New lighting kit to replace redheads

D

DonaldB

New member
Long time reader, first time poster, so please be gentle!

I've been shooting interviews for years with a three head redhead kit which is now the subject of an insurance claim due to water damage. So I now find myself without any lights and so effectively starting out fresh.

I've looked at LEDs for a long time and envied daylight balance, the quick setup / pull down time with no real heat to worry about.

What concerns me is the apparent lack of ability to shape the light using flags and barn doors (do I have this wrong?) and the apparent lack of softbox solutions (again, do I have this wrong)?

I don't have the federal budget to spend on a new kit and need to keep it within reasonable limits. LitePanels are out of the budget, so I'm looking for some guidance of where to look for the following:

1) Can go nice and bright, maybe 650-1000 watt equivalent for the keylight
2) Can diffuse easily - how are people doing this with LEDs?
3) Can be used easily as a kicker
4) Some ability to shape / guide the light for fill etc - barn doors, egg crates etc?

I'd like to stay away from cheap and nasty chinese lights, but I don't mind buying chinese where the quality is 'reasonable'.

I also don't want to buy once and then have to buy again in a year of two, I want to buy once and have them last me a while, just like the redheads did.

A three light kit would be OK, I'd really like four so I have more flexibility for lighting the backgrounds etc.

Also, a good kit for "torso" against green screen (I've rarely needed full length) would be a major bonus.
 
Personally I dont think you can beat 3 reds if you are on a budget - most LED are putrid colourwise, or very costly, maybe a kino and 2 dedos?

Id like some LED but only for situations where no power is available..

S
 
David W. Jones said:
I have around 75 lights in my kit and each one has it's place.
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Awesome. Unfortunately I don't have the space, budget or inclination for 75 lights :)

What I'm looking for is a good way to light interviews with a 3 or 4 head kit, preferably LED but I'll consider fluorescent too.

I hate harsh light though, so I need to be able to reasonably diffuse it and still have enough light left.

I'm also having trouble finding honeycomb/eggcrate solutions for LEDs. Do any exist or do they simply not work so no one makes them?
 
I'll give the same advice I gave in a similar thread a couple days ago… I would start by picking up a 4 x 55w Biax Fluorescent light with both 3200K & 5600K tubes, transport case for extra tubes, eggcrate grid, 1/8 minus green gel, opal Frost gel, light stand, 25' stinger, handful of C-47s, roll of gaff tape. This would give you a nice key for shooting interviews. From there you could add a reflector on a C-Stand, or something like an F&V K4000 for fill. And any number of different lights for say a hair light and background lights, depending on the look and color temp you are trying to achieve. That being said, I'm not a huge fan of standard 3 point lighting.
 
David W. Jones said:
That being said, I'm not a huge fan of standard 3 point lighting.
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OK - I'll ask as I'm always looking to learn more about lighting :)

If you're not a fan of 3 point, are you a fan of something else that can be considered a system or formula for interviews? If so, please tell !
 
Exact said:
OK - I'll ask as I'm always looking to learn more about lighting :)

If you're not a fan of 3 point, are you a fan of something else that can be considered a system or formula for interviews? If so, please tell !
Click to expand...

Not really.

I know it doesn't help, but it depends.

Location/size of the room/feel of the project all come into play.

Sometimes the client wants that basic 3 point light look and you have to go with it.

Sometimes a single light and a reflector look best.

Other times you have 10 lights to make it look as you think it should.
 
If there's a budget I always rent. Otherwise I've had this kit for a long time and it has served me well on Indie shoots of all types.
-Two Lowel Omni W/ BD and softer reflector
-Three Lowel V lights
-One 50W MR16 Inkie (SV)
Several LED lights both home made and off the shelf - These CAN do all the fills and accents in 4,500-5,000 outside at close range but I use them for accents and fills indoors too ( balanced to prevailing ambient + My filtered or raw Lowels.
I also adapted a 35w 4,500 Metal Halide light ( AKA HID) for special effects
In the event that I have a nice sensitive sensor, I also have three Ikea Isbrytare elipsoidials that I use to project gobos on backgrounds and for accent lighting at 3200K
ALL my lights were either donated or bought second hand. You'll never tire of the Lowels and they can be scooped up pretty cheaply if you vigilantly pursue the secondary markets online and craigs list yada yada. They are overpriced at retail 'New'
 
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