Lighting

[Ryan Kincaid]

Originally Posted by Perrone Ford

Hmmm

Smith-Victor | 750SG 1000 Watt Tungsten Broad Light | 401107

Yeah, so that's great then right?

[Perrone Ford]

Originally Posted by Ryan Kincaid

Yeah, so that's great then right?

Well, you paid a bit more than half price. The pertinent question is do you need the light that these will give off? Broads are awesome if you need to throw a TON of light in no particular direction. They are also great to bounce off reflectors, or raise the ambient light levels in a room (with no windows).

I don't see any provision to put gels on these so you're going to be in a spot if you ever need to balance them to daylight. There doesn't seem to be a way to attach anything at all to the light, execpt maybe an umbrella somehow so you're going to have a tough time controlling any spill.

So while these will have some use, it will be somewhat limited, and frankly a used Fresnel would have probably paid better dividends. But hey, sometimes you get what you can get.

[Ryan Kincaid]

Originally Posted by Perrone Ford

Well, you paid a bit more than half price. The pertinent question is do you need the light that these will give off? Broads are awesome if you need to throw a TON of light in no particular direction. They are also great to bounce off reflectors, or raise the ambient light levels in a room (with no windows).

I don't see any provision to put gels on these so you're going to be in a spot if you ever need to balance them to daylight. There doesn't seem to be a way to attach anything at all to the light, execpt maybe an umbrella somehow so you're going to have a tough time controlling any spill.

So while these will have some use, it will be somewhat limited, and frankly a used Fresnel would have probably paid better dividends. But hey, sometimes you get what you can get.

Well, I got 2 for the price of one and I only got these 'cause you mentioned that you have one in your light set up. Was the 1000w good enough to light up a dimly light white room? I have a couple of indoor scenes in my movie and I was thinking that the 2 lights would be a nice way to light the white walls.

Also Maybe I'm wrong but don't the holders for the gels and filters connect to attachents on the stands as well? Maybe I did mess up.

[Perrone Ford]

Originally Posted by Ryan Kincaid

Well, I got 2 for the price of one and I only got these 'cause you mentioned that you have one in your light set up. Was the 1000w good enough to light up a dimly light white room? I have a couple of indoor scenes in my movie and I was thinking that the 2 lights would be a nice way to light the white walls.

Also Maybe I'm wrong but don't the holders for the gels and filters connect to attachents on the stands as well? Maybe I did mess up.

Yes, I have one in my kit. But I use it for very specific things. Generally the stuff I mentioned. And my broad has fittings to attach gels and diffusion. I made sure of that before I bought it.

However, these SV Broads should light the HECK out of some white walls! You'll be fine there.

[Ryan Kincaid]

Thanks PF (hope you don't mind me calling you that).

Also, I'm looking into an Omni flood light rig.

What do you think about kino flows and I heard someone mention DP lights? I'm planning on going to B&H here to look at the Lowells they have as well.

Also, I'm thinking of just sticking with 1000w lights. Should I go higher? The guy that sold me the SV's said he has 500w bulbs and 1000w bulbs. I bought a set of each. Been toying the the DVX at home to see how just a 75w bulb lights.

I need a DP sheesh!

[Perrone Ford]

You'll find lights are like cameras. They all light, but they go about it differently, and there is no one light for all scenarios.

You'll also learn that rating lights by watts is useless. It tells you nothing about how much light the fixture is putting off, nor the quality of that light. And not the color of the light either. All are crucial factors.

I assume you'll be plugging these lamps into general circuits and not a generator. You can get 1500-2kw on a 20amp circuit if there is NOTHING else on it. So loading up on a bunch of power hungry tungsten lights isn't going to get you too far.

The fluorescents are generally very efficient giving off about 4-5 times the light per watt of Tungsten. So a 25w Fluo is similar to a 100-125w tungsten lamp. HMIs are also excellent, but very expensive. Lowell lights are nice, and I have a few (Tota, DP, Rifa88). Kino Flo lights are an industry standard, but a bit pricey.

