Key Light Softbox Size for Interviews

I usually use a medium; add a fabric grid if the scene is low key. If you need to be farther back than usual, sometimes a large or a frame is better.
 
Right now I'm using a Lowel Rifa ex88 which is 32 inches by 32 inches and I'm pretty happy with the look it gives, just not happy with the pain of using a hot tungsten light. I'm planning to get some LED panels soonish and would prefer to use a softbox setup instead of a frame since a frame requires more grip gear, the light bounces back to the camera if you don't use an additional flag, and it's not easily compatible with a grid. Here are a few options I'm looking at.

Two Area 48's on their 1x2 bracket with their softboxes would yield a softbox size of 40 in x 15 in, or 20 x 15 in if just one Area 48 is used. It looks like it wouldn't take long to setup, has the advantage (and disadvantage) of having two lights (which means they can be used separately for other purposes, as well as making it easier to power them via batteries), and is not very heavy and can be stored pretty easily in a smallish bag. DOP Choice also has the OCTA 5 softbox for the Area 48 which is 61 in x 61 in which may be a bit too large, plus I'm unsure if the Area 48 would put out as much light as I'd like when pushing through a baffle and such a large source.

Another option is the Cineo HS with the DOP Softbox which is a good sized 39 in x 39 in.

There's also the Arri Skypanel with a DOP Choice softbox which is 35 in x 24 in.
 
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Two area 48s as large softbox source is a lot of coin for an interview softbox key. At that price I'd be looking at the Hive Bee or HMI. They can also produce hard light witch the Area 48 can't. An HMI or Hive Bee would also accept the many accessories made for conventional light mounts opening up a ton of modifier options.

Area 48s are very nice for soft light. I find their accessories very very overpriced.
 
HMI is a pain for one-man-band work. I have very little experience using them; I believe the ballast is noisy which makes it a pain for interviews, and they don't typically run on batteries since they're less efficient than LEDs, along with generating more heat.

I'm unsure if a single point source Hive Bee through a soft box would yield as soft of a result. I don't think you can run the Bee off of batteries. Remote Phosphor has better colors than HMI and probably better than the Hive as well, though I'm not sure of that, particularly for the Hive. I thought the Hive could not be dimmed which would be a big pain, but on B&H I see that DMX is an option for dimming it, which just sounds like extra cabling and whatnot to fuss with for simple interview setups. Is there a specific gel set to change the Hive to 3200k?

Area 48 accessories are overpriced, but they make nice gear.

For b-roll I really would like at least one soft light that is quick to setup, can run on batteries, is soft without additional modifiers (though has the option to use modifiers if an even softer light is desired), and remote phosphor seems to be the only lights that fit that bill. Of the lighter weight remote phosphors, that leaves the Cineo Maverick and Area 48, of which the Area 48 seems better for my purposes. So I'd see myself getting at least one Area 48 in any case. I could use it as a fill light to a different light, or use one or two of them as a key, and then a Cineo Maverick or Litepanels Astra as a fill.

For hard lights I'd figure on Fresnels such as the Zylight F8 and Fiilex P360ex (or Practilite 602 if it ever gets released).

So I guess I'm curious if 40 in by 14 in for two Area 48s would be considered a large enough source. I know Matthew Allard of Newshooter was using a single Area 48 with a softbox in his interview setups.

https://vimeo.com/97894487
 
Given your requirements of variable colour temp and soft only the Area 48 sounds like the right choice. I've been using an LS1 light storm through diffusion for a nice key but as you stated it requires more grip. I've been keeping my eye out for a softbox that would fit it and haven't seen much. Great light otherwise. Love the dimming remote.
 
A 90cmx60cm rectangular or 36" octobox is really the minimum I agree.

I recently moved to 120cmx90cm and a 120cm octobox, and although the size DOES get inconvenient in smaller spaces - the RESULTS are worth it to me.

If you're using an LED panel or some other light fixture that cannot be easily attached to a softbox, then those large 5-in-1 fold-out reflector jobbies are great because the innermost piece is a diffuser itself. They spring out firmly and you can clamp them onto light stands really easily. AND THEY'RE CHEAP.
 
I think Kinos are a pain. A 4 bank is difficult to move by yourself. It's 21 lbs, very large (52 inches long vs 25 inches on the Skypanel), difficult to maneuver and fit into small spaces such as offices, and is just not really meant for a one-man-band lighting setup. It's also more difficult to control spill, I'd guess the small plastic grid you can use with it is not as effective as a full size grid on a softbox. I also find it to not be bright enough; I was on a shoot once with one as a key for an interview and after the lighting guy put diffusion cloth on it, we were forced to shoot at f/2.8 while I like to shoot tight shots at f4 to f/5.6 for interviews.

Then it also takes longer to change color temperature since you have to change bulbs, you have to store all those bulbs, have backup bulbs for both tungsten and daylight, risk bulbs breaking, it's not dimmable without color shift (well, you can turn bulbs off, which is less precise), and the color rending is not as good as remote phosphor. It also can't be run off of batteries.

