Need critique of this greenscreen / lighting kit for my HMC150 shoot

S

shawn.w

Active member
Hey Everyone,

So after browsing some sites looking to put together a beginners green screen kit, these are some of the options ive come up with. Let me know if there are details i may be missing about some of the products that would sway my decision, or if you have had a positive or negative experience with any of these companies / products.


Green Screen option 1:
- Impact Background Support System:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/437786-REG/Impact_3046_Background_Support_System_.html
- Impact 10'x12' Green Chroma Sheet:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...CG_1012_Chroma_Sheet_Background_.html#reviews


Green Screen option 2:
TubeTape Green Screen and Support Stand:
http://www.tubetape.net/servlet/the-15/Green-Screen-and-Support/Detail


Lighting option 1:
- ImageWest.tv $299 kit:
http://imagewest.tv/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=121&HS=1
- Light subject w/ CFL's from local hardware store.


Lighting option 2:
- Amazon 1200 Watt Fluorescent kit:
http://www.amazon.com/Exclusive-Flu...=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=photo&qid=1257495324&sr=1-2
- Amazon 600 Watt Fluorescent kit: (for subject?)
http://www.amazon.com/Kaeser-Cool-F...-Since/dp/B001COVC8M/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top


Lighting option 3:
- Get everything from hardware store and rig my own lights. Read one article that suggested that [FONT=&quot]"Fluorescent pans (fixtures with two or more tubes) make great soft lights[/FONT]".


Let me know what you think about these options or if you would suggest something not on the list. Thanks!
 
I tried the 600 watt kit you have in option 2. Barely enough light. I replaced my lights with tota 1000's and like it much better. Although with only 2 its hard to get more then a good mid shot. No way full body gets to dark at the bottom... I need a few more soft boxes and more room.

Most light the subject and green screen separately. Option 3 sounds good to light the green screen.
 
How expensive were those tota 1000 bulbs? or maybe even something higher. If that $84 lighting setup can handle those seems like a steal as i could just replace the bulbs w/ a higher wattage and could even afford two of them for less than the price of the 2 light imagewest.tv kit.

Anyone else have any recommendations?
 
Humm what about this cheap starter kit.

http://www.amazon.com/Photo-Basics-...2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1257590074&sr=1-2

I'll be shooting in a room (just for this project) with fluorescent lights, so the room is already evenly lit. So i would have this setup behind the subject, hopefully with no tungsten light leak, key it out, and white balance for the subject / around 4500k - 5600k. Maybe adding a clamp lamp or two fluorescent balanced from the local home depot to fill in any bad shadows on the subjects face. Anyone see a problem with this?
 
Humm after reading some more on lighting for green screen seems like most people say fluorescents are the way to go as they give a more even light and green screen seems to like them more for some reason?

However that starter kit in my last post was a dream come true for including the screen and two high powered lights for 200. Anyone think i could make that work or should i only be considering fluorescents for this job?

thanks!

- Shawn
 
I have a florescent kit from ebay. 10 x 20 foot screen with stands and 2 multi-bulb florescent soft boxes. You still need more lights for lighting the subject etc though.
 
Im wondering if it wouldn't just be easier and a better long term investment to find some halogen or tungsten lights and put a blue gel over them to achieve 5600k. That way i have tungsten and daylight balanced lights for the future. What you guys think?
 
shawn.w said:
Im wondering if it wouldn't just be easier and a better long term investment to find some halogen or tungsten lights and put a blue gel over them to achieve 5600k. That way i have tungsten and daylight balanced lights for the future. What you guys think?
Click to expand...

So far I have used the totas for 0 green screen gigs... and 3 other gigs that really made the difference. It does depend on if you want lighting for just the GS or if you are going to need them to light in other situations. You can gel them and get them used for well under $100.

Some diy home depot lights for the GS, and some good lights for the subject might be the way I am going to try... I just don't get enough light from a single CF bulb setup, I like the multi - just haven't tried them.
 
shawn.w said:
Im wondering if it wouldn't just be easier and a better long term investment to find some halogen or tungsten lights and put a blue gel over them to achieve 5600k. That way i have tungsten and daylight balanced lights for the future. What you guys think?
Click to expand...

just depends on what kind of lights you want in your kit.

i invested for longterm by buying the 3-light fluorescent studio kit from imagewest.tv and have gotten a LOT of miles out of it.

sometimes you just can't really afford the investment in minimally decent equipment to serve you longterm and are forced to go ghetto and patch together some kind of temporary solution.

i love fluorescent lighting so i'm always promoting it.

but then i take sustainability and environmental responsibility very seriously and apply those principles to all aspects of my production.

having a fully fluorescent lighting kit is also very practical....i can plug my entire studio into a single home wall outlet without blowing any circuits! and i can find replacement CFL bulbs almost anywhere. these 2 features alone have allowed me to setup and shoot in so many places without a hitch.

oh yeah, fluorescents are cool too! your talent will thank you.
 
One definite upside to florescents is low power useage. Great for those interviews in a 100 year old house with breakers that pop by looking at them funny.
 
ahaha good points all around.

Averan, if i choose the 3 light kit from imagewest.tv i can replace the bulbs at the local hardware store? I thought their whole thing was that their bulbs were special in some way, so i was expecting to have to order extras from them.

I take it you've had a good time with your kit from them. What do you consider its major pros and cons? Thanks!

- Shawn
 
Also if anyone else has had an experience with imagewest.tv recently, how was it?
Ive seen some mixed reviews in the past but looked like as i got closer to the present they were getting better.
 
yes, as long as the combined wattage doesn't exceed the capacity of the fuse installed in the light fixtures.
 
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