Originally Posted by Ryan Kincaid

Thanks PF (hope you don't mind me calling you that).

Also, I'm looking into an Omni flood light rig.

What do you think about kino flows and I heard someone mention DP lights? I'm planning on going to B&H here to look at the Lowells they have as well.

Also, I'm thinking of just sticking with 1000w lights. Should I go higher? The guy that sold me the SV's said he has 500w bulbs and 1000w bulbs. I bought a set of each. Been toying the the DVX at home to see how just a 75w bulb lights.

I need a DP sheesh!

[Ryan Kincaid]

Originally Posted by Perrone Ford

The fluorescents are generally very efficient giving off about 4-5 times the light per watt of Tungsten. So a 25w Fluo is similar to a 100-125w tungsten lamp. HMIs are also excellent, but very expensive. Lowell lights are nice, and I have a few (Tota, DP, Rifa88). Kino Flo lights are an industry standard, but a bit pricey.

When you say fluorescents do you mean the kino flos?

yeah that's another question I had written down and forgot to ask. Someone mentioned to me the flourescnets aren't good because they tend to flicker and aren't stable, yet aren't the Kino's flourescents?

Also another thing I noticed while playing with the DVX, anything white would display or show up on the viewfinder with flickering striped lines.

[Perrone Ford]

Originally Posted by Ryan Kincaid

When you say fluorescents do you mean the kino flos?

yeah that's another question I had written down and forgot to ask. Someone mentioned to me the flourescnets aren't good because they tend to flicker and aren't stable, yet aren't the Kino's flourescents?

Also another thing I noticed while playing with the DVX, anything white would display or show up on the viewfinder with flickering striped lines.

You got a lot of work to do my friend! :)

Fluorescents of ANY kind. The Kino Flo's are very high quality units with specific color balanced tubes. There are lots of types of fluorescent lights out there. Most of gotten long past the flickering, sickening green things we used to know. They run cool, don't use a lot of power, and kick off a lot of light. Soft light. So if you need the light to carry a long way, or are trying to create strong shadows, then Fluos are not what you want.

The "striped" lines you say are "zebras". It's the camera's way of letting you know you may be about to overexpose something, and you need to be careful. You need to read through the manual carefully, and learn the camera.

DVX cam is great. I love mine.

[Ryan Kincaid]

Originally Posted by Perrone Ford

You got a lot of work to do my friend! :)

LOL, who are you telling? Trying to make everything in a production work is tough and because I'm working with dedicated but uneducated (no technical background in this area; Love my guys!) I want to make sure I have some knowledge as well.

Originally Posted by Perrone Ford

Fluorescents of ANY kind. The Kino Flo's are very high quality units with specific color balanced tubes. There are lots of types of fluorescent lights out there. Most of gotten long past the flickering, sickening green things we used to know. They run cool, don't use a lot of power, and kick off a lot of light. Soft light. So if you need the light to carry a long way, or are trying to create strong shadows, then Fluos are not what you want.

So then I shouldn't shy away from a rig of flourescents? Would Kino Flos be what I want to simulate day shoots at night, depending of course on the reflective surfaces of the back grounds/setting?

Originally Posted by Perrone Ford

The "striped" lines you say are "zebras". It's the camera's way of letting you know you may be about to overexpose something, and you need to be careful. You need to read through the manual carefully, and learn the camera.

Hey, gimme a break! I'm doing this off the fly ;-) I got a bunch of other things I'm still trying to knock out before I read the book. Truthfully though, I gonna get a DP to handle all of this but I'd like some back ground knowledge so I'd be able to figure out if I hire a good one or a bad one. And preferably one that uses/owns a DVX.

Originally Posted by Perrone Ford

DVX cam is great. I love mine.

Tell me about it. I took it out the box on Tuesday and was in love. Just off the cuff, comparing it to my Sony TVR (Hi-8) of 10 years ago or even my Sony DCR of 7 years ago, there's a VERY NOTICABLE difference.

