Mounting a Kino Flo in car.

[DVX100Shooter]

I have seen various shows on MTV where they mounted what looks to me as a mini Kino Flo light underneath the dash. My question is if it is under the dash how are the people's faces being illuminated? It would seem like they would have to mount the light right behind the steering wheel to get light onto their faces. I have also seen people in Music Videos singing or rapping from the backseat of a car and the same thing their faces are lit. So how are they mounted the lights?

I know in some cases the car they are in is being towed and a production truck riding along side of them with lights on it. But in the videos I have seen the camera is at a wide angle proving that lights are mounted in the car somewhere.

Also, can you put handles on the back of those lights? I have seen some grips holding those soft kino lights walking along an actor as he walked down the street. The purpose of that was to mimick the moon. At least that what they said on the DVD. I thought that was an interesting.

 

[filmmaker58]

Re: Mounting a Kino Flo in car.

It usually involves some high tech equipment known as "Gaffer's Tape". Seriously, car interior lighting is usually a jury rig situation because there is so little room. You set your shot, and then figure out where you can put a light, then hand it over to some competent grips. Car interior lighting takes some MacGuyvering, because you have to consider whether the car is trailored, or if the talent actually has to drive. It's hard to drive with a white card or a kino flo taped to the windshield. Also consider if you are shooting several angles, and light for the widest one first, where you have to hide the lights, and then can match that lighting for the rest of the shots. People use "Mini flo's", which are 1" diamiter flourescent tubes about 1' long, usually battery powered, or sometimes full diameter tubes 18'' long using an inverter. I've used them taped/clipped to the visor, on the dash above the speedometer and gas guages, on top of the dash, rigged vertically taped to short c-stand arms just out of frame. The list is endless, depending on your shot. Flourescent tubes are great because you can dim them by putting layers of white paper tape on them to get the right exposure. Bring a spare car battery (or better yet, a deep cycle marine battery) for a seperate power source, an inverter, and a set of mini-flo's or short kino's, some grip clips, mafer, or cartelini clamps, 1/2 apple boxes, a screw gun and baby plate, short gobo arms, some ratchet straps, tie wire, sand bags, wedges, and gaffers tape. Pull the kino's out of their fixtures and use bare tubes. if you don't have kino's, use a sungun (not mounted to the camera) bounced into a well placed white card (I have done this to give both a backlight and a key with one light).