Funding my own short - put money in camera or lights?

[Jean-Francois Robichaud]

I highly recommend spending some time doing test setups with your light kit (preferably with a stand-in, but you do it alone and get in front of the camera yourself). Shoot the same angle with variations in light position, then look at the results on a television. What looks better? Why does it look better? You can use that experience when you shoot for real. In a real shooting situation, there is less time for experimentation.