What would be a good starting light kit for someone who doesn't know to much about lights?

Lowel makes nice kits. Tungsten lights with stands, barndoors
and hard case. You can also check Arri lights - more expensive
and worth every penny. Not the Lowel kits are bad - 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.

For a nice "doityourself" light kit I recommend:
A couple of work lights (http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT?PMPXNO=9401794&PMT4NO=0"target=) with stands from any home improvement store.

Five or six “scoop lights” - those clamp on work lights (http://www.doityourself.com/invt/u239921) with the silver
reflector.

Three or four pieces of Foamcore (http://www.artsupply.com/brand/foamcore.htm) from any art supply store to use to
bounce the light.

Two or three paper lanterns (http://www.cherryblossomgardens.com/paper_lanterns.asp) that you can get at Ikea. I hook each one
to a dimmer (home improvement store again) to get better control.

Some colored gels (check on line or if there is a small theater in your town
they often have extras) and some black wrap. Check Studio Depot (http://www.studiodepot.com/store/)

This example (http://www.darkcrimes.com/images/lowbudgetlighting.jpg) kind of puts all the links in perspective.


Here's a do-it-yourself Croney Cone (http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e377/adakinprods/Croney.jpg) made from foamcore and gaff tape.

I have an ARRI 300, it's a soft light, I was wondering what type of lights i should get to compliment the light that I have now.

For a nice "doityourself" light kit I recommend:
A couple of work lights (http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT?PMPXNO=9401794&PMT4NO=0"target=) with stands from any home improvement store.



These look like the Stanley lights I bought...


-- spinner :cool:

I have an ARRI 300, it's a soft light, I was wondering what type of lights i should get to compliment the light that I have now.

You could get a small Lowel kit with a couple of Omni’s and
Tota’s.

You could compliment the Arri 300 with a few more Arri lights - say
a 150, 300 and 650 Fresnels

You could go cheaper and use a few scoop lights and paper lanterns
and use foam core as bounce.

You can get Britek lighting kits from several places, including www.skaeser.com (where I bought a couple of kits)

Since you're in CA, they'll add sales tax - but they also knock a bunch off their (expensive) flat shipping rates to offset that.

Britek is a better solution than raiding the Home Depot, but definitely not in the same league as Lowell & Arri.

The stands that come with the Britek kits are extremely light-weight (and become very top-heavy, when the soft-boxes are added), so you'd always have them weighted down to prevent accidents.

The regular tungsten lighting kits will heat up a small/mid-sized room fairly fast. Haven't tried the later flourescent bulb kits, but I would not expect that. (Though colour balance should be very different).

Just tossin' out a few other options. :cool:

You can get Britek lighting kits from several places, including www.skaeser.com (where I bought a couple of kits)

Since you're in CA, they'll add sales tax - but they also knock a bunch off their (expensive) flat shipping rates to offset that.

Britek is a better solution than raiding the Home Depot, but definitely not in the same league as Lowell & Arri.

The stands that come with the Britek kits are extremely light-weight (and become very top-heavy, when the soft-boxes are added), so you'd always have them weighted down to prevent accidents.

The regular tungsten lighting kits will heat up a small/mid-sized room fairly fast. Haven't tried the later flourescent bulb kits, but I would not expect that. (Though colour balance should be very different).

Just tossin' out a few other options. :cool:

Zen,

I have a few questions please.

From the site you mentioned. What is the best, basic, starter kit, for a good price that you reccommend for shooting? A kit that has all the lights I need for basic shooting.

Some lights have an on/off switch, no dimmer. So if you want less light in that scene, how does one tone down the lighting?

And what is the difference between continuous lighting, as appose to not? thanks in advance

Continious as opposed to strob/flash light used by stills photographers.

Melon, there's not really a "one size fits all", when it comes to lighting. There's just too many variables.

I often rent additional lighting needs from a local place, to supplement what my basic kit has. Heck, sometimes it's easier to just leave the kit behind and rent everything for a particular project. (Done that for my last two projects)

Directorik mentioned some good staples, above, if that's in your budget area. Regardless, there'll still be many particular lighting situations where you'll need something you don't have.

Renting equipment, for a particular project, is often a better alternative to buying everything.

Still, if you are looking to do a particular thing over & over (ie: interviews, or similar), it can pay for itself over time by buying. You'll have the setup that you always use.

_______

Regarding your specific question:

Here's the kit I have bought twice (the first got stolen from my car)

http://www.skaeser.com/servlet/the-271/BRITEK-2000-WATT-D-fdsh-V/Detail

It's very handy for getting something random set up on the fly; though it's not everything you'd want.

