Need some advice for what lights shall I go for. at DVinfo.net

Georgios Logothetis · June 12th, 2014, 08:40 AM

Hello guys,

Just starting off business and would like to know what kind of lighting equipment will best suit my needs.

I will be covering mainly events and then filming my own stuff and using a greenscreen.

I am using DSLR equipment. As far as films go I was happy with the three tungsten 800w I , but in Greenscreen terms as spot lights the screen was uneven light and thus hard to key.

I am contemplating to go with some softboxes from ebay/amazon (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Continuous-L..._sc_p_t_3_7B2T). But I dont know how well and what kind of light will they reproduce n reality (for ceremonies as well as greenscreen use). Maybe I need more?

Also somewhere down my mind, I think that maybe the strong LED lights (

Free Bag 2 x 1200LED Camera Video Panel Light Film TV Lighting with Cable Dimmer | eBay)

Budget wise as you will see from the prices I am really short....

Any help, suggestions will be helpful.

Thanks! :)

Oren Arieli · June 12th, 2014, 10:04 AM

There is no single type of light that will accomplish everything you are trying to do. It's best to build up a kit over time purchasing what you need most, and renting the rest before making a purchase. In general, it's easier to start off with a hard light source, which can be diffused when needed. Soft lights are usually larger, and don't have the throw you would need for ceremony (are you actually using lights at a wedding ceremony?).
Used Lowel kits can be found cheap online. They are tungsten, so they get hot, but they are bright, the bulbs are cheap, and there are many available modifiers. You can use them for almost any production. I have some that are going on 15 years old and still work great.
LED 1x1's have poor throw, and are not very color accurate (the cheaper ones). It might give you more trouble with greenscreen, especially since you're shooting DSLR at 4:2:0 already. The technology keeps improving, but they are not as 'mature' as good old tungsten.
I would say buy cheaper tungsten for now, and spend good money on grip gear (light stands, scrims, flags, cookies, snoots, etc). They will easily outlast your next 3 cameras. A Century stand will likely outlast you and me. If you're doing a lot of greenscreen, there are plenty of Do-it-yourself fluorescent solutions available online. This will give you broad, even illumination with decent color accuracy (depending on the quality of the bulb), and keep the set cool and comfortable.

Georgios Logothetis · June 13th, 2014, 11:37 AM

Here in Greece we are using inside the chappel as well as outside. From what I have seen while working The hard light is way to beamy-like and the images look a bit weird. I have seen softboxes used for the same reason (illuminatin the couple and close friends) and I believe that soft light might be better (without actually trying it), not sure though.

For Greenscreen will a set of three softboxes and 3 tungstens be enough to light the background and the foreground? Also will the kelvin difference make the skin (which will probs be litten by tungstens) look weird? (its 5500k vs 3200k)

I cant currently obtain all the pieces needed for the DIY project you are reffering to and even if I manage to source them, I wont be able to make it cause I am electrically inept...

Oren Arieli · June 13th, 2014, 12:15 PM

I don't know that anyone outside of the film industry lighting a church with a softbox. Even a 4 x 4 meter scrim placed back far enough to be out of the shot would be worthless. I don't know of any church in any country that would allow you to put a softbox on/near the altar during the service (and I have covered Greek weddings in the past). If you do use a hard light, it needs to have a wide enough beam to cover the action. I would rethink this plan, and possibly view some more lighting tutorials online before you buy anything for the church.
As for mixing light sources, I generally advise against it. You're already fighting the camera to get a good key, why fight your lights as well?

June 12th, 2014, 08:40 AM	#1
Georgios Logothetis Tourist Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 3	Need some advice for what lights shall I go for. Hello guys, Just starting off business and would like to know what kind of lighting equipment will best suit my needs. I will be covering mainly events and then filming my own stuff and using a greenscreen. I am using DSLR equipment. As far as films go I was happy with the three tungsten 800w I , but in Greenscreen terms as spot lights the screen was uneven light and thus hard to key. I am contemplating to go with some softboxes from ebay/amazon (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Continuous-L..._sc_p_t_3_7B2T). But I dont know how well and what kind of light will they reproduce n reality (for ceremonies as well as greenscreen use). Maybe I need more? Also somewhere down my mind, I think that maybe the strong LED lights (Free Bag 2 x 1200LED Camera Video Panel Light Film TV Lighting with Cable Dimmer \| eBay) Budget wise as you will see from the prices I am really short.... Any help, suggestions will be helpful. Thanks! :)

June 12th, 2014, 10:04 AM	#2
Oren Arieli Major Player Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Jose, California Posts: 919	Re: Need some advice for what lights shall I go for. There is no single type of light that will accomplish everything you are trying to do. It's best to build up a kit over time purchasing what you need most, and renting the rest before making a purchase. In general, it's easier to start off with a hard light source, which can be diffused when needed. Soft lights are usually larger, and don't have the throw you would need for ceremony (are you actually using lights at a wedding ceremony?). Used Lowel kits can be found cheap online. They are tungsten, so they get hot, but they are bright, the bulbs are cheap, and there are many available modifiers. You can use them for almost any production. I have some that are going on 15 years old and still work great. LED 1x1's have poor throw, and are not very color accurate (the cheaper ones). It might give you more trouble with greenscreen, especially since you're shooting DSLR at 4:2:0 already. The technology keeps improving, but they are not as 'mature' as good old tungsten. I would say buy cheaper tungsten for now, and spend good money on grip gear (light stands, scrims, flags, cookies, snoots, etc). They will easily outlast your next 3 cameras. A Century stand will likely outlast you and me. If you're doing a lot of greenscreen, there are plenty of Do-it-yourself fluorescent solutions available online. This will give you broad, even illumination with decent color accuracy (depending on the quality of the bulb), and keep the set cool and comfortable.

June 13th, 2014, 11:37 AM	#3
Georgios Logothetis Tourist Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 3	Re: Need some advice for what lights shall I go for. Here in Greece we are using inside the chappel as well as outside. From what I have seen while working The hard light is way to beamy-like and the images look a bit weird. I have seen softboxes used for the same reason (illuminatin the couple and close friends) and I believe that soft light might be better (without actually trying it), not sure though. For Greenscreen will a set of three softboxes and 3 tungstens be enough to light the background and the foreground? Also will the kelvin difference make the skin (which will probs be litten by tungstens) look weird? (its 5500k vs 3200k) I cant currently obtain all the pieces needed for the DIY project you are reffering to and even if I manage to source them, I wont be able to make it cause I am electrically inept...

June 13th, 2014, 12:15 PM	#4
Oren Arieli Major Player Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Jose, California Posts: 919	Re: Need some advice for what lights shall I go for. I don't know that anyone outside of the film industry lighting a church with a softbox. Even a 4 x 4 meter scrim placed back far enough to be out of the shot would be worthless. I don't know of any church in any country that would allow you to put a softbox on/near the altar during the service (and I have covered Greek weddings in the past). If you do use a hard light, it needs to have a wide enough beam to cover the action. I would rethink this plan, and possibly view some more lighting tutorials online before you buy anything for the church. As for mixing light sources, I generally advise against it. You're already fighting the camera to get a good key, why fight your lights as well?