Lighting Kit

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dray26

New member
I am having the hardest time finding out which light kit I should go with! I shoot outside rallies (I work for a Union) and do a lot of documentary/interview work. I was looking at Coollights.biz and Lowel lights. I am looking at spending no more than a $1000 on a kit. I was thinking something of Rifa softbox, some Tota's and Omni's or I was thinking about going Flouroscent with Cool Lights. Do you guys have any suggestions? I just want a kit where I can do my 3 point lighting, but also have the chance to do some short films/music videos. Your help/expertise is greatly appreciated!
- Daniel
 
Shooting outside requires lots of light as you are in direct competition with the sun. Thats when 2k and up HMI's are handy, but they cost several thousand per fixture. A small on camera light might produce some ok fill to even out the shadows in a close up interview outside. If I'm stuck outside I like to use reflectors and just control the available light. Sure beats running stingers and dealing with a generator anyways.

For a basic light kit though I've had my best luck just assembling a bunch of used fixtures from ebay. I picked up 3 desisti 650 fresnels, a pro-light, and a tota-light all for less than 700. I'm still on the hunt for another 650, and a few more smaller fixtures like the pro-light. I prefer the fresnels just for their flexibility. Easy to control, easy to soften and they just produce a nice quality of light IMO. The tota is just nice to have to bring up the ambient or just flood an area with light. For indoors 3 point interview lighting 2 650's a reflector and a 250(pro-light) is my current go to setup. Each interview is always a little different though and sometimes I add a light here or there for background accents or to create a certain effect.

check out walter graff's tutorials here http://www.bluesky-web.com/. I love his modified 3 point setup for interviews so much its all I've been using lately. Such a nice soft light.
 
Outside, you'd probably do best to just use reflectors and shinyboards on sunny days. On cloudy days, you could get by with maybe a 1k or 650 with CT.

I use a 4x4 Kino outside...doesn't give off a lot of light, but it looks SUPER natural.
 
I do think if you're limited in budget that looking at reflectors is really the way to go for outside work. Otherwise, our CL-MF0150 CDM 150 fresnel has been used by some outdoors but it could be quickly overpowered on a very bright day and is really better for use at night.
 
You said a mouthful. Lots of variables. Do you shoot alone most of the time? Or with a grip/audio person? Do you usually have time to set up lighting for your interviews or is it often run and gun? Do you want stuff that can be easily/compactly/quickly transported and schepped to the location, or can you deal with more bulky stuff? How sensitive is your camera in low light?

Basic all-around portable interview lighting recommendations:

1. Key light: Lowel DP light with 1k bulb. Lightweight, sturdy focusable open-faced lamp. Plenty of punch when you need it. Lots of people like the Rifa (very quick to setup and takedown) but it is a one-trick pony. I find the DP is more versatile. Accessories:

A) Softbox and speedring and soft eggcrate. Westcott used to make an inexpensive one that was rated up to 1k. I have two of them. Lower cost alternative with quicker setup: a Westcott or similar convertable umbrella that can be used as a shoot-through, or put on its black cover to use as a bounce. The DP has a built-in umbrella holder. Precut gels to clip halfway back inside the softbox in grades of blue (full, half, 1/4).

B) Barn doors. So you can use this as a hard source on a background or even on talent if you need/want to. Precut gels in grades of blue (full, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8) and diffusion (full, half, and opal) to clip to the barn doors.

C) Dichroic filter. To balance the lamp to daylight when you need to, with much less light loss than using blue gel. Note that this clamps into the barn doors, so it can't be used with a softbox.

2) Fill light: Lowel 500w omni. The little brother to the DP. Accessories: barn doors, gels and diffusion as above. An umbrella to diffuse and make the source "larger" to control double shadows.

3. Backlight: another omni or Lowel Pro light. Barn doors and gels. Dimmer.

4. Background light: another omni or Pro light. Barn doors and gels. Dimmer.

5. A 5-in-one flex-fill. I not only use these for bounce fill, but I prop them in windows to knock down unwanted ambient light. Get one that has a black side, to use for negative fill (to shadow one side of the face).

Four stands (one for each lamp), plus a stand and holder for the flex fill.

You can live with two lights for a long time (DP light and a pro light) if you learn how to use a flex-fill properly and are willing to use ambient light for fill or background light or backlight as the situation allows. Lots of beginners over-light. It takes time and confidence to know when, for instance, you can get away with only indirect window light for a key, ambient light or a little bounce for fill, and a backlight with a half-blue gel.

You can substitute Cool Light's 650w tungsten and 300w tungsten Arri clones for the omni and pro-lights. You will gain sturdiness and more control (fresnels can be more precisely focused than open-faced focusable fixtures).

Outdoor interviews are another can of worms. It's all about time of day (angle of light), sunny or overcast, "toppy" shade vs. open shade like under a patio, bright background vs. dark background, talent's tolerance for glare in their eyes, whether you have access to power, etc. etc. etc.

Some basic suggestions to add to what others have said: flex-fill with both white, black, silver and half-gold herringbone surfaces. Maybe two flex-fills. 4' x 4' foam core bounce card (white on one side, black on the other). For transport, score it with a knife, reinforce it with gaffers tape, and fold it in half. Some travel with foldable diffusion frames and folding flag kits...all useful but pricey. A 1k Lowel DP light with a dichroic filter, or one of Cool Lights' CDM-150 HMI placed right behind camera can give some fill light with minimum objectionable double-shadow in a sunny location, or can be shot through a frame of opal diffusion for a pretty effective key light in a shaded location.

Add some 20 foot extension cords, spring clamps, decent stands, and a canvas bag full of three or four 5-lb shot bags to hang on your light stands.

I own most of these fixtures I mentioned and I also own a couple of Cool Lights fluorescent portable fixtures, which I love....but which are not really in your budget, nor are part of the core, starter kit you need. Don't cheap out on the stands. Most people I know don't care for the Lowel stands. Avenger stands are generally well-thought of, and they make a line of lightweight "kit" stands for portable applications.

Any of these kits can be used as a starting place for music video and short films. I don't have an idea of price, but if I were building a kit I would start with the DP light and accessories, add the flex fill, and then keep adding from there as I could afford it. Oh, yeah. Rolling cases. Don't forget sturdy rolling cases. Even lightweight lights and stands are heavy.

Good luck and have fun!

dray26 said:
I am having the hardest time finding out which light kit I should go with! I shoot outside rallies (I work for a Union) and do a lot of documentary/interview work. I was looking at Coollights.biz and Lowel lights. I am looking at spending no more than a $1000 on a kit. I was thinking something of Rifa softbox, some Tota's and Omni's or I was thinking about going Flouroscent with Cool Lights. Do you guys have any suggestions? I just want a kit where I can do my 3 point lighting, but also have the chance to do some short films/music videos. Your help/expertise is greatly appreciated!
- Daniel
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