Good *Portable* Single-Light Solution? (for doc work)

C

custerc

Well-known member
I'm shooting a doc and finding that for indoor interviews at night, there often isn't enough light to expose our shots properly. I'm wondering if there's one nice, portable, soft light that people would advise to bring along for situations like this. I want something smallish, but not mounted on the camera.

Note: I do not want the produced look and feel of typical documentary three-point or more interview lighting. I can go into the details of why if anyone's curious, but I'm looking for something that's not going to be an obvious "film" light. I want people watching not to notice the lighting at all, so it looks natural.
 
Although I'm not a fan of trying to shoot with but a single light, an open face 500W - 650W halogen lamp pointed straight up and bounced off the ceiling is a good way to raise the general level of illumination without calling too much attention to itself. The key (pardon the pun) is to make your one light source look as "large" as possible so it doesn't cast deep, hard-edged shadows anywhere, and doesn't appear to come too much from one specific point or direction.

If you don't have a light-colored ceiling that's low enough to make this work, you might need to bring your own big reflector -- white cardboard or a bedsheet in a pinch.

- GDS
 
custerc said:
I'm shooting a doc and finding that for indoor interviews at night, there often isn't enough light to expose our shots properly. I'm wondering if there's one nice, portable, soft light that people would advise to bring along for situations like this. I want something smallish, but not mounted on the camera.
Click to expand...

I would suggest a light with a softbox. While I've done exclusively stills 'on location', just as almost exclusively, I've used a large softbox on my strobe. This will cover a number of 'problems', which a harder light would bring out, whether it is 'shadows' on the background, shine on the subjects, etc. The alternative would be to use a single light and point it at a very 'light' surface, such as ceiling or wall, to give a softer light.

I've been watching the "Rome" HBO series. And for almost all shots that were close up, there is a catch light in the eyes of the talent, and actually used that fact, to 'depict the death' of a character, by showing the catchlight, and as she 'died', the catchlight dimmed and went out, leaving 'dark' eyes... I thought it was a pretty 'cool' effect that was pretty cheap to do...

What does that have to do with docs... well, give a little catchlight to the eyes I think brings the subject to a bit more life. Since a catchlight need not be big, or powerful, and can be mounted on the camera, I think it would work for you with a one light setup.
 
You can power the joker with batteries so you're not anchored to an ac outlet.
Of course you can drop in lenses to spread the light as you want and add a softbox or a sheet of 216.
 
I've got a big travel job coming up where I will not be able to bring my normal lighting package that I use in and around the NY area - kinos, fresnels, softboxes, frames, all sorts of grip. There is also little budget more than my day rate, so rentals in the travel locations will not be part of the plan. Fortunately, the situation calls for something similar to what you're talking about. Beautiful, but complately natural-looking interviews.

The kit I've put together for this is based around a lowel tota in a 36x48 softbox. With a stand, that setup collapses into a thin, 9"x38" package and does a great job. Fits in my suitcase with plenty of room for clothes and a couple of flexfills.

~~Dave
 
Smallish, portable and not camera mounted ? It all depends what you mean by small.
I have been in similar lighting situations for interviews and I had an assistant hold a light with a monopod slightly elevated around 3-4 feet higher than the talent and around 15 feet away to the side. The light has a 12 X 8 inch diffuser in front of it so that it is not too harsh for the eyes, and being far away, is less apt to catch the attention. Mini soft boxes (squarish) can also be used, LED lights are ideal for this as no frontal heat is generated or very little. High output LED's with dimming is ideal.
 
While everyone seem to be moving to daylight balanced lights, tungsten is still best for night interiors if you are balancing with existing practical lamps. Everything Lowel is nice and small. I've never used one but the Rifa looks really cool, the lamp is built into the softbox, just open it up and is ready to go.

A super cheap and handy solution that everyone should have in their kit are the basic silver reflectors with clamps. They will clamp to doors, bookshelves, cupboards etc. You can change the bulbs to suit your needs. I currently prefer compact florescent daylight balanced bulbs, but you can swap out halogen or standard household bulbs. The compact flo's also come in various standard colours like cool-white or warm white to match commercial settings.
 
