Lighting for Docs
- Thread starter maxpower
- Start date
Lowel kits always do a good job. They are kind of a standby work horse. Smith Vector makes some VERY cheap light kits, but you will get what you pay for, meaning they aren't high quality. I would say get a 3 light lowel kit, that includes a Tota, Omni, and pro lights, and you should be pretty good for an interview situation. It will still run you about a thousand dollars though.
http://www.evsonline.com/merchant2/...e=DV901Z&Category_Code=7A1A1&Product_Count=17
That kit would do a very good job. I would add some foamcore bounce cards, and other diffusion sources and I would say you would be set and prepared to light an interview very well.
http://www.evsonline.com/merchant2/...e=DV901Z&Category_Code=7A1A1&Product_Count=17
That kit would do a very good job. I would add some foamcore bounce cards, and other diffusion sources and I would say you would be set and prepared to light an interview very well.
J_Barnes
Veteran
You can buy your own photoflood bulbs and some clamp lights at home depot and you'll have almost exactly what you get with a SmithVictor kit.
If you're on a tight budget, look at Walter's DIY fluroescent stuff. A couple of home made fluroescents, and a couple of accent lights...maybe a few used Arri or Mole fresnels, and you'll have a capable doc package that will work in almost any interior.
If you're on a tight budget, look at Walter's DIY fluroescent stuff. A couple of home made fluroescents, and a couple of accent lights...maybe a few used Arri or Mole fresnels, and you'll have a capable doc package that will work in almost any interior.
I just went through this same issue, and I ended up bying the Lowel L-light kit. This is probably the most economical kit you're going to find, and it's by Lowel, a trusted name in lighting. The kit comes with 3 lights, 2 stands, daylight and diffusion gels, barndoors, home plates, etc. The kit retails starting at $525 (bulbs were extra).
I've been able to do some pretty nice 3-point lighting in a living room with this kit. If you're on a tight budget, you won't go wrong.
jchenier
www.beyondtimemedia.com
I've been able to do some pretty nice 3-point lighting in a living room with this kit. If you're on a tight budget, you won't go wrong.
jchenier
www.beyondtimemedia.com
pabloabad
Active member
If you want something really, really inexpensive, you can buy a couple of chinese paper lamps, you know, the esferic ones, with low-consumption bulbs. With that you can simulate home lighting, you don't need a lot of power and they are really portable.
If you get powerful bulbs there's enough light for a documentary style of shooting.
Pablo.
If you get powerful bulbs there's enough light for a documentary style of shooting.
Pablo.
Jim Brennan
VHS Member Old Skool
That's what I use. I set up an 18" paper lantern three feet from the subject, a foot above their face, with the light at 2 o'clock (camera at 12, subject looking at about 1 o'clock) and then I use a brooder lamp with a 75 watt halogen flood bulb at 8 o'clock for a hairlight. In a room with light colored walls, that is often enough for great results. In a darker room I set up a bounce board for fill, or use another paper lantern. The whole set up costs about 40 bucks. It's soft, natural and effective.
Caveman
Well-known member
maxpower,
Check out www.rostronics.com
Very Very affordable Lights, that are much more professional than photofloods or chinese lanterns.
Don't get me wrong, I use lanterns all the time(for specific situations), but sometimes people will question your standards of professionalism if you hang a chinese lantern above their head. I would never use them for my commercial accounts, because they would say ... I paid $2000 for this.
Rostronics are nice affordable lights. I think they have 650w open face tungstens with barndoors and a bulb for under $100. Plus much of their proceeds go to help the handicapped and disabled veterans.
If you can afford it, I LOVE my Arri fresnels!
CAVEMAN
Check out www.rostronics.com
Very Very affordable Lights, that are much more professional than photofloods or chinese lanterns.
Don't get me wrong, I use lanterns all the time(for specific situations), but sometimes people will question your standards of professionalism if you hang a chinese lantern above their head. I would never use them for my commercial accounts, because they would say ... I paid $2000 for this.
Rostronics are nice affordable lights. I think they have 650w open face tungstens with barndoors and a bulb for under $100. Plus much of their proceeds go to help the handicapped and disabled veterans.
If you can afford it, I LOVE my Arri fresnels!
CAVEMAN