Lighting Kits

[kaos1000]

Mr. Mullen,
I am just starting out in this. (I am using DV, making my own shorts).
Studying lighting is my present focus and I need equipment.

I asked Roy Wagner about "No Buget DV lighting" and he gave me a helpful response suggesting a 3 lamp "dedolight" lighting kit. I have looked at them and they seem very nice and after a while I might even be able to afford one (about $5k).

My question to you is what to do in the interum.........I am in a rual area and have no place to rent lights, so I am looking at buying some "lower end" lighting kits.

Should I just improvise with "Home Depot" stuff and concentrate on compostition, doing the best I can, or buy some lower end stuff made to work together (i.e. with tripods/softboxes/barndoors, etc.....)?


I really plan on making the investment in dedolights eventually.


Thanks much,

kaos

 

[David Mullen ASC]

Obviously you do the best you can. When I was a beginner, I had a real hodge-podge of equipment -- if it produced light cheaply, I probably bought it!

I used Chinese Lanterns with porcelain sockets and Photoflood bulbs, plus reflector dish lights with Photofloods (and smaller household bulbs). I had one 650 watt tungsten halogen "movie lamp" from the 1960's made for the Super-8 home movie market -- it was my "big" light. I used worklamps, fluorescents, anything that put out light.

To someone learning to light, I recommend investing in one movie lamp, maybe a 650 watt open-face or fresnel, plus the barndoors and the stand. I also suggest buying one c-stand, one of the most useful tools ever invented for moviemaking. You could look into something made by Lowell, for example. It's good to have one bright light that is focusable and produces nice sharp shadows when needed but also can be diffused or bounced.

http://www.lowel.com/frenl/frenl_c.html#info
http://www.lowel.com/dp/dp_c.html#info

Smith-Victor stuff is cheaper, a little less flexible though, but affordable:

http://www.smithvictor.com/products...=16&pid=2&s1=Lights&s2=Quartz+Lights&nm=710SG

This (below) is sort of what I had when I was a beginner, but I found one in a garage sale for $5! Later I found out the bulb alone cost me $30 to replace once it burned out:

http://www.smithvictor.com/products...=16&pid=2&s1=Lights&s2=Quartz+Lights&nm=700SG

Doesn't really spot or flood or take barndoors, so you'd be better off with something else.

 

[laurent.a]

You could also buy second hand on e-bay

 

[Dedline]

lowel/arri

lowel/arri

I work in news and we use lowel elemental kits. they go for around $950 thats retail, street price is likely less, if you think u can shell out enough dough for that, it's really easy and flexible, though they're open face lights and not sealed. A little black wrap and they're as good as sealed if needed. you get 2 omnis, 1 tota, 3 stands couple gel holders and they may come with one set of lamps.

! hunger for an Arri softbank IV kit. Extra weight, but I'd love it for formal setups. They usually go for around $2500 I think, maybe more.

and a case with wheels....

Henry