nice lighting, by yourself, short etup time. . .HOW?

[Tom More]

LOL! I should have specified that the client wants to chit chat with ME:-)

[Jon Fairhurst]

Originally Posted by Tom More

LOL! I should have specified that the client wants to chit chat with ME:-)

Exactly why the headphones might be helpful - even if they aren't playing anything. ;) As soon as you get a break from the conversation, put them on and the conversation won't likely resume until you take them off.

[Josh Bass]

I don't mean to brag, but I manage to be slow without anyone in the room or any distractions whatsoever. Yeah, just comes natural to me. What can I say? I'm like the Will Hunting of inefficiency.

As for headphones, that's probably a place you want to splurge. You don't want to be judging your critical audio with a single earbud in my opinion. . .you want those Sony 7506s or something similar.

[Mike Watson]

It is always the interviewee who I have to entertain because we're 20 minutes behind or they're 20 minutes early (or both). I've found that watching me set up lights and move furniture makes them uncomfortable and results in a shitty interview.

Sometimes I'll say "hey, we're about 20 minutes from being ready. You're welcome to stay and watch me set up, or you can certainly step outside and answer e-mails or phone calls or whatever else - either way is fine with me." Then, about ten seconds later, if they haven't left yet, I make some inane conversation, generally along this line of questioning:

So, how long have you worked here?
You live near here too?
How long?
Any kids?
How old?
What are they into?

And at every stop, ask probing questions about whatever their answer was. By the time I get to the end of the line, I've mic'd them up, sat them down, and transition into the first interview question without ever letting on. Sometimes, when I'm done, I get the proverbial, "we're done? I didn't even know we started!".

Or, they go into the hallway and play on their iPhone. Either way.

[Jamie Roberts]

I always have plenty of battery powered LED's and stands on hand as they are light, small and powerful. I can set 3 up on stands in about 5 minutes!

The chit chat as distracting as it can be while setting can help the subject to relax. I also want them to like me so they'll tell others to call me as well as get their next job! Yes, nice video production work is important, but here in Australia at least, being a likeable bloke who make the filming experience fun really helps keeps the phone ringing.

[Seth Bloombaum]

Talking and working is a skill that deserves some attention. Some people can't seem to have a conversation unless they stop what they're doing, but I think anyone can learn to talk and work. Just takes practice.

[Josh Bass]

Oh shux, I forgot to mention how awkward that sort of conversation is with strangers in any circumstances let alone when I'm working. I'm more the type to begin sweating silently from the unutterable awkwardness of it all, praying for it to be over. Like when you're in a public bathroom and everything's great 'cause you're TOTALLY ALONE, and then another person walks in.

[Mike Watson]

Originally Posted by Seth Bloombaum

Talking and working is a skill that deserves some attention. Some people can't seem to have a conversation unless they stop what they're doing, but I think anyone can learn to talk and work. Just takes practice.

This is every PA I've ever hired. Seriously, I can't wait to hear about your fishing boat or your 3-wheel ATV, but could you please DRAG OUT THOSE SANDBAGS while you drone on with your story?

Originally Posted by Josh Bass

Oh shux, I forgot to mention how awkward that sort of conversation is with strangers in any circumstances let alone when I'm working. I'm more the type to begin sweating silently from the unutterable awkwardness of it all, praying for it to be over. Like when you're in a public bathroom and everything's great 'cause you're TOTALLY ALONE, and then another person walks in.

Toastmasters. Srsly.

[Tom More]

Originally Posted by Josh Bass

Oh shux, I forgot to mention how awkward that sort of conversation is with strangers in any circumstances let alone when I'm working. I'm more the type to begin sweating silently from the unutterable awkwardness of it all, praying for it to be over. Like when you're in a public bathroom and everything's great 'cause you're TOTALLY ALONE, and then another person walks in.

LOL, I can empathize! :-) But Jamie makes a great point about putting the interviewee at ease. It's easy to forget that a lot of these folks are already sweating it out about being in front of the camera! And I suppose a lot of the chit chat is just their nerves showing since they have nothing to do but wait and think about it.

[Josh Bass]

I may have exaggerated a bit. But seriously, if I'm trying to SET UP, that is really weird to be racking my brain for chit chat questions while trying to figure out artful light placement (or anything at all). Once they're in there, and I'm set, and they're sitting down, yeah, of course I tell them "this is no big deal, you're just gonna talk to the camera, and say, 'mom, dad, if you don't send $100 million Mr. Bass is going to remove my pinky finger.' Real conversational, like you're just chatting with a friend."

Even in "real life" the small talk doesn't come out for me unless I'm with someone for a LONG time and it's just getting weird. 20 or 30 minutes ain't weird enough yet. I mean, relatively speaking. We are talking about ME here.

[Al Bergstein]

Doug Jenson has a video on LED lighting (and an earlier video on lighting with hot lights). It's very instructive and he shows how with a 3 light setup he can be up and running in about 20 minutes. Well worth the cost of the video.

I took a different tack, and went with Rifa's (small, medium and large), as I already had a couple of fluorescents. The Rifa's open quick, close quick, and I can change the heads if need be to hot lights for lighting larger areas, or augmenting daylight, I use fluorescents for standard interviews without melting the talent. I hope to eventually get some battery powered Lightpanels or similar, which likely will reduce time even more so. But the Rifas' are rugged, come with wonderful soft packaging that stores and travels easily. I do carry a small LED for use in the field. It's come in handy to pop the shine in the talent's face/eyes.

[Al Gardner]

Originally Posted by Josh Bass

And that is certainly a valid point. I guess it's one of those things where once you know something, you can't un-know it. Just like I can get too tweaky with lighting because I feel I know what looks good, I also know (or at least believe) that my boom will always sound better than my G2 wireless (barring noise issues in the room--I'm talking sound recording quality in general here). Better enough in the CLIENT'S eyes (ears?) to justify the time/effort to set it up? maybe not. So this would be another place to restrain myself, like with the lighting. The boom is, again, me seeing something on one of the multi-person crew shoots I work on, thinking it's a good idea, and trying to implement it myself when I'm alone, even to my own detriment.

I can always make the lav Plan A and have the other as backup if there are interference issues. I do NOT have two lavs, but of course I use headphones.

Josh,
Please don't take this wrong but in this post you talk about "Better enough in the CLIENT'S eyes (ears?) to justify the time/effort to set it up?"
Then in another post you talk about lack of budget. You would think that a client with such discerning taste would have a equally discerning wallet? And most times they do. But let me STRESS no client is going to give you what you don't ask for. When it's that much work and that much time and equipment we are not getting paid enough.
It's obvious you aren't asking for enough. So if you don't want to get your client to pay you what you are worth, why not just pay an assistant $25 bucks an hour for set up. I doubt $75 bucks will kill your already ailing budget.
That said I think pricing our services in itemized fashion will bring the invoice more in line with your investment.
How many times have you got the call and all they need is one camera and 1 lav, with just a little fill light. Then a day before the shoot it's 2 cameras 2 lavs and a boom, and a lighting truck. if you itemize your bid based on the original call, everything else is a add on. Your dilemma is not about lighting.....it's about pricing.
This is not directed at you, but this classic situation you find yourself in.
Al