Lighting Recommendations...

Polanski

Polanski

Well-known member
Hi,
I'm sure this probably has been asked several times.
I have a shooting with a HVR-A1U and I would like your recommendations
concerning the lights that I have to use.
Most of the shooting will be at night, even though I'm planning to shoot
some scenes in daytime and post-produce to convert into night with Magic Bullet Looks.
I have to say that I don't know anything about lights and lighting. I was about to make a mistake and buy a kit from Pacific Coast Lighting Systems but after all the things that I have read here, I don't think it's a good idea.
I don't have more than $600 for the basic kit.
I really appreciate your valuable recommendations.

BTW, where can I buy good lenterns and what is the best fabric to use as a screen diffuser in extreme daylight...

Thanks
 
It's really impossible to tell what lights you'll need. Is this interior? Exterior? Wide shots? tight? The answers to this question could range from a 100 watt practical bulb, all the way up to an 18,000 watt HMI, and your budget could range almost anywhere in between- most likely on the higher side.

Watch some movies that you think look good, and try to analyze the light. What direction is it coming from? Is the source visible in the shot? etc etc...

Check Ikea for lanterns. (I assume you mean chinese lanterns, the paper ones). The "best" fabric to use is another relative question, what do you consider best? Everyone has preferences, and every diffusion material has distinct advantages/disadvantages for your needs in any given lighting situation.
 
600$ only buy you 2 interior lamps. I guess a coollight fixture is not a bad investment (4x55) non-dimmable and with both daylight and thungsten bulbs a 6x55 is better if you have the money and life in the us, you can use it often. I would use the rest for renting if you can't come up with more. The next step probably are some fresnels. Don't buy cheaply manufactured products or you will buy them twice in your life. Only own the best and most usable stuff. You learn much about lights if you really persuade that route. Each light type has it's own pros and cons.

The ikea-softbox route suggested is another one, but again then you buy not only once... it's ending up as expensive as buying a chimera in the end. if you compare apples with apples (lanternlock, bulbs, etc.). I calculated a chimera birdcage against a ikea-lantern with lanternlock and four 150w bulbs the other day, it would save me about 150 bucks. Doesn't seem such a great deal for me if I can get a top notch and sustainable light with a chimera birdcage which has an included skirt to control the light a bit.
 
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$600 really isn't enough for anything decent when you factor in things like light stand and sandbags. That's gonna cost you at least $200-300 alone and then you're left with practically nothing for the actual light fixtures. I only agree with muroshi to an extent about buying lights once. It's great to have quality gears that will last you for a long time, but lighting is also such a deep subject that it's of huge benefits to have gears on hand that you can practice on. You can save up for a long time and get Arri and Kinos and not know how to use them, or you can buy cheaper gears now and learn so that when you can afford the quality stuff you know how to use those.

I always recommend Britek even though they got a bad rap around here. Sure, the built quality isn't the best, but they're 1/4 the price of an Arri fixture, and they work just fine for getting your feet wet. Check out Rostronics and for $600 you might be able to scrape together a start kit. Another essential piece of gear is a 5-in-1 Photoflex reflector; it has numerous applications both for exterior and interior and it's my most used piece of light gear.
 
Ok.
Slow Down and let's think this through.

You will waste your $600 on bad lights (Britek,PCLS).

Here are some tips I learned from Film School...(ahem..let's see if it helps any)

1)Change the script to incorporate shooting locations that are already well lit or that will not require a lot of additional light.

For instance scene calls for argument outside...chance the location to argument in car and use a small light that is cheap and/or car light on.

Key Rule on this...as long as the main idea of the story is preserved, if you can do it for less cost, a producer will always love ya.

2)Does it have to be at night? If so why? Justify it. A lot of times it really does not, or you can shoot in the day/dusk and then use effects to get the look of night.

3)I really need to shoot at night. Ok depending on your needs....get China Balls first. They are cheap and can throw a lot of light for the price. Get work lights and get the proper bulbs and throw a lot of light. Try to rent so you get more value for your dollar...but if you must buy then go with cool lights and get your best bang for the buck. Depending on what the scene calls for at the time.
 
A couple of things... To rent you must live in a big city... I'm not, unfortunately.
As I stated above, 90% of the shooting is indoor... At night or post proccess to look like night.
The story develops in a cabin in the wood... a woman alone with her two daughters 10 and 2 year-old.
I know the saying that goes: BUY THE BEST, CRY ONCE"
That's true when you have the money to buy the best. I will someday... Now I have to do with what I can afford.

If you can throw some other ideas, now that you know a little more about the project, I'll be very grateful...

Thanks
 
Sounds like your going to have to avoid using traditional lighting techniques. In that case you'll have to do a recy at the locations, might even consider bringing a mate along to block through the set ups. Consider also using as many pracs as you can to light. See if the script can afford changes to fit the production requirements i.e; the scene lighting it self, for a more (I will risk sounding like a wa#$%r here) neo realistic look.
 
Then I only can recommend you a smaller fresnel with a softball and thungsten bulbs. Get some reflectors also, you can buy foam-sheets and apply some aluminium foil on one side. Get some stands also.

Also think more about color correction than you would usually. You can alter the look a lot in postpro.
 
Don't get caught up with having the "right" lighting gear. A wise man once said It's not what you have that counts, but how you use it.

If you're just learning - get some work lights, some cheapo light stands, some white board, some spring clamps, and some extension cords.

You can bounce light off board, a wall, the ceiling, or aim it through a hanging bedsheet. There's no magic formula for lighting. You can start with a source, any source, and manipulate what's coming out of the source to suit your needs.

I lit this with one slightly modified 500 watt work light that I bought at The Home Depot.

I shot the talking head shots in this commercial with the same light with the addition of another single light for the background.

Watch this movie trailer. The guy who shot this film lit most if not all of the entire film with cheapo fluorescent light fixtures bought from a home store.

.
 
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muroshi said:
Richard

Do you sell this one
http://www.coollights.biz/clsft1-cool-lights-fluorescent-video-softbox-fixture-p-33.html

also on 230v current? Or do you know where to get a blue bulb like you're using with it that runs 230v?
Click to expand...

I have sold some actually with the 230 volt bulb but its been a special order item and we mostly just shipped it in the Asian area / Australia for now. I do see a time we will stock the 230v bulb more regularly though but much of that depends upon how our long range plans go for setting up an office in Europe. This would make that bulb much more cost effective if it was available closer to home there rather than having to be shipped super long distance and racking up the costs involved. It sort of destroys the "economy" aspect of that solution which is our economy solution.
 
Yes we won't have any more until September or so as we are making some changes and that always slows things down.
 
Huy Vu said:
Another essential piece of gear is a 5-in-1 Photoflex reflector; it has numerous applications both for exterior and interior and it's my most used piece of light gear.
Click to expand...

I like my assorted pieces of foam core and shiny boards much better. May not be as fancy, but they're a hell of a lot cheaper and work just as well.
 
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