El cheapo lighting...

[Vinson Watson]

I'm trying also trying to figure out how to get the film look and I know lighting is important. Here a way to get great lighting under $40. Check it...

Grab three of those clip on lamps (you can buy them from most hardward stores for about 5 - 10 bucks. Then grab one 500 photoflood light bulb (the blue bulbs, you know, they're light small suns) and two 250 bulbs from any camera or video store and you're all set. Now you can arrange these however you want. It's good lightling.

-Vinson

[Don Donatello]

those $5-10 clip on's are NOT rated for 500w lights and i don't think they are even rated for 250w ?? IMO using 500w lights in these clips on's are a hazard. use the rated watts for the sockets ... safty is always 1st ...

[Casey Visco]

I recently heard a talk by George Kuchar on the subject of cheap lighting...and he recommended exactly what vinson was saying...my initial thought was "how the hell can a 100w capacity clamp lamp handle a 500w photo flood?"

I also recall Robert Rodriguez using the 250w photo floods on Mariachi...just screwing them into existing sockets or clamp lamps...

So far neither of the aforementioned filmmakers has reported lighting anything on fire that way...but as don says, safety first...proceed carefully ;)

[Vinson Watson]

<<<-- Originally posted by Casey Visco : I recently heard a talk by George Kuchar on the subject of cheap lighting...and he recommended exactly what vinson was saying...my initial thought was "how the hell can a 100w capacity clamp lamp handle a 500w photo flood?"

I also recall Robert Rodriguez using the 250w photo floods on Mariachi...just screwing them into existing sockets or clamp lamps...

So far neither of the aforementioned filmmakers has reported lighting anything on fire that way...but as don says, safety first...proceed carefully ;) -->>>

I too got the idea from Rodriguez. All I know is we had a 500 and two 250s going and nothing burned up or anything thing like that. We bounced them off the white ceiling and everything seemed to work. We lit up the bedroom like it was 12 noon at 8:00pm. Now I have to say though the metal does get hot just like using a prolight so don't touch without the glove.

-Vinson

[Keith Luken]

I found clamp on halogen lights for $12 at Lowes with an extra bulb and they are 250 watt. The only problem was the cage has a bar directly in front of the bulb that throws a shadow, so this week, I will be removing the horizontal bar. They seem to throw good light, but I am now thinking about the 500 watt portable lights, they are little bigger and don;t clamp, so I may get opne of those to flood form the direction of the camera dn use the 2 other 250 watt lights to throw light form the sides. We'll see how that works...

[Derrick Begin]

Here is an alternative, building on what was said above,

1. Buy 2 - - 250 Watt Halogen Worklights. (appr. 10.00 each)

2. Buy 1 - - 500 Watt Halogen Worklights. (appr. 15.00 each) Or photoflood (you'll need housing if you get the photoflood)

3. Buy 2(+1 if your dealing with the halogen) House Dimmer Switches, that click off, not push on push off (unless you can secure the switch).

4. Remove the cages.

5. Subsitute the original switches on the lights with your newly acquired dimmers. Secure with heavy duty zip fasteners.

6. Rock N Roll... Buy a pain of heavy duty utility gloves. Those suckers get hot. BE CAREFUL and TELL your actors to be mindful.

Hope this helped.

Cheers,

Derrick

[Josh Bass]

What kind of light do these generate? Is it that sort of greenish tinted light (that's what I think of when I think of halogen) or is that pure white light like a tota-light?

[Aaron Koolen]

I'd also go and get proper CT bulbs for them so that you know the colour temperature. One thing also mentioned by someone else on a similar thread is that you can forget the dimmers. Just switch intensity's of lights and/or move them around. Dimmers will change the colour temperature and you'll have to white balance again. Anyone had experience with this, I haven't as I'm juts going to use swap in and out different wattage lights (Not bulbs ;))

[Derrick Begin]

Halogens adjusted to the lowest setting glow an yellow-orange, as you progressively add more juice the color changes from an yellow-orange to a slightly yellow-white. At least through my camera... It works very well for what I am doing and, but I white balance everytime I change the lights.

Flourescent lights, I think burn the green color, makes skin tones look drawn.

Cheers!

They are definately not a Totowa light... An improvisation light...

[Bud Kuenzli]

I have some cheap work lights that I use for lighting. Halogen lights that you can buy at Home Depot. It was mentioned that one should get CT (color temp) lights for these. I've never seen such a thing. Are they commonly available? Any sources for 500W CT halogen lights to fit these commonly found work lights?

[Josh Bass]

Are the bulbs used in Omni and Tota lights compatible with these work lights?

[Will Fastie]

The work lights are sure a bargain -- for $60 a pop, I bought two, 2-light kits with a very heavy tripod stand. The lights are all 500W, so I can get 500 or 1000 from two directions. Including extension cords and some supplies to make scrim holders and the like, my outlay for these cheapo light "kits" ended up at about $210.

But now I'm wondering if I shouldn't have invested that money toward a pro kit. I'm having terrible trouble building the accessories. For example, my mounts for scrims and diffusers, made out of PVC water pipe, are cumbersome, inflexible, and difficult to attach to the stands. Because the work lights aren't designed for studio work, they don't conform to any of the standard sizing present in pro lighting stands, clamps, and holders. When I tried to configure some pro equipment to work with my lights, the awkward combination of parts drove the price out of reason. Worse, this has all been an incredible waste of time.

Now I'm eyeing kits like the Smith-Victor K77, a 2200W, 3-light system (B&H $600) or the SV K70 1800W kit, a 3-light system with many accessories (B&H $650).

After having gone through all this hassle, $600 doesn't seem all that expensive any more.

[John Threat]

THis is excellent advice. With some blackwrap , dugalteen and bounce cards, I can light a scene like a pro with those cheap halogen work lights and aluminum photofloods.


Don't forget a white umbrella. Bouncing the halogen into it can make a spectacular soft light source - if it doesn't catch on fire!

[Josh Bass]

John says the things I want to hear. What is dugalteen? For bounce cards, can you just use foam core or matte board or whatever it's called, possibly with aluminum foil wrapped around?

[John Threat]

Oops.. i meant to say Duvetyne!

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/cinemasupplies/duv54rolx50y.html

for example.