I'm sure they're great for a lot of larger sets and also for having a popular name brand light that producers will recognize and pay for, but for what I need I like something smaller and easier to work with as a one-man-band. I'd figure in general for shoots where they specifically request Kinos which I've had one or two requests for that at that point they're often looking for a grip truck, which I don't plan to get into at least at this point.
 
I'd suggest looking into larger shoot through umbrellas. A 5' diameter brolly will give you a large soft source, and it's massively faster to transport and setup - plus you can use it with any fixture you want.
 
What about a large diffusion roll on a horizontal grip arm? If space is tight, the area 48 soft box will be fine every time.

Also, I wouldn't add a second panel for the sole purpose of increasing the size of the soft box, when a single area 48 panel has enough output as a key light for most interviews.
 
Eric Coughlin said:
I think Kinos are a pain. A 4 bank is difficult to move by yourself. It's 21 lbs, very large (52 inches long vs 25 inches on the Skypanel), difficult to maneuver and fit into small spaces such as offices, and is just not really meant for a one-man-band lighting setup. It's also more difficult to control spill, I'd guess the small plastic grid you can use with it is not as effective as a full size grid on a softbox. I also find it to not be bright enough; I was on a shoot once with one as a key for an interview and after the lighting guy put diffusion cloth on it, we were forced to shoot at f/2.8 while I like to shoot tight shots at f4 to f/5.6 for interviews.

Then it also takes longer to change color temperature since you have to change bulbs, you have to store all those bulbs, have backup bulbs for both tungsten and daylight, risk bulbs breaking, it's not dimmable without color shift (well, you can turn bulbs off, which is less precise), and the color rending is not as good as remote phosphor. It also can't be run off of batteries.

I'm sure they're great for a lot of larger sets and also for having a popular name brand light that producers will recognize and pay for, but for what I need I like something smaller and easier to work with as a one-man-band. I'd figure in general for shoots where they specifically request Kinos which I've had one or two requests for that at that point they're often looking for a grip truck, which I don't plan to get into at least at this point.
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Eric, you are not me. You stated in another thread, you're more interested in ergonomics than ultimate picture quality, I am the other way round.

I like using four banks because I can quickly achieve a glossy look with minimum of fuss. - no building soft-boxes or diffusion frames etc.

I don't find it difficult to set-up and tear down kinos, quite the reverse. Are they as quick and light to carry as a Rifa88 or LED panel? No, but I have those lights too, and use them when appropriate. But, when I need a big soft key, I need a big light source.

Your answer above demonstrates a lack of knowledge about the product, so for clarity:

Firstly, a four bank is not difficult to move, you just pick it up and move it. If you are a small child or suffer painful arthritis it might be difficult, but for any average built adult human, it's quite easy. The fixture is only 5.2KG (less than 12lbs). The ballast is only 2.2KG (less than 5lbs). I can tape my four bank fixture to the ceiling or to a wall if I need to. It is big, you can't tuck it under your shirt and smuggle it onto a plane, but it's size is its strength. You need the size to create the look. There are lots of different grids you can buy to control spill. It's a non issue and its light output is slightly better than my 1K tungsten lamps.

You assert a kino is not really meant for a one man band. That's rubbish, they are used on interview sets the world over. Maybe not by people who need to get the bus home after their shoot, but by many professionals from Shanghai to Stockholm.

You claim it takes longer to change temperature; For years my go to interview key lights were tungsten. I'd say it takes me about the same time to swap out the lamps on a four bank as it did to gel my old soft box. I have lights where setting colour temperature involves nothing more than a quick twiddle of a knob. Which is fine, but I don't like the quality of their colour rendition, so I never use them as a key.

Bulbs; you must have been using aftermarket bulbs or old ones. Today's Kino bulbs are tough and durable. I've never broken one. Never.

Dimming; Individual switches on the ballast means I don't need to dim.

Colour rendering: is probably 98% of where I was with tungsten. again, you must have been using old or aftermarket bulbs.

There are many ways to skin a cat and I configure my kit differently all the time. But I choose the kit that I believe will give me the best results, if that means carrying a large unwieldy piece of gear then fine, I do it. If it means sticking a rifa light down my shorts, I'll do that too:)

This was shot with minimal set-up time using four banks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvyOz6MsUQ8
 
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I should add, for your requirement Eric, and given your comments in this thread, I'd suggest a Lite Panels Astra with a diffusion frame.
 
Grug said:
I'd suggest looking into larger shoot through umbrellas. A 5' diameter brolly will give you a large soft source, and it's massively faster to transport and setup - plus you can use it with any fixture you want.
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Those are great, but if need more, you can get parabolic umbrellas. I have a couple of these:

Westcott 7' Parabolic Umbrella - there's a diffuser for it, attach it and you're ready to go - 7' diameter is pretty big if you need that, or just find a smaller brolly like Grug suggested. They come in kits too:

Westcott 1200W Spiderlite TD6 7' Parabolic Umbrella Kit

There's a bunch of cheaper ones made by Impact, also sold by B&H, and all take diffusers - you can pick white, silver and kits.

It's fast to set up, and you give up nothing quality-wise as far as how big a light source you want to make. You can get brollies in almost any size if the 7' parabolic is too much.
 