Man I can't wait to start filming.

[Perrone Ford]

Originally Posted by Ryan Kincaid

LOL, who are you telling? Trying to make everything in a production work is tough and because I'm working with dedicated but uneducated (no technical background in this area; Love my guys!) I want to make sure I have some knowledge as well.

Good idea to learn as much as you can.

Originally Posted by Ryan Kincaid

So then I shouldn't shy away from a rig of flourescents? Would Kino Flos be what I want to simulate day shoots at night, depending of course on the reflective surfaces of the back grounds/setting?

Not solely fluorescents. They are tools. But you can't build a house with just hammers. You're going to need other tools as well. A fluorescent like a Kino won't light much past 10ft if that. You need a different tool.

Originally Posted by Ryan Kincaid

Hey, gimme a break! I'm doing this off the fly ;-) I got a bunch of other things I'm still trying to knock out before I read the book. Truthfully though, I gonna get a DP to handle all of this but I'd like some back ground knowledge so I'd be able to figure out if I hire a good one or a bad one. And preferably one that uses/owns a DVX.

It's going to be a rare DP who shoots an DVX these days. Although it's an awesome DV camera, it IS a DV camera. And not what a pro DP would be shooting with most likely. Unless it was for something very specific.

Originally Posted by Ryan Kincaid

Tell me about it. I took it out the box on Tuesday and was in love. Just off the cuff, comparing it to my Sony TVR (Hi-8) of 10 years ago or even my Sony DCR of 7 years ago, there's a VERY NOTICABLE difference.

Man I can't wait to start filming.

Enjoy your camera. I have an original DVX. Bought it only a few months after it was released. It's served me well, and still looks nearly new. They hold up great if you care for them.

[Ryan Kincaid]

Originally Posted by Perrone Ford

It's going to be a rare DP who shoots an DVX these days. Although it's an awesome DV camera, it IS a DV camera. And not what a pro DP would be shooting with most likely. Unless it was for something very specific.

Not what I wanted to hear.

But couldn't it be said that since the DVX is what most film school students use/have used, that even if they've moved up to something more tech worthy they'd still be able to regress per say and use a DVX?

Don't most DPs that are worth their salt, own some kind of high end camera as well?

[Perrone Ford]

Originally Posted by Ryan Kincaid

Not what I wanted to hear.

But couldn't it be said that since the DVX is what most film school students use/have used, that even if they've moved up to something more tech worthy they'd still be able to regress per say and use a DVX?

Don't most DPs that are worth their salt, own some kind of high end camera as well?

Who told you most film students use or have used a DVX?

I couldn't say what most DPs would own, but I'd suspect many own film cameras, and some will own higher end video cams. Some might have owned DVXs way back when.

Anyone who's done even am little DP work should be able to figure out the DVX in an afternoon, and be ready to roll. It's a fairly simple camera as far as basic settings go.

24pA, zebras, all manual, set iris, shutter, focus and go. Oh, and load a tape! :)

[Ryan Kincaid]

Originally Posted by Perrone Ford

Who told you most film students use or have used a DVX?

I couldn't say what most DPs would own, but I'd suspect many own film cameras, and some will own higher end video cams. Some might have owned DVXs way back when.

Anyone who's done even am little DP work should be able to figure out the DVX in an afternoon, and be ready to roll. It's a fairly simple camera as far as basic settings go.

24pA, zebras, all manual, set iris, shutter, focus and go. Oh, and load a tape! :)

When I was investigating what camera to used (I graduated from NYU but for writing not film) a bunch of people that I went to school with (I grad in '99) said the best cam to use was a DVX as far as budget vs quality goes. I asked how hard it was to use and the group (3 people I knew really well and then a bunch of their film friends/collegues who I met in passing) said that most used the DVX because it gave you a 35 mm look with out the costs of developing/editing/purchasing 35mm.

the ultimate problem, and this is why I discovered this board, is that most of these same people DIDN'T own a DVX (stupid me) nor were not DPs.