Also, they tend to run pretty hot and heat up rooms fast.

I used those (along with some additional rented lights) for a green-screen music video we were doing in my garage. Had to open the garage door every 10 minutes to cool down, and take a break.

To tone down lighting? Yah, can use a dimmer... those those can be very hit & miss (and also causes colour issues). The cheap ones have a wide range of action... where you can move from 100% to 20% slowly now worries. Everything below that (20% to 0%) suddenly becomes on/off with no reliable accuracy.

Either using scrims (round, perforated metal screens) that slide in front of the light itself... or larger flags (mounted on a seperate C-Stand). Flags come in a variety of sizes (and translucency) to help adjust lighting.

Too many options, to be able to say "what is the best". :blush:


A kit that has all the lights I need for basic shooting

No such thing... though if you look up some basic lighting guides, you'll get an idea for what you might always want to have on hand.

You'll always be looking for something else, though.

Scott Spears has some good articles (video & text) for things you might like to look over

http://www.scottspears.net/filmmakpg3.html

_______

Btw... those Britek kits are available from many places; not just the one I use. Shop around for better prices, if available.

maybe he means basic 3-point lighting. Even if you are not a lighting person, you still learn 3-point in all your video classes....


-- spinner :cool:

For me, there IS a basic lighting kit. The one you have, Zen is a good one.
The oneS I own - ARRI (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/102953-REG/Arri_571851_Arrilite_1000_Tungsten_Four.html) or the less expensive Lowel (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/285836-REG/Lowel_TO_95Z_Ambi_Tungsten_Four_Light.html) kits will, in my opinion,
really handle most, basic lighting demands.

Add a few china lanterns, some gels and bounce boards and it makes a very
versatile kit capable of handeling almost every lighting situation.

But as you point out, when a filmmaker starts getting to more complicated
situations sunce as wide shots at night and greenscreen, renting more
lighting is needed. But the basic's are there in any of the three kits mentioned.

That's what I meant. like 3 point lighting, which is pretty much for your basic needs. Im not doing anything huge.... and I know Robert Rodriquez had the cheapest lights and he pulled off an indy film.

Zen, The kit you mentioned, you said it gets hot, wouldnt it be better to get flourascent? since it is suppose to be cooler? check out these kits http://www.skaeser.com/servlet/Categories?category=LIGHTING:COOL-FLO let me know what u think

directorik, nice kit, but I cant afford it ><

directorik, nice kit, but I cant afford it ><

Understandable. that's why in my first post I suggested a great
doityourself kit that costs very little and gives excellent results.
As you can see from the still I posted, the lighting looks pretty
good using a kit that totaled out about $300.

But as you point out, when a filmmaker starts getting to more complicated
situations sunce as wide shots at night and greenscreen, renting more
lighting is needed. But the basic's are there in any of the three kits mentioned.

....those are nice looking kits :) They look like they would just about cover whatever you were doing.

Unfortunately, I might have about $45 dollars on me. Definitely glad you posted the DIY version, though. I can see myself probably pulling that off. I need a trip to Home Depot....

Maybe a good idea is a combination of some really good lights and some DIY ones...


-- spinner :cool:

While not my best work, the movie posted below is an example of
using very limited lighting (the four light Lowell kit and a china
ball) to get what was needed. All the night scenes were shot in
about five hours with a tiny crew of me.

A couple of people helped move lights when I yelled at them, but
this was essentially a one person lighting and camera operating
job.

Check out "THE EYES" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deHKeL-4S8M)

lol - Space Potato! :abduct:

I dig it. :cool:

While not my best work, the movie posted below is an example of
using very limited lighting (the four light Lowell kit and a china
ball) to get what was needed. All the night scenes were shot in
about five hours with a tiny crew of me.

A couple of people helped move lights when I yelled at them, but
this was essentially a one person lighting and camera operating
job.

Check out "THE EYES" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deHKeL-4S8M)


hahaha nice work. "Space potato!" btw, my name is Andrew too ;)

What kind of bulbs do you put in the scoops and paper lanterns? My experience has been you don't get alot of light, especially if you try to bounce a 60 watt light off of foamcore. How much can you push these lights safely?

I use 200 watt bulbs in both with no problems.

I use a Lowel kit. One of the basic packages. I knew nothing about lighting when I bought it and I've learned a lot so far. It comes with a case and is pretty easy to set them up and put them away. I would recommend it, especially for a newcomer.

OK what's the difference between LED, Tungsten, and other forms of lighting and why would I choose one type over the other? I want to buy a light kit also but have no idea which one to go with.