Lighting a commercial for a clinic

A

arnohist

Member
I need some help with lighting a clip for capturing with my a7s. The client has asked for a white/ clean clinical look. I usually film with available lighting and use just a small bolt led or reflector for talking heads. Now I am a bit stressed as this might lead to more videos and want a good result.

I don’t own any lights and was thinking if either building a cheap china ball with cfl lamp, or renting an aputure 300 with soft box or some other soft light.

The location is a small room around 15m2 and one side has a large window which luckily has a white curtain that will prevent hopefully any burns.

Any suggestions?
 
arnohist said:
I need some help with lighting a clip for capturing with my a7s. The client has asked for a white/ clean clinical look. I usually film with available lighting and use just a small bolt led or reflector for talking heads. Now I am a bit stressed as this might lead to more videos and want a good result.

I don’t own any lights and was thinking if either building a cheap china ball with cfl lamp, or renting an aputure 300 with soft box or some other soft light.

The location is a small room around 15m2 and one side has a large window which luckily has a white curtain that will prevent hopefully any burns.

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Rent the Aputure 300/softbox. Rent a couple of Aputure LS1s to light the background. Use your bolt LED as a backlight/kicker. Don't shoot against the curtain - shoot against a white wall or rent a 6x8ft background.

Pass the cost of rental on to your client. Buy the kit if it leads to a lot of repeat business. Don't stress.
 
You guys might be making recommendations he doesn't understand as he basically doesn't know how to light so
he probably doesn't understand all of the gear either.

Hire a gaffer with pro gear and do it right and learn from someone who knows how to light. Trying to learn how to
light as you are shooting a professional job is not a good game plan, help and watch the pro, then for the next
one, you can decide if you'll light or keep hiring a good gaffer. Personally, as a DOP, I love to light but for pro
high pressure shoots, I much prefer to have a crew do it and I come up with the lighting plan and they execute it.
 
Last edited:
When I'm wearing my producer hat, I misquote Oscar Wilde, "There is only one thing in production worse than spending money to hire crew, and that is not spending money to hire crew."

If this really might lead directly to more work, or just might lead indirectly to more work as a portfolio piece, spend the money and hire a good gaffer.

Gaffers are amazing artisans, and the good ones are great collaborators who will support you in front of your client. And they have all the bits and bobs to deal with tricky mounting, unhelpful windows, and all that stuff. You're going to be busy enough designing and getting footage.

Some typical US prices in my neighborhood (San Francisco Bay Area):

http://www.seerveld.com/

http://littlegiantlighting.com

https://www.boltlightingrental.com


Good luck!
 
Last edited:
If you want the classic white clinical look, then you budget needs to cope with large amounts of light. Physically big fixtures like you use for shooting white or green screen. Flat, wide and very very even. We're talking big sources, so think big panels, big softy and long tube or tape based products. And of course a suitable location.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top