Lighting a School classroom

[John Sharaf]

Dan,

Looking at your test footage on my Apple computer screen (so not completely accurate as to gamma and color) the non-overhead looks dingy and dark. and with the overheads on way too warm but quality of light much better. I don’t believe you took a proper white balance. Try use a chip chart not just a piece of white paper. Proper solution gere is to change out the tubes for photo quality daylight balance. Count the number of tubes and calculate the cost, it probably will not be too much, and then you’ll have the resource to use again in another classroom.

JS

[Daniel Schultz]

Interesting idea with the flo tubes. I’m thinking it might be tough because we’re going to try to squeeze two classrooms in one day (separate videos of the same series). So the schedule’s going to be tight. How long would you estimate we’d need to swap the tubes in and out? Or, potentially, if it’s not too expensive, outfit both classrooms with the daylight tubes at the start of the day.

Is that a setup for disaster, given the tight schedule (& budget)?

Dan S.

[John Sharaf]

Dan,

Here’s link to full spectrum 5600K 40w 4′ tubes for $4:

https://www.bulbtronics.com/Search-The-WareHouse/ProductDetail.aspx?sid=0057679&pid=LTF40T12VS

I’ve relamped entire auditoriums for ABC/Nightline and the labor to take then down was more than the globes were worth, so we just left them up. I’d recommend you come in the day before for install. It’ll take a couple of hours.

If you want to add floor lighting, use Kino Flo 4’Fourbanks with these same globes, just white balance and shoot. The white balance will remove whatever green spike is left over.

JS

[Daniel Schultz]

Wow. That’s a really interesting idea.
And if I wanted to add some shape, how about I stop the iris down so that the overheads expose as a slightly shadowy fill, then use the floors as key (using the windows as the source/directino)?

Dan S.

[Craig Alan]

Hi Daniel,

To my eyes, not enough light using just window light. Not sure why you’d white balance to daylight with the overhead flos on. The color looks off and parts of the scene looks blown out to me. Did you try manual white balancing and stopping down? Granted I’m viewing on a computer. What did your zebras show? Wish the old sony pd150/170 was 16×9. I think it would have looked good with that amount of natural light. Looks very crowded even without the kids. If you change the bulbs to daylight temp you might not need to use all of them.

OSX 10.5.7; MAC Book PRO (EARLY 2008); Camcorders: Sony Z7U, Canon HV30, Sony vx2000/PD170, Canon xl2; Pana, Sony, and Canon consumer cams; FCP certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Daniel Schultz]

Hi John,

I just checked with Bulbtronics, and the $4 flourescent tubes have to be back ordered (my shoot is a week from Friday, so it’s not enough time to order). They suggested the MovieTone lights, but they’re more like $13 each, which, with two classrooms, would put me over budget. Any other suggestions?

Thanks again!!!
-Dan

Dan S.

[John Sharaf]

Dan,

There are many vendors of photographic globes. I’ve an inquiry into Multi-Lite here in Burbank, Ca. for the globes you need, but just let your fingers do the walking on the phone and internet; you’ll find wwhat you want at the right price.

JS

[Daniel Schultz]

Thanks, John.
Should I be finding exactly the tubes you send me the link for (LTF40T12VS (ORDERING CODE: 0057679)

The price is right, and I can’t afford the $13/per tube versions. I’m assuming the $4/tube ones you suggested have good color balance, though not as “perfect” as the MovieTones the guy at Bulbtronics suggested–but good enough?

-Dan

Dan S.

[John Sharaf]

Dan,

Multi-lite’s respopnse:

In response to your request for quote on 5600K 4’ bi-pin fluorescent lamps:

We have them in T-8 and T-12 4’ bi-pin.

The T-8 is smaller in diameter than the T-12

Most new buildings use the T-8 however the T-12 is the most common.

These lamps are $19.00 ea 30 pcs in a case.

So the questions are: how many tubes do you need, what’s the budget, can you amortize it over several shoots (as you’ll likely need the same units to shoot in other classrooms), maybe you can rent from local lighting vendor (longshot!).

JS

[Daniel Schultz]

Hi John,

Thanks so much for the info.
I’ll be needing 72 for the two classrooms–so it’s way over our budget.

Just got off the phone with someone from Rosco, and he was recommending using 3/4 minus green gels. I’d need to buy two rolls at about $150 each to cover the two classrooms. (I could lay them on top of the grate in the ceiling). I guess they have 65% transmission…so I’d lose some light with them.

Or I could try to find the cheap $4/each tubes somewhere else. The price is about the same if I could find them.

Ugh…
Thoughts?

Thanks again!
-Dan

Dan S.