I just noticed the Arri Skypanel does have an option for a large 48" x 36" softbox from Chimera which looks interesting.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...2_0008197_chimera_lightbank_softbox_with.html

One nice thing about the Skypanel compared to Cineo or the Area 48 is that clients who are skeptical of LEDs tend to not be skeptical of the "Arri" name brand. I'm guessing the Skypanels will become pretty popular around sets.



I've used umbrellas with Lowel Tota lights and find the image gets a rather washed out and unsharp look to it; perhaps it makes things too soft. I'm not sure.

I'm in the middle of DPing a five day shoot now with a grip truck which has a Joker 800w, two four bank Kinos, and two Kino Divas. The four banks do set up pretty quickly, but they are a bit of a pain to lug around, particularly if I had to fit one or two of them in my car with all my other gear. They fit in the grip truck fine, but I've got a small SUV. I also find sometimes the four bank isn't as powerful as I'd like.

One of the interviews we did today I wanted to use two four banks through a 4 x 4 as a key light, but we didn't have enough time so settled for one four bank with diffusion clipped directly on it. I'd guess the Skypanel S60 would be two or three times as bright as a Kino four bank.

Ooh, looks at all these nice accessories for the Skypanel I just found. https://www.arri.com/news/news/new-accessories-for-skypanel-led-lights/
 
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OldCorpse said:
Those are great, but if need more, you can get parabolic umbrellas. I have a couple of these:

Westcott 7' Parabolic Umbrella - there's a diffuser for it, attach it and you're ready to go - 7' diameter is pretty big if you need that, or just find a smaller brolly like Grug suggested. They come in kits too:

Westcott 1200W Spiderlite TD6 7' Parabolic Umbrella Kit

There's a bunch of cheaper ones made by Impact, also sold by B&H, and all take diffusers - you can pick white, silver and kits.

It's fast to set up, and you give up nothing quality-wise as far as how big a light source you want to make. You can get brollies in almost any size if the 7' parabolic is too much.
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I actually only have the 7' Westcott Umbrellas myself. But for corporate head and shoulders type interviews, I'd imagine the 7' brollies could be a little too big and unwieldy, 5' would be rather more manageable (but still significantly larger than any softbox you're likely to get).
 
DPStewart said:
A 90cmx60cm rectangular or 36" octobox is really the minimum I agree.

I recently moved to 120cmx90cm and a 120cm octobox, and although the size DOES get inconvenient in smaller spaces - the RESULTS are worth it to me.

If you're using an LED panel or some other light fixture that cannot be easily attached to a softbox, then those large 5-in-1 fold-out reflector jobbies are great because the innermost piece is a diffuser itself. They spring out firmly and you can clamp them onto light stands really easily. AND THEY'RE CHEAP.
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Out of curiosity - how strong does the LED panel have to be? I Have a LED 500(darkest) and while it does go through the panel, its still loses a lot of power, it only works for a headshot interview (if your in a lowly light room).
 
Lets face it, if there was a one size fits all solution this thread would not be needed.

Maybe someday a "one light to rule them all" solution will come to market. To promptly be replaced by an even better one light to rule them all V2. :grin:

Until that time I guess I'll blab on about my kit.

In my little world, interviews can happen in a number of different places. From small really cramped office rooms, to large warehouse buildings, to cool looking kitchens, to a riverside fishing dock. It could almost be anywhere. So I tend to carry a wide selection of kit to cover the bases.

The Chimera soft Boxes I carry are Medium, Small, and X-Small. If I need something larger than a medium and have the space I go right to a 4x4 or larger frame with diffusion. I have been in cubicles so tight I could only use a couple of Z-96 LED lights diffused in close. Small Daylight office rooms where a 200w HMI W/XS Chimera, 1x1 LED panel diffused, Dedolight 150w got the call. A kitchen where we had Biax 55w x 4, Biax 55w x 6, and a Kino Flo Barfly 200w was used. A living room where I used a 400w HMI W/Medium Chimera, 200w HMI W/Small Chimera, and 200w HMI W/XS Chimera to light the interviewee. Sometimes I use a Mole Nooklite 1K into a medium Chimera on a dimmer as a key light, with a white bounce card for fill. For locations without power my carry Genny package is only 2 x 2000w so the biggest light I carry is a 1.2K HMI. My 2K Tungsten lights do not ride in my van unless I know in advance they are needed. I didn't mention any background lights I used which also depends on the location. I use everything from a 150w Dedolight, to 750w Source 4 Ellipsoidal, to 200w HMI, 575w HMI, to 650w Mole Fresnel. Sometimes I'm in a place where you want to hi light several things in the BG, so I'll use a few different BG lights. I also carry frames in 4x4, 6x6, 8x8, and 12x12 for when needed, as well as larger gel roll sets for windows in color temp and ND. So my ride along kit is a pretty good mix of the Tungsten, HMI, Fluorescent, and LED lights I use the most. If I get to scout the location, or have good advanced intel, I'll adjust my kit to match the location needs. Otherwise it is just my standard ride kit, along with audio package and camera kits.
 
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