Basic lighting kit (and sound)?

John Rivers

John Rivers

Active member
I was wondering if anybody who has some experience with videography (and ideally some indie filming too) could give me some advice as to a lighting kit I could start off with. I don't have too much to spend, so the cheaper the better. Really, I'm just looking for something to add general lighting to my scenes and improve the overall picture without having to resort to using Gain.

Also, some ideas on the bare minimums for sound equipment would be excellent.

Any suggestions? When I think bare minimum, what I guess I mean is that if I describe to someone my equipment setup, the response is more "hmm...not a bad start," and not "wow, good luck getting a gig."

Thanks everyone!
 
What's the maximum amount are you willing to spend? Because I found out that this can be a determining factor for purchase. Otherwise, I would personally order Cartoni Focus F-102, and 2 8G-P2 cards.

Check into Kino light kit, Arri is good but it is $2000 and heavy.
 
I'm thinking under $1000, ideally under $500, if at all possible.

I'd love to get Arri's (the softbank I kit I've heard lots of good things about) but they're definitely out of my price range.

Any ideas or recommended kits?
 
"Bare minimum" would be those 500w shop lights bounced into walls or white foamcore. That will raise the ambient level and give it some directionality. You won't be adding texture with those kind of lights, but it doesn't sound like you are wanting to get too elaborate with your lighting setups.

"Bare minimum" audio would be an inexpensive shotgun mic and a musician's mic stand sans the base for a boom pole. Understand, I am speaking of "bare minimums" here. Everybody has to start somewhere and there is no need to buy a Mole-Richardson system and a Sennheiser 416 mic with a carbon fiber boom pole until you learn the basics. So, have fun, read some books about lighting for film and keep us posted on how you are doing.
 
So far here is what I got
2x750watt hot light + umbrela + stand + bag = ~750 $ CND
As for microphone, I got a senheiser wireless microphone cardioide for 210$ CND

My current wish list :
35mm adapter
Cartonie Focus tripod
lavalier microphone
Shotgun mic

maybe more light too, but I have to learn alot about light. I can't seem to not have my light look like light !!! How to create natural fake light... not that easy. Or the equippement is wrong... but aint light just light ;)
 
Larry McKee said:
"Bare minimum" would be those 500w shop lights bounced into walls or white foamcore. That will raise the ambient level and give it some directionality. You won't be adding texture with those kind of lights, but it doesn't sound like you are wanting to get too elaborate with your lighting setups.

"Bare minimum" audio would be an inexpensive shotgun mic and a musician's mic stand sans the base for a boom pole. Understand, I am speaking of "bare minimums" here. Everybody has to start somewhere and there is no need to buy a Mole-Richardson system and a Sennheiser 416 mic with a carbon fiber boom pole until you learn the basics. So, have fun, read some books about lighting for film and keep us posted on how you are doing.
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Sounds like a plan. My only real problem with using only shop lights and white foamcore is largely in portability (and some concerns over professional appearance, since I have no problem using shop lights and foam core to light my own indie projects, but it might be slightly unconventional when doing event videography or corporate videos, etc.)

Ideally (since I do have some money to spend on this) I could get a setup which is both simple to setup, portable, and efficient by being able to handle a decent variety of lighting needs. It's quite possible what I've just described doesn't exist at all, but whatever might be closest would be great.

Btw, I looked on B&H and found this kit:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=248529&is=REG

How would this setup work? Kino Flo seems nice as well, any recommended Kino Flo kits?

Thanks for everyone's input thus far.
 
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Ah. When you said lighting your scenes, I thought you were just interested in doing your own Indies. Corporate work is a whole nuther ball of wax. Sure, the kit you mentioned is a good starting place. Years ago, I started with 2 Smith-Victor 600w cans and a couple of shoot through umbrellas. Now there is a production truck sitting in my driveway chocked full of stuff.

I like shoot through umbrellas because you can vary the softness of the light by changing the distance for the umbrella from the light. That's something you can't do with soft boxes. Just don't get the light too close to the umbrella or you will end up with really hard light right after the fire.

If you have any cash left, you may want to pick up an Omni with barndoors. If you try to shape the light using the barndoors on the Totas, you will have the opportunity to buy another Tota. Believe me.
 
I have three Britek lights and have been very happy with them. The 250 watt light is great definitely seems more sturdy than the Lowel Pro light. I also have a 650 watt light that is nicely made. The only problem I have had with it is some of the screws kept coming loose on the glass in front of the bulb so I just took off the glass.

I am thinking about getting a couple of 2K lights.
 
for_mlove said:
What about Britek Lights, is anyone using them??
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They are good but a bit hot and not that easy to set up compared to other lights. I just bought some 23W 100Luminens 5500k florescent screw in bulbs that run $15 ea from a local light supply house and you can use them on the set in a lot of ways. You can put them in lamps on the set and you get great light that can be in the picture. You can also get some aluminum clamp on light fixtures and use a whole bunch of them to really light up a scene without the heat or cost of studio lights. Can't focus/barn door them though, so a set of Briteks are nice for that. I also just bought two shop lights from Home Depot that are 250w Halogen and have a small stand for $8 each! (The Chinese are going to building everything soon!) They are great for fill lighting a scene or back lighting. Lighting options are a lot bigger and cheaper now that just a few years ago for film.

David
 
while we are at it would some lighting guru explain the difference between blonde and red head lights?
I am looking at 3xred head 800W simillar to http://www.b-hague.co.uk/Ianiro.htm but i am getting a bargain price of just about a £150 for three lights, 3 stands the bag and 20 bulbs plus the one i am buying have barn doors and are focusing lights!!! sounds good for filming live events? and small cooprate productions?
 
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That is a good deal. Blonds and Redheads are different models of lights just like Mole-Richardson has Tweenies, Mickeys, and Teenies. If I remember right, Blonds are in the 600-650w range and the Redheads are 800-1000w. They are much more popular across the pond. We don't see them much in the U.S.
 
Blondes and Redheads have been used for years in the US in the film industry and now are mostly gathering dust in many back closet. You can still buy similar open face 1k and 2k lights from Arri.

The redheads are usually 800w fixtures and the Blondes are usually 2K fixtures.

I still use them ocasionally at a studio that has a bunch of old fixtures.
 
Dang. I had that backwards. I was remembering the Blonds as the smaller of the two. I haven't seen any in years, though. Thanks for clearing the cobwebs.
 
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