Lighting under $750??!!

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davbeisner

Well-known member
I've read through a number of posts here, and all the stickys, but haven't found a solution to my particular problem.

I'm putting together a full HD videography package for the company where I work and they're giving me up to $750 for the lighting (I know, it's not even close to where it should be, but I'm trying to work with what they're giving me).

I'll be shooting with an HVX200A with no adapters or filters.

Primary lighting needs will be for interviews. The kit will be used to make promotional videos for the school so most things will either be shot outside or use the practicals in the buildings (video tours/sports/etc.). About the only thing I'll be doing specific lighting for will be interviews.

I'm new in video and though I've studied a lot and understand camera, shooting, audio, and post fairly well, I know absolutely nothing about lighting. I have zero experience with lighting (aside from lighting for theater which I'm sure is quite different). That said, simple terms or even links to B+H would be awesome since I'll not likely understand much of the terminology (I read through the sticky posts and didn't follow much of the equipment terminology).

Purchased lighting can be supplemented by 3000W of tripod-mounted construction lighting which I already own. I can put diffusers and gels on those and may even make my own barn-doors for them.
 
Well, life was going to be easy until you said you'll be working outside... :)

Ok, I've been where you've been, so hear me out.


If you are shooting outside, you already have your lighting source. The Sun. Now you need to do 2 things with it.

1. Diffuse the direct sunlight falling on the talent.
2. Bounce some for fill.

To diffuse, I made up some diffusers of my own out of PVC pipe, window screen frame and fabric. I went to the local home depot, and bought 4 lengths of 7ft window screen, and 8 corners. I cut them to get 4 sections 4ft long, and 4 sections 3ft long. Then I put those together with the corners, and bought some varieties of white cloth from the fabric store. Cost per screen came to about $40. Hold the fabric on with some clips, and clamp the whole thing in 1 or 2 c-stands, and you're golden.

Now you need a reflector source. Go to the local art supply or office store, and get some foamcore board. I got three large sheets for $15. That's your fill light and it's cheap and color balanced. Buy a foamcore clamp and clamp it on a C-Stand and you're all set.

If you don't have the sun, or if you're shooting indoors with no windows, you'll need at least one light source. I'd recommend either 1 or 2 focusable tungsten lights. I have some Lowel DP lights that are not too expensive, can be gelled, and are easy to use. Put it on a light stand and you're all set. Bounce it off one of those foamcore boards or through one of your screen diffusers, and you've got a beautiful soft key light.

So what do you need to make all this work?

2-3 C-Stands ($150 each) -
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/227746-REG/Matthews_756040_Hollywood_Century_C_Stand_.html

Lowel DP light ($317) -
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/285962-REG/Lowel_D2_102_DP_Pak_DP_One.html

Gels and gel holder for DP light ($15/$37) -
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/31911-REG/Lowel_D2_70_Day_Blue_Gel_for.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/31871-REG/Lowel_D2_24_DP_Frame_for_DP.html


This setup should allow you to shoot most basic stuff if you're creative. The Lowel lights come with stands, barndoors, and bulbs so it's a ready-to-shoot deal. And with the gel holder, you can simulate daylight, add gel diffusion, etc. Or you can add an umbrella for $40, a few clamps and clips, and you're well on your way...

You don't have to spend a fortune on this stuff to shoot some basic interviews.
 
nice, thanks. I like the DIY method alot. Just finished building my own stabilizer for $20 and I've got plans for a DIY Jib and Dolly, both of which should come in well uner $100. I saw your post on the Lowel DP set over on dvinfo and liked reading about what you had done to "make do" for so many years.
 
It's about being creative. One of the best lighting things I ever read was in Videographer magazine or some such about how to light with just a single source. It talked about using mirrors and reflectors. GREAT lesson on how to make do with just the minimal basics.

At Home Depot, in the insulation section, they had large foam sheets. And when I say large I mean 4ftx8ft. The plain white ones were maybe $15, and the soft silver ones were maybe $10 more. If you haven't played with a 4x8, you just don't realize how large that is in a fairly small space. Bouncing a Tota light off that thing would light a common office completely. Two pieces of foamcore taped and clampted together would do a similarly nice job.

If you can get the recent ASC magazine with the Sex and the City movie review, you can read in there about how they lit those women, and the size of the light sources they used to get the looks they did.

I remember putting a large writing pad on an easel as a reflector when I needed a quick shoot and all I had were the office overhead lights. I've also seem hollywood cinematographers place talent on foamboards when standing out in the sun to get some easy bounce up onto the clothes and under the chin. There's a shot like that from the movie Departed where two of the stars are on a rooftop.

Those $8 silver reflectors at the hardware store, when paired with a nice compact flourescent make a VERY nice hairlight or background light in a smaller office or room. I bought 3 difference sizes and a range of CFL bulbs in 3500 and 5500k. $40 spent, and I could light an office with either daylight or tungsten balanced light. I had no real control to shape the lights, but by pointing them at intelligent directions, you can get most of what you need.

If you start shooting professional clients, you'll probably want to leave the budget solutions at home, and present yourself professionally, but sometimes you just do what you can.
 
Also if you are near a rental house and you can't fit purchasing lights in to your budget you can always rent a small set of lights as well as a couple of C-stands. How long is the shoot?
 
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