Yeah the Joker Bug looks nice but is out of my budget, for the moment anyway. These Lowels look nice, although it looks like I may have to hunt for a dealer in China. How durable are they? Obviously I'm not planning to throw them down the stairs, but we would be dragging it onto crowded trains and the like (doc requires a lot of travel, can't afford to fly!) so I need something strong enough to take a little abuse. We might also buy a case for it, but even so, I'd prefer something I know can take a lump or two...so has anyone tried dragging them around? Also, anything similar in that price range? It's good to have a backup, because sometimes stuff is hard to track down here...
 
custerc said:
Yeah the Joker Bug looks nice but is out of my budget, for the moment anyway. These Lowels look nice, although it looks like I may have to hunt for a dealer in China. How durable are they? Obviously I'm not planning to throw them down the stairs, but we would be dragging it onto crowded trains and the like (doc requires a lot of travel, can't afford to fly!) so I need something strong enough to take a little abuse. We might also buy a case for it, but even so, I'd prefer something I know can take a lump or two...so has anyone tried dragging them around? Also, anything similar in that price range? It's good to have a backup, because sometimes stuff is hard to track down here...
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I don't quite see how your large softbox is unobtrusive. The Totas are very durable and you should be able to find globes cheap anywhere. You can also use them on 220V, China's standard, with the proper globe and plug adapter. Do not use the 1000W globes, they're too hot and too easily damage the fixture. I suggest a good dimmer, such as the Harbor Freight router speed control everybody uses but it won't work on 220V. http://www.harborfreight.com/router-speed-control-43060.html

A largish battery powered LED light would be awfully handy and easy to carry and much less obtrusive in operation. You can search the forum for best choices but plan on spending 2 or 3 hundred bucks for a good one.
 
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An Arri or Altman ProL 300W Fresnel and a 2 x 3' piece of beadboard / foamcore for some sidelight fill. Key from an aluminum baby stand and use a grip clip to affix the fill board to a conventional light stand. It doesn't get much lighter than that. With the same set-up for stands, I love a LitePanels One-By-One Bi-Color as the key with a 1/2 Hampshire. Makes a very pretty key without looking too lit. I prefer to show practicals and to justify my studio source. I carry Ikea 300w inline dimmers to throw on practicals - often bringing them down to just a bright glow.

There is also a new series of fixtures out from Rosco called the LitePad Axiom. They take the improved LitePad HO+ and put them into a metal frame with filter holder and removable plate that interfaces with 3" baby pins. They don't punch in the same way the LitePanels do, but they put out a very soft, large-looking source of daylight balance light.
 
custerc said:
I'd prefer something I know can take a lump or two...so has anyone tried dragging them around? Also, anything similar in that price range? It's good to have a backup, because sometimes stuff is hard to track down here...
Click to expand...

I've only rented a Lowell package once. The kit came in what I presume is the 'Lowell' supplied case. I'd suggest getting a Pelican case or equivalent for 'rough travel'. My experience for train travel (not dragging lights but other types of equipment) is in Europe, and basically I don't think the supplied kit case is tough enough to withstand getting on a train in a minute or two that seems to be the typical 'dwell time', or finding a seat, luggage rack, storage area, having other passengers kick/move/relocate to get their own luggage, etc.

Packed in the foam that comes with the Pelican case, I think the units would hold up for 'reasonable' treatment in setting things up.
 
Ah, sorry, custerc, I was actually responding to someone else in the thread. So,

I'm a busy small-time gaffer with my own 40 grand kit. I have lots of Lowel lights - Pro Lights, Totas, Omnis, DPs, iLights and use the Pro Lights a lot. The others not so much as I usually use fresnels in their stead. Lowel lights are intended for location work as they are light and compact. They are also reasonably durable, not so good for rental use but tough and long lasting in your own hands. If you need some good ideas and proof of that, check this: http://www.bluesky-web.com/light-kit.htm

I have a very high regard for Graff and he's very, very experienced. Olson's comments, just above, are pretty much what Graff suggests and what I do if I can't break out the Kinos.

Can a Lowel light take a beating?

DV0404lightingFig03.jpg
 
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