Lighting with 1000 watt work lights

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xkjbarrettx

Member
Hey I'm about to shoot a music video for a band named Fable in their practice space which is about 20 x 15 and Im gonna be using 3 1000 watt work lights that you can aget at like sears. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to diffuse something like that and keep it looking like natural light.
 
Re: Lighting with 1000 watt work lights

sounds good, i appreciate it. Should I shoot each light through its own diffusion frame or should I shoot all 3 light through the same frame.
 
Re: Lighting with 1000 watt work lights

That is up to you. I try to light such situations with one source. Where you place it is up to you. Directly in front is popular these days.
 
Re: Lighting with 1000 watt work lights

I read somewhere that people have used shower curtains. Would that work just as good? ???
 
Re: Lighting with 1000 watt work lights

Just make sure the shower curtain doesn't get too close to the light, otherwise you're have a molten plastic mess. I recommend some tough frost gels.

Scott
 
Re: Lighting with 1000 watt work lights

Especially considering those worklights (First lights I ever owned!) get really hot. My biggest mistake as a novice was thinking they were getting just "too" hot, and putting a fan on one of them. One of my friends runs up to me and says, "Rush, your lights' on fire!" I run back and there's smoke billowing from the unit... ;D Not that anyone else would be that stupid, but no fans are needed no matter how hot they get :D
 
Re: Lighting with 1000 watt work lights

Also, you can make frames for the silks with cheap Lowe's PVC pipe and corners, a whole 4x4 frame for $9. I have also diffused through thin bedsheets and lace curtains. They work really well, and won't melt. ;)
 
Re: Lighting with 1000 watt work lights

Actually, I just got back from Lowe's about an hour ago and bought enough pipe for 3 39" square frames for about $5. Gotta love the PVC! Of course, the pipe cutter I bought broke IN THE STORE after I checked out. I was cutting it down to fit in my car. At least they were nice enough to refund my money and just cut the pipe for me themselves.

Fox
 
Re: Lighting with 1000 watt work lights

BTW, Sears has a single 500 watt with tripod on sale for $15 and and 1000 watt dual-head with tripod for $20. Think they're on sale through the 29th. Took the lights I bought at Lowe's yesterday back and got the ones at Sears. Although they weren't marked as onsale (found them online first), the prices checked out at the register.
 
Re: Lighting with 1000 watt work lights

I use portable garment racks from WalMart for diffusion frames. Its just a bar across the top to hang clothes on supported by two side bars and a couple of "feet" at the bottom. I put shower curtain rings on the top bar and hang frosted shower curtains on them, or drape white sheets over the bar, depending on what I'm going for. They pretty much work like softboxes. The lights I use came from Lowes, as they have some that are adjustable from 250w to 1250w for extreme versitility. Incidentally, I got the idea for this setup from a combo of Scotts (above) low budget lighting article and Rick Schmidt. My wife suggested the garment racks, and they are perfect.
 
Re: Lighting with 1000 watt work lights

D.W. -- thanks for the garment rack tip! I've been pondering how to hang my frames. I did go ahead and order that Photoflex material as it isn't too expensive. Can't wait to try all of this stuff out. Thank God for white balance, without which none of this would be cheap.

Fox
 
Re: Lighting with 1000 watt work lights

After you shoot the video, post some stills of it... I'm curious how the 3x 1000w bulbs turned out. If possible... post them before any color correction.

Thanks!
 
Re: Lighting with 1000 watt work lights

[quote author=JasonFox link=board=lighting;num=1105984900;start=0#8 date=01/19/05 at 20:21:06]Actually, I just got back from Lowe's about an hour ago and bought enough pipe for 3 39" square frames for about $5.[/quote]
Fine, fine, $5 ;D
 
Re: Lighting with 1000 watt work lights

This got me thinking about some old screens I have. If I put them in a frame ( like big embroidery rings) would they work like a scrim?
 
Re: Lighting with 1000 watt work lights

[quote author=Jim Brennan link=board=lighting;num=1105984900;start=0#14 date=01/20/05 at 23:27:02]This got me thinking about some old screens I have.  If I put them in a frame ( like big embroidery rings)  would they work like a scrim?[/quote]
It couldn't hurt to try, right? ;D
 
Re: Lighting with 1000 watt work lights

True, unless I poke myself with the dirty screen, getting a staph infection, and have to have my arm amputated.

I think it's worth the risk.
 
Re: Lighting with 1000 watt work lights

[quote author=Jim Brennan link=board=lighting;num=1105984900;start=15#16 date=01/21/05 at 10:14:04]
I think it's worth the risk.[/quote]

You're my hero. :'(
 
Re: Lighting with 1000 watt work lights

metal wire screens work well as they won't burn or melt. You can even cut them out and clip them directly to the light with some c-47s, also available at lowe's....
 
Re: Lighting with 1000 watt work lights

D.W. - Saw this thread today, picked up one of those clothes racks from Wal-Mart. Pretty cool and pretty versatile size wise. It really doesn't look that cheesy either with the black
and chrome. Thank you
 
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