Good lights to compliment my A1 at DVinfo.net

Paul Joy · July 5th, 2007, 04:07 AM

I purchased my A1 to learn about video and to be able to offer the shooting side of the business as well as editing and post production. After owning my XHA1 for a couple of months and getting to grips with it it's time for it to start earning it's keep.

I've been offered a project involving shooting in a college and doing a few vox-pop style interviews. The only thing I'm really concerned about at the moment is lighting as I don't own any lights at all.

Could any of you guys recommend a good setup for interviews that will also be useful for things like shooting internal property videos?

I do have a limited budget but am prepared to buy good quality if it really makes the difference.

Thanks for any tips.

Paul.

Matt Mullins · July 5th, 2007, 05:00 AM

Budget really dictates these choices a lot. Some will suggest to go with work lights but I think this is a false economy for three reasons:
1) They take longer to setup
2) They don't look professional (important for clients perception)
3) The light they produce is frankly quite poor

I'd avoid getting light kits as invariably you end up with three of the same sort of light which is not helpful when producing interesting/varied lighting. 3 800 watt red heads don't make for pretty pictures without a bunch more grip equipment (which is handy in any case) and frankly a lot more setup time. I'd get a nice soft box for a key light (see riffa), a pro light or a redhead (650-800 watt) for a fill but also get a 7-1 reflector setup to bounce it off, and something like a dedolight for a back light (simply for the beautiful hard edge light) along with gobo's to put nice patterns on the wall behind your interview subjects.
There are tons of other solutions but these lights will last you for years to come so invest well.

Cheers
Matt

Paul Joy · July 5th, 2007, 06:00 AM

Thanks Matt, some great info there.

I had a quick look around and found the lowel kits look quite good, for example...

http://www.lowel.com/kits/DVcore250.html looks quite handy.

What do you think? I also found an option with the larger 500w riffa for not a lot more.

Paul.

David Koo · July 5th, 2007, 06:50 AM

Personally, I would not buy a prefab kit...

It will have a lot of stuff you don't need...

Here is a good starting point/reference point...

http://www.vortexmedia.com/LightingDVD/LIGHTING.html

This DVD on lighting helped me quite a bit...

And I liked the fact that the author is not tied in with any particular manufacturer...

He simply recommends what he uses and teaches us how he uses it...

dave

Will Griffith · July 5th, 2007, 07:21 AM

I would go with the 2 light Kino Flo Diva 400 kit.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...iversal_2.html
Get daylight and tungsten bulbs for different lighting conditions.

I would rent it before buying anything from Lowel, IMO.

Looks like you are in the UK...here are some prices
from a london group.
http://www.directlighting.co.uk/continuous_lighting.php
You can have them configure a setup similar to the one above.
(I would consider some beefier stands though)

Hope that helps.

Paul Joy · July 5th, 2007, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Koo

Here is a good starting point/reference point...

http://www.vortexmedia.com/LightingDVD/LIGHTING.html

Thanks David, I placed an order - that looks like exactly what I need to get me going in the right direction.

Matt Mullins · July 5th, 2007, 08:03 AM

with regard to the kit you're better off buying individual lights. As one poster mentioned you get stuff you dont need, you also usually get sub quality stands and they invariably miss out useful bits and bobs you'd expect.
As for a riffa, get the larger one, you wont regret it for interviews: make for gorgeous soft light, and very fast to set up. Kinos are also a good bet as they stay cool.

Matt

July 5th, 2007, 04:07 AM	#1
Paul Joy Major Player Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Norfolk, UK Posts: 627	Good lights to compliment my A1 I purchased my A1 to learn about video and to be able to offer the shooting side of the business as well as editing and post production. After owning my XHA1 for a couple of months and getting to grips with it it's time for it to start earning it's keep. I've been offered a project involving shooting in a college and doing a few vox-pop style interviews. The only thing I'm really concerned about at the moment is lighting as I don't own any lights at all. Could any of you guys recommend a good setup for interviews that will also be useful for things like shooting internal property videos? I do have a limited budget but am prepared to buy good quality if it really makes the difference. Thanks for any tips. Paul.

July 5th, 2007, 05:00 AM	#2
Matt Mullins Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Cardiff, United Kingdom Posts: 54	Some Suggestions Budget really dictates these choices a lot. Some will suggest to go with work lights but I think this is a false economy for three reasons: 1) They take longer to setup 2) They don't look professional (important for clients perception) 3) The light they produce is frankly quite poor I'd avoid getting light kits as invariably you end up with three of the same sort of light which is not helpful when producing interesting/varied lighting. 3 800 watt red heads don't make for pretty pictures without a bunch more grip equipment (which is handy in any case) and frankly a lot more setup time. I'd get a nice soft box for a key light (see riffa), a pro light or a redhead (650-800 watt) for a fill but also get a 7-1 reflector setup to bounce it off, and something like a dedolight for a back light (simply for the beautiful hard edge light) along with gobo's to put nice patterns on the wall behind your interview subjects. There are tons of other solutions but these lights will last you for years to come so invest well. Cheers Matt

July 5th, 2007, 07:21 AM	#5
Will Griffith Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Tennessee Posts: 164	I would go with the 2 light Kino Flo Diva 400 kit. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...iversal_2.html Get daylight and tungsten bulbs for different lighting conditions. I would rent it before buying anything from Lowel, IMO. Looks like you are in the UK...here are some prices from a london group. http://www.directlighting.co.uk/continuous_lighting.php You can have them configure a setup similar to the one above. (I would consider some beefier stands though) Hope that helps. __________________ will griffith producer/editor

July 5th, 2007, 06:00 AM	#3
Paul Joy Major Player Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Norfolk, UK Posts: 627	Thanks Matt, some great info there. I had a quick look around and found the lowel kits look quite good, for example... http://www.lowel.com/kits/DVcore250.html looks quite handy. What do you think? I also found an option with the larger 500w riffa for not a lot more. Paul.

July 5th, 2007, 06:50 AM	#4
David Koo Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 51	Personally, I would not buy a prefab kit... It will have a lot of stuff you don't need... Here is a good starting point/reference point... http://www.vortexmedia.com/LightingDVD/LIGHTING.html This DVD on lighting helped me quite a bit... And I liked the fact that the author is not tied in with any particular manufacturer... He simply recommends what he uses and teaches us how he uses it... dave

July 5th, 2007, 08:03 AM	#7
Matt Mullins Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Cardiff, United Kingdom Posts: 54	with regard to the kit you're better off buying individual lights. As one poster mentioned you get stuff you dont need, you also usually get sub quality stands and they invariably miss out useful bits and bobs you'd expect. As for a riffa, get the larger one, you wont regret it for interviews: make for gorgeous soft light, and very fast to set up. Kinos are also a good bet as they stay cool. Matt