in Rochester, MN where the filmmaking scene is nonexistent, so there really is no way I can get a local gaffer. Then, I could try and find one in Minneapolis but the next obstacle would be that I'm only 16 and I could only afford to pay them $100 for an entire day and three hours of driving with their car full of lights, which I know is pitiful and they deserve three or four times that I just don't have the money. However, lighting is an essential part of filmmaking and I think renting some lights and using some basic techniques with them would help me get some experience and would make my short look better as well.

However, I could provide you with some more information to help me pick out some lights. I will not have a generator and I'll have to use a house's circuit to power the lights. The scenes take place inside a parked car, daylight exteriors, and I would like to have some night exteriors, however if it is impossible with those lights I would understand and modify the script accordingly.

Thanks again, and if you have any other advice regarding gaffers or other professional assistance I'd love to hear it.

Ernesto.
 
Go to Lights On - Minneapolis or Cinequipt, and ask for a demo of lights. This time of year it's a little slow production wise in most places, and they might make time for you. ( They are both equipment rental houses)
 
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