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lighting?

raindog

raindog

Ok, I have just been blessed with someone who is willing to invest $2000.00 for whatever else I need for my first time film. ( I have already spent money on a brand new XH A1, tripod, boom pole, shot gun mic, wide angle lens and the accessories) I was thinking of spending about $1200 on lights. Can you help me decide on the best investment? It isn't an action film..it's a relationship movie, lots of dialogue scenes. 22 locations; inside a bachelor apartment, inside a book store, thrift shop, pub, restaurant, diner, and bar. Also quite a few sidewalk scenes and train station.
Should i go with florescents? Soft boxes? tungstens? I'm new to this so I apologize if i ask stupid questions.
Any other equipment i should be investing in let me know. By the way, none of us are getting paid, so i can't afford to spend money the money on a gaffer or sound technician.
 
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You ask a very good question. There are so many options in the lighting department and there are a myriad of considerations, from heat, power consumption, color balance, bulk, cost, etc., etc.

I would suggest you do a lot of research. There are many budget lighting solutions that will leave you some money for other important things. I use mostly 3200K tungsten lighting, which is fairly inexpensive, but also has some limitations. I'd say you should buy one fresnel light, and a bunch of cheaper lights with at least a couple of good C-stands. You may need a light or gel to achieve daylight balance, but you might also be able to use a reflector for the same purpose when shooting outdoors.

Do NOT take my word for this. Do some more research, get some more opinions, be realistic, and leave some money in your pocket to deal with any special situation that comes up. Remember, you can rent any expensive item you may need for one or two days of shooting, much cheaper than you can purchase it.

Maybe I'll type more later. I've got to run.

Others will offer lots of DYI options that will cost you very little, and I might give you some model #'s of my lights and pictures so you know what you're looking at with an inexpensive tungsten setup.

Doug
 
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RAINDOG FIRST OF ALL I WISH YOU BEST OF LUCK FOR YOUR MOVIE.AS YOU SAID

so i can't afford to spend money the money on a gaffer or sound technician.
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i am not a professional like the great GURUS OF www.indietalk.com

but i have read one thing which i will like to share with you. i read in a book of filmmaking saying

if you picture quality is good and sound is not then forget people will like your movie,if your sound is good and video is not still people will like to come and see your movie..

i think thats true.secondly if you were lacking in finance why didnt you rented all the equipments?
i had a friend who had 60k PAK RS..... and he wanted to make a movie.i told him to rent equipments but instead of this he purchased a HD CAM....of 60k. and now a days his CAM is in the cupboard........
 
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Hi

Your lighting choice needs to come out of an understanding of how each lighting system is used to achieve each effect. So, in many respects you're at a real disadvantage. What you really need to do is get your hands on some different lighting systems and play with them... get a lighting cameraman to show you how they would use them.

Now, my DOP loves his redhead and blondes... I absolutely loathe them and prefer kino-flos

We both approaching lighting and the kind of look we want differently.

I like kinos because they don't give out massive amounts of heat, so my actors are more relaxed... I like kinos because the light is soft and I don't have to spend hours dickin' about with gels and scrim to get the look I want, I like kinos because they are daylight balanced, so I don't spend half my shoot worrying about colour temperatures.

Now, my DOP hates kinos... but that's because he can do all the stuff I do with kinos, with a redhead and whole lot of other stuff that I can't... and because he doesn't have to think about it, he can't see what all the fuss is about.

The other thing I think is lighting is way more important than camera choice... because good lighting on a poor camera is always better than poor lighting on a good camera.

This isn't a choice you should rush into... go out and play with some lights and find what works for you... and before you spend any money on actual lights, buy a couple of professional reflectors (best investment you'll ever make)
 
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Low-budget simple drama film?

I'd just go with a 'dedo' kit, mate. Easy setup, low power, good little lights, dim-able, small and easy to carry around, little slots for filters so you can color balance. Not too modern these days, might be able to get some second hand fairly cheap.

Get your self three of those lights, and you got your basic set-up: key, fill, back.
 
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And you can't go wrong with 1 or 2 C-stands. You can use those for reflectors, flags, lights and even microphones. These are also things you can rent, but if you're shooting a lot, they are invaluable on almost every shoot.
 
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raindog said:
I was thinking of spending about $1200 on lights.
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Lowel makes nice kits. Tungsten lights with stands, barndoors and
hard case. I have a 6 light kit with the Omni’s and Tota’s that I
bought new in 1990 and am still using it 18 years later. You can also
check Arri lights - more expensive and worth every penny.

As others have mentioned some grip equipment can really make the
day go faster. C-stands with flags, scrims and silks really allow you to
have more control over the lighting. And don't forget the obvious:
power strips, cube taps, bounce boards, black wrap and plenty of
good gaffers tape and c-47's.

I've been on too many small, low budget shoots where there weren't
even enough stingers. Obvious, but sometimes forgotten with all
the other concerns.
 
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raindog,

Check eBay. You occasionally find some great deals on lighting kits. I've bought at least half my equipment from there.

Of greater concern is your seeming lack of experience with lighting. As Doug and Clive have implied, much more important than having the best equipment is knowing how to use it properly. A good DP can make a couple of clamp lamps and a halogen worklight from Home Depot look like Spielberg. Conversely, you can have a truckload of kinos and HMI's, but if your DP is inexperienced your film will likely look amateurish.

Will Vincent said:
And if you're handy, and want to conserve as much money as possible, you can build them yourself for about $30.. ;)
Click to expand...

Okay, Will, I'm intrigued! Do you build them out of water pipe, or what?
 
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Sorry, I haven't been on in a bit. I've been doing what Doug said and have been researching extensively. The book i ordered was a little daunting for a first-timer.Thanks for all your advice everyone. There's a guy on expertvillage.com named Drew Noah who gives a sort of video series for "dummies" (he doesn't call it that, i just consider myself one). He was explaining a DYI kit consisting of 4 clamp lights for key, fill, back and background, parchment paper for diffusion, lots of c47's, poster board for reflectors, alligator clips, stingers etc. He uses daylight florescents (100 w) (of course depending on the need) . What do you all think if I started with this?
(As well as the all the "obvious" that Directorik was explaining)
 
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2001 Productions said:
'course, as I'm too cheap to spring for a premiere membership I did a good, old-fashioned Google search.

Here's a link (for my fellow cheapskates):

http://www.studiolighting.net/diy-c-stand-light-stand-from-steel-pipe/

This looks great. I'd definitely build one if it was more portable -- no room in my van (too many sand bags ;) ).

Thanks for the tip, Will!
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Mine is based on that.. but my design has folding legs, so it is much more portable. ;)

Speaking of.. seems like it would be a good article for the $1000 film making magazine.. I'll have to talk to clive.
 
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