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All around lighting setup for basement shots

M

marqus

I am in the market for video lighting that can be used for indoor house shots mostly in an unfinished basement (wood framing). The ceilingwill be completely open and not shown in the shots so there is no issue having overhead lights if needed. Basically an all purpose lighting kit for filming human subjects. I am new to film all together but am liking examples I have seen with 3000k warm white light. The shots are horror like but realistic (not zombies) so would be darker than normal but I want to capture facial expressions and brief background props in detail. Basically looking for a kit that I cannot go wrong with. Willing to spend up to $3500 for a 3 pc kit. I saw a cool comparison video (http://nofilmschool.com/2016/04/led-lights-comparison-review-color-shootout) with the Arri Tungsten 1K Studio Fresnel looking the best for the price in my mind but am curious if it would be too bright, even with the ISO set to the lowest possibly some lens filters.

Also, is it typical for scenes to be shot with different powered lights? Sorry for all the beginner questions, I am new to film and haven't researched lighting until now.
 
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You can't go wrong with the Arri Kit. It isn't the light itself that gets you the look you want, it's a
combination of lights, placement, exposure, color temp and color correction. So to capture facial
expressions and brief background props in detail you will place lights in the specific areas, use
barndoors and flags and gels. Along with the camera settings. There isn't a light that will do that
without some talent and skill and experience behind the camera.

THIS KIT is a little out of your price range but this is what I have. I have another ten or so lights but
this kit is terrific to start with.
 
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Quality said:
3 lights are good enough to light everything in the frame.
Click to expand...

Which lights? How wide a frame? How complex a shot? Which areas need highlight and which need shadow?

If that statement were true, there'd be no need for grip trucks.

A three-point setup could work under certain circumstances but may be insufficient much, if not most, of the time. And three 150w or 250w lights won't cover much at all, or at least won't provide for true control ove exposure settings in-camera.

To marqus: choose your desired frame rate, shutter speed, and aperture (and, ideally, ISO). Light to that. If you need to add ND filters in front of the lens, so be it. Better to have too much light and need to cut it than to have too little and have to push exposure in the camera.
 
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marqus said:
I found a used Arri Softbank D3 kit on craigslist for $750 but its 10 years old. Do these lights usually last forever or is there a big risk of running into problems after that much time?

Seems to be the same as this kit.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/co...REG&ap=y&c3api=1876,92051678282,&A=details&Q=

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

Decent tungsten lights tend to last forever. Realistically, decent brand film lights in general tend to last a long time. They're designed to. Gaffers don't generally like re-buying the same equipment every couple of years..
 
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If you've got a bunch of money to spend, and you're confident that this investment is something that'll pay off for you, then go ahead and spend it.

However, if you're on a limited budget, considering the fact that you're new to this, I think it'd probably be a better idea to research and build a DIY light kit. You'd be surprised how good of a kit you can assemble for under $500. In fact, for functionality, I'd prefer a $500 DIY kit over any entry-level name-brand kit.
 
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Just bought this set on eBay. They will ship tomorrow so let me know if I made the wrong decision ? I calculated it to be about $1500 worth of equipment if adding the lowest used cost of each individual item on ebay. I guess my main concern is/was if a lot has changed over the past 10 years in lighting technology. Not sure the difference between that version and the Arri "Plus" one.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/291849716793?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
 
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Not a bad deal. You can use mafer and Cardellini clamps to get your lights off the stands and on some of those beams also (save you a little floor space) You might also look into Aputure led lights as you expand. Looks like the 650 in the kit is the plus version. What I remember was more differences in the housing but plus is always better right....
 
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That's a good starter kit. While three lights may, technically, be enough to "light everything in the frame", lighting everything is generally not a good idea. With no shadow or contrast, there's no depth to the shot. Heck, depending on the size of your basement, the 1K could probably fill the space on its own.

BUT, you're going to want to shape the light.

Since you're already way under your stated maximum budget, you might want to look at adding some grip kit to that lighting kit, if not at least one more fresnel (either a 650W or a 300W, or both).

Get at least one 5-in1 reflector disc:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/358608-REG/Impact_R1142_5_in_1_Reflector_Disc.html

And an arm to stand mount it:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/332034-REG/Avenger_RH353_Reflector_Holder_with_Mini.html

Grab 4 C-stands with grip heads and Hollywood arms:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/320208-REG/Matthews_B756040_Hollywood_Century_C_Stand.html

And perhaps look at a good flag kit:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...uice_DJ_FLAG_KIT_PRO_BIG_Pro_Flag_Kit_24.html

Don't forget to snag a few sand bags for the light stands and C-stands. Safety first:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1161017-REG/impact_sbe_b_15_empty_saddle_sandbag.html

These will give you some extra tools to help cut, bounce, and shape light and to make the most of your light kit.

And before you let the length of that list frighten you, the total for the suggested list above, including 8 sand bags, is $1163. That plus your light kit still puts you well below your maximum.

Other things that can help if you have room in your budget:

Squeezer, to help adjust light levels to taste:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/755346-REG/Impact_D_1000_D1000_1_000W_AC_Dimmer.html

4x4 Silk, good for softening smaller lights:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/32812-REG/Matthews_159015_Solid_Frame_Scrim.html
 
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Thanks for the really good advise and links. I may even be going with the Ursa Mini 4.6k instead of the Sony A7S II and I read that lighting is a big concern for the Ursa so this should help.
 
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Honestly, lighting is a big concern for every camera, if you want the best possible image.

Folks get too fixated on low-light performace, but the universal fact remains that the camera - ANY camera - loves light. As I said before, you also want to select your shutter speed and aperture, and ideally your ISO, and light to that. If you are letting the amount of available light dictate your exposure settings, you've lost the game... or you're shooting news.
 
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I would suggest for basements you do space lighting like practical lights rather than face lights. You can add some old tubelight look and if there is a ventilation or peeking window then a shaft of light works great as a backlight or cheek light. It's all about how u imagine and design the shots bro
 
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