-
Lighting purchase advice abd help please
Hi,
I am new to this whole situation so please bare with me I will outline the my questions.
I am going to be shooting exercise technique videos in the gym. These will be static exercises, as in the subject will no be walking around or changing location. I think I will use as black or white Muslin as I don’t want anything to be distracting from what I am teaching – exercise technique. The model’s clothes will be a contrasting black or white to the back ground and will be branded with business name.
As I am sure you can imagine most gym places are clutters and are visually very messy, hence my need for a Muslin. I want to segment the machine for the exercise so there is nothing polluting or distracting the viewer. If need be I will do my best to move the equipment into a position to where this can be done.
The environment has NO natural light and is lit mainly by 4 foot 3500k fluorescent tubes. I need to either figure out some way to match the light when I light the subject or kill the internal lights (after hours) and shoot in a completely different K range.
Also will do (fullbody) introductions where the viewer will get a good shot of me, I think I will shoot this at home with a chroma key background .. or maybe just a plain Muslin background.
Videos will be rendered to be viewed online via steaming media and also on a smaller video format for portable viewing.
Now I have purchased a Canon HV20 but I am not sure what I should do in terms of lighting. The site will initially not drive a revenue, so I really need to keep I am very conscious of that.
I have looked on Amvona (and read bad things), looked at Britek (mixed reviews), I have seen about home kits (which they say can be brutal if the light is not controlled) and about mixed kits. What about https://www.pclightingsystems.com/index.html ? Do I go halogen or fluro?
I really wouldn’t want to spend more then $500 and I want the lights to be portable. I am currently in Canada and will be going to Spain in a few months and then eventually back to Australia.
So please give any info you have .. thanks guys.
-
8 Replies
-
With that budget and the nature of the shoot, I would suggest white balancing to the existing overhead fixtures and gel whatever cheap quartz light fixtures you can pick-up at Home Depot. So call Rosco and give them the info and then buy a couple sheets of the gel number they recommend. (It’s best to give them the actual number off the tubes overhead)
I don’t know what others will recommend – but with your travel plans, whatever you buy, you can’t afford decent shipping cases as well.
-
For that money you might want to look at renting a couple of 4′ Kino Flo units and using bulbs that match the location. The gym may have extras in the storage room if not you can buy them at a local hardware store. 4’/4bank Kinkos usually rent for less than $75 a day. Then there are no worries when travelling and color temp and light quality match the existing location.
Best of luck!
-
Rick,
This is an excellent solution to shooting where practical location is lit by many overhead fluorescents. We call it “poisoning” the Kino Flos by lamping them with the same globes that are in the ceiling; just white balance and go. Often you’ll want to unscrew the lamps just above your talent to eliminate deep eye sockets and/or bright noses. Very elegent, fast and cheap!
JS
-
Hi Guys… me again,.. thanks for all the help.
Renting a flo bank might blow out in cost as I will be shooting over quite a few weekends.
How is this?
Could I get a suitable non-flicker fixture from Home Depot and match the bulbs, and use this for my fill light? Then use a gel corrected (1000 W) Halogen for the key light? What about a hairlight? Could I get a reduced watt halogen work light (maybe 500w) and use a gel and barndoors for the hairlight? And another halogen for the background?
Question – does the background have to be colour corrected to the same as the other lights? or does it not matter?
Thanks again guys,
Nathan -
Nathan,
Yes, you can use shoplight fixtures from Home Depot. It seems to me that you want to use these for your key and you may be able to get by without a fill because you are still using existing light from the room (except from directly overhead) that will act as a fill. My issue with using a halogen worklight as a key is that it will be fairly harsh in such a softly lit environment. I would try to keep my key source soft (i.e fluorescent, bounced, chimera, etc.)
As for the backlight, I’m guessing 500w could work (depending on the distance from talent) although you may want to find a way to scrim it down.
Lastly, you might want to talk to the local rental house, sometimes they will give you a good deal on weekend rentals!
Rick Amundson
Producer/Director/DP
Screenscape Studios
Bravo Romeo Entertainment
http://www.screenscapestudios.com
http://www.bravoromeo.com
http://www.indeliblemovie.com -
If I run clear gels over the halogens.. how much can I dull the light this way?
Is these anyway I can buy a soft box or make one for these home depot halogens? I know where I can make and fit barndoors.. but softboxes?
Thanks guys.. you have been a great help thus far.
Regards,
Nathan -
You can use ND gel on the lights. Each step cuts one stop of light (i.e nd.3 = 1 stop, nd.6= 2 stops, nd.9= 3 stops). You could also use a piece of screen like the kind you might find in a screendoor.
As for a softbox, there are several ways to go and you may be able to find a diagram online. The simplest way is to hang something like 216 or Gridcloth in front of the light. Not too close though, move it away from the fixture so the light from the lamp fills the diffusion without spilling over the sides. Another way is to build a box out of white foamcore and cover one end with the diffusion. Then just shoot your light through the open end.
Test it before the shoot to see how it works!
Rick Amundson
Producer/Director/DP
Screenscape Studios
Bravo Romeo Entertainment
http://www.screenscapestudios.com
http://www.bravoromeo.com
http://www.indeliblemovie.com -
‘Question – does the background have to be colour corrected to the same as the other lights? or does it not matter?’
YES! And that’s the key to the whole thing looking natural.
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up