Help with lighting kit..

S

sawlrafter

Carbonite Member
hello everyone,
I need a decent portable (not too expensive) light kit.
Any recommendations? i am shooting a film mostly outdoors.
Thank you,
Sal.
 
They are fine for an outdoor shoot. You can get a kit of 3 1k's for about $500. I assume when you say exterior you don't mean daylight you mean nighttime.
 
You want a cheap light kit for outside? Go to longs and get some foam core, some white, some black, some with a silver shiny side if you can find it. Then get some diffusion or 2x3 silks and a c-stand or two and you're set. Definitely cheap!
 
RyanT said:
You want a cheap light kit for outside? Go to longs and get some foam core, some white, some black, some with a silver shiny side if you can find it. Then get some diffusion or 2x3 silks and a c-stand or two and you're set. Definitely cheap!
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This is what I am thinking. But again, OP how much moolah?
 
They used carbon arc fixtures which were the predecessor of HMIs or very large tungsten units. Carbon arcs are very bright and in daylight colors and were also used in spotlights until HMI and Xenon bulbs became available for such uses. I remember reading that in certain productions there were huge walls of carbon arcs built up even in studios because of the huge need for light on the early color films.
 
I remember reading in a recent ASC about the production on the newest Indiana Jones movie where the HMIs kept shutting off due to the heat outside. And the director commented, "That's why we used Carbon Arcs on the first one". There is a time and place for different tools.

I've seen plenty of older movies done with large tungsten fixtures. Many available used. If I was trying to push some light outside, I'd probably be looking at a 5k or 10k Fresnel. Likely used. By the tiime you add the necessary CTB gels you're going to have lost a stop or two. But it'll be WORLDS cheaper than running big HMIs.
 
PerroneFord said:
Gee, how did they shoot all those outdoor scenes in hollywood for ~60 years?
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To run 5k or 10k tungsten light you need to rent a generator, loads of bandit, a through box, and some bates cables. That ain't cheap. And to use them anywhere else besides the generator you need to know how to tie in...It doesn't sound like he's quite ready for that one yet. I could also run a 1200 watt HMI off of a little 2000 watt generator with just one stinger. I'm sure the costs would be comparable...

That's why I suggested bounce boards. Good, cheap, and reliable.

Edit: Now I have seen some bargers, the one I saw was a 6k that plugs into 3 different circuits to get the full power. Even with that though, you need three seperate circuits. That light isn't going to be cheap and your either going to have to buy 3 generators, or rent one and you're back with the 5k and 10k fixtures I was speaking about earlier. I really think the only cost effective way is bounce boards and silks. Nothing beats it for the price.
 
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Cool Lights said:
I remember reading that in certain productions there were huge walls of carbon arcs built up even in studios because of the huge need for light on the early color films.
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If you can ever get a hold of the Warner Bros. Wizard of Oz three disc collector's edition DVD, I produced a ton of docs for it in 2005. We did a piece called, "The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz" In the doc, we talk specifically about this. Yes, it's true, an entire 60' high wall of carbon arcs were required to expose the Technicolor three strip film that used to photograph Oz. The film stock was rated about ASA 18, if that gives you any idea of how slow the stock was. There are a few period photos in the doc of the wall of carbon arcs.

The wall of carbon arcs required so much amperage that when it was fired up, it would dim all of the lights in the entire city of Culver City so eventually a separate power plant to power the stages at MGM was constructed. After a take or two, they would have to open the stage doors to ventilate the stage as it was close to 100 degrees. Plus they would have to constantly ventilate out all of the smoke from the carbon arc lamps.

People today don't have a clue as to how technically difficult filmmaking was back in the Golden era.

Dan
 
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