Help with Lighting??

ollywood88

ollywood88

Well-known member
Hi,

I am about to embark on shooting a low budget film for my next project.

It is a horror very similar to The Strangers.

We have a very small budget, all of our scenes are outdoors.

We need to light areas of a log cabin we will be filming. With no generator because we cant afford it.

Is there anything we can do suggestions? Strip lights tied together? LED? battery pack lights?

Ned help before i shoot

Thanks

Ollie :)
 
You need lots of light. Lots of light needs lots of power. Can you barter for generator use?

One thing that comes to mind are car headlights. Maybe get a couple cars side-by-side and use that? It's not very precise but it might help some.
 
Right. You need a generator. What would happen if you went on Craigslist explaining that you're starving artist filmmakers and asked to borrow a generator for copy, credit and undying gratitude? I think there's a good chance someone would loan you one for nothing. You need a Honda or Yamaha 2000W inverter generator because they are quiet and efficient.

And car lights work for a few scenes just fine.
 
How are generators to hire??? sounds a good idea, help the poor students :) haha

thanks for the replies.
 
ollywood88 said:
Hi,

I am about to embark on shooting a low budget film for my next project.

It is a horror very similar to The Strangers.

We have a very small budget, all of our scenes are outdoors.

We need to light areas of a log cabin we will be filming. With no generator because we cant afford it.

Is there anything we can do suggestions? Strip lights tied together? LED? battery pack lights?

Ned help before i shoot

Thanks

Ollie :)
Click to expand...

If you have no money for a generator... how about car lights... just write it into your script...
 
What camera are you shooting with? Is there any power to the cabin you described? Of course you are going to need lights, and you will need to power them. I have done some very low budget horror stuff, with very little light, and it is not easy. If you can not get a generator, then work in some type of lighting for the cabin, and use that. Get some very powerful flashlights for your talent, and use that as your motivated light. If the cabin has power, then use that to light your biggest lights and throw that light on to some trees in the back ground, then cheat the portraiture lighting from the practical lights in the scene. If the cabin does not have power, then I would look into getting some 12 volt DC to 110 volt AC inverters. You can get them in auto parts stores and they provide AC power from 12 DC power sources. Have your talent light themselves with powerful flashlights (shine them into reflectors off scene to light up the closeups) and then throw some light, from say a compact fluorescent, in a scoop work light powered by a 12 volt inverter hooked to a car parked close by, on the back ground. The real secret is to have a few well lit establishing shots, that you can cut back to to maintain the geography of the scene. If you have that, and then play most of your scene in medium shots, lit with handheld lights, and a suggestion of a background, you should be all right.
 
Shooting with Ex1 and hopefully SG BLADE. So not too bad in Low light.

Yess are flash lights good to use, good exposure?

Yeah that is brill. I thought about getting some car lights, using curtain rail and hagging off/clipping diffuser.

To light the Hut, if we use a generator in our budget. I would want to use a blonde with gobo's on stands to give texture.

Also have 65w watt to light the outside, diffused using black wrap for spill and would use reflectors on stands for a distance.

Any advice on lighting horror's specific looks?

Thanks
 
ollywood88 said:
Shooting with Ex1 and hopefully SG BLADE. So not too bad in Low light.

Yess are flash lights good to use, good exposure?

Yeah that is brill. I thought about getting some car lights, using curtain rail and hagging off/clipping diffuser.

To light the Hut, if we use a generator in our budget. I would want to use a blonde with gobo's on stands to give texture.

Also have 65w watt to light the outside, diffused using black wrap for spill and would use reflectors on stands for a distance.

Any advice on lighting horror's specific looks?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Well, powerful flashlights are not the perfect solution for shooting a film at night, however, it sounds like you are in a situation with some extreme limitations, so, you gotta do what you gotta do. In the situation you are describing, with a camera like the EX-1, you are going to need to set your shutter speed to the slowest setting you can get away with and you are going to have to set your gain to a higher level than most folks would normally suggest. Remember that using a 35mm adaptor does eat up light. In your situation, make sure that the 35mm lens you are using is very fast. As for using the flashlights, I would suggest getting some of the very large Mag Light type flashlights, which have halogen bulbs, for the talent. I would also suggest getting some of the very powerful, "Million Candle Power" type spot lights that plug into car cigarette lighters. Get some foam core, poster board or other reflector material and keep it right at the frame edge. Have your talent shine their flashlights into these reflectors, for general fill. Take the more powerful spot lights and shine them into reflectors, also at the frame edge, for your portraiture key lights. Experiment and test to get the look that you want.

As for Horror lighting suggestions, try uplighting, that is, lighting from below. That is always a creepy look. Lighting in silhouette is also very powerful. Sometimes the most scary images, are those that are not lit. Experiment with the judicious use of shadow and you may come up with some very, very scary images.
 
Sell the EX1, rent a Redmx or F3 and a lighting package for 2 weeks or however long your shoot is....



Im only half kidding. Having a great camera is only half the battle. What d o you do for a living? Renting a genny is cheap. for a week long shoot you will probably only be charged for a day and a half.... Perhaps a part time job to pay for the stuff you need for the film. Ditch some stuff at a stoop sale... There are ways of paying for a genny.
 
Where are you located, if you are in the Bay Area or somewhere more metro, then I would go on Craigslist under free stuff. I got my first set of lights brand new with a case and stands from a very giving person. I am still thankful for him generosity and used the heck out of them.
 
Ed Ng said:
Where are you located, if you are in the Bay Area or somewhere more metro, then I would go on Craigslist under free stuff. I got my first set of lights brand new with a case and stands from a very giving person. I am still thankful for him generosity and used the heck out of them.
Click to expand...

I am a big fan of Craigslist... Haven't had much luck under "Free stuff", but I did just get a Miller 30 head, with great Miller sticks for $500.00. A great tripod. I check Craigslist for gear on a regular basis.
 
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