Looking for a new lighting instrument

[Ty Ford]

Hi,

I have an audio studio in which I’ve installed a charcoal muslin back drop and very simple 5-point lighting.

Here’s an example of what that looks like. Pretty simple.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48Ju_NppXHU

I’d like to add a fixture that will allow me to blow some light on the backdrop behind the talent. Maybe something with different color choices and possibly some patterns.

This fixture would hang from my dropped ceiling on a scissor clamp.

Got any suggestions?

Thanks,

Ty Ford

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[Mark Suszko]

Video projector? it would have to be expensive to get the amount of light needed in that application. Though switching out the black for a gray would make that easier. The options for colors and patterns with the video projector would truly be infinite.

[Todd Terry]

Since Ty was wanting color choices and patterns, to me the obvious choice is one of the new LED versions of the ol’ tried-n-true Source Fours…

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1147738-REG/etc_7461a1061_series_2_tungsten_hd.html

…or….

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1147741-REG/etc_7461a1071_series_2_daylight_hd.html

T2

__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com

[Mark Suszko]

Todd, that’s just so outrageously expensive!

[Rick Wise]

If budget is a consideration (is it ever not one?…) then why not “the old tried and true Source 4” original (incandescent.) Dirt cheap used. Check eBay….

Rick Wise
Cinematographer
MFA/BFA Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com

[Todd Terry]

It is expensive, Mark, very… but you have to remember that price is no object to the audio guys.

I learned that recently when complaining in the audio forum about the high cost of one piece of simple gear that I needed (a mic mixer), and found myself fairly berated for wanting something more affordable. I was told by various forum members things like:

“So you are one of those guys”

“…unlike your cheap camera, it will provide years of faithful service.”

“…there is no short-cut or work-around…”

So I figured audio guys would want to “do it right” and budget wasn’t a consideration.

🙂

T2

__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com

[Ty Ford]

Mr. Terry, I reviewed the object of your complaint and found no grounds for your objections.

Yes, there are cheaper EVERYTHING. But there are quality standards. If we ship you off to prosumer-land, you’d better know a LOT about audio so as not to underachieve and hurt your own reputation. Given that you said you don’t have a solid foundation in audio, sending you off with iffy-gear is a very bad idea.

Oh, and as a side note. Please don’t kill the messenger.

Yours Truly,

Ty Ford
Cow Audio Forum Leader

Want better production audio?: Ty Ford\’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Ty Ford Blog: Ty Ford\’s Blog

[Todd Terry]

Relax, Ty… no messenger killing here.

My comment was mostly in jest, only partially to make a point.

That said, though, I didn’t feel overly helped and did feel relatively chastised for suggesting there might be a more cost-effective way to solve my problem. Instead I was more or less told “that’s what it costs” before the conversation devolved into suggestions like using lavalieres instead of booms… which in no way would have solved the problem.

It wasn’t necessarily you, but everyone (although you did call my camera “cheap” without even knowing what I was shooting with… and, it’s not).

Maybe things are different here on the video side of things, where there is almost always a hack to do something cheaper or different, or a possible way to do the impossible… and a pretty rich DIY culture of helpful people. It’s a different world… I can build a homemade camera crane and the viewer will never know the difference. I can’t build a microphone.

Cheap doesn’t necessarily mean bad. Take the show Modern Family, which is shot with $100K Alexas sporting $100K lenses. Yet all the car interiors are shot with GoPros.

I will say though that the audio forum was recently surprisingly indulgent of one particular longtime troll-poster (who is persona non grata on just about every internet forum).

All that being said, the Source Four is the instrument you’re looking for to do what you want in your studio… whether it be the uber-expensive LED version, or a cheap used incandescent fixture like Rick suggested.

That instrument will do what you want, and make you happy.

T2

__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com

[Rick Wise]

Nicely and gently put, Todd. I know I’m not alone in this experience: in my very long career as a cinematographer and sometimes director, I’ve come to realize that great sound people are almost a different species of human. I admire them enormously. I do my best to give them space to do their job.

Rick Wise
Cinematographer
MFA/BFA Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com

[Ty Ford]

Well we’ve sort of jumped the track here, but I think the bottom line is WORKING TOGETHER.

I was on a shoot. We had six or seven setups to do in the day. Setup #3 had talent opening a door, stepping in and delivering lines. I setup a locked down shot with my trusty boom holder. The lighting folks set lights and said, “Boom Shadow!!”

I said that I could lav the talent, but would much prefer to boom him because of the quality of the sound. I grabbed my wireless gear and headed for wardrobe. I wired the talent. When we came back the lighting folks had found a way to achieve their lighting without causing a boom shadow. WORKING TOGETHER.

Maybe because I had worked with these folks a number of times and we all felt “connected” it turned out just fine.

On a totally different shoot, we had been working hard all day and it was one of the last setups. I had hired a second audio guy because of the number of talent. We rolled. The director (who I had also hired) said, “That’s it. Let’s move on!” I said, “Nope. Both talent were talking low and over each other.” The words were important. I looked at the other sound guy and asked if he got it. He said no.

I had to argue with the director (an old and dear friend) to do the shot again. In the end I said, “You didn’t hear what we got. You weren’t wearing cans. You can dislike me now, but you’ll hate me in post if you don’t do another take.”

I was also the technical editor for the project and he was the creative/content editor. In post, he agreed that the take I objected to was crap and the extra effort was worth it.

Not all sound people are easy to work with. Some seem to have PTSD from “unknown sources” or being beaten down by directors who don’t pay attention to what they are being told. We are wearing headphones so we know what just happened. Directors who don’t wear headphones are problematic. They sure as heck are watching the monitor as the shot goes down. Some of them are not as aurally fixated as sound people. They may not be able to look and listen critically at the same time. They need to do both.

Sometimes I’ll ask for playback so the director can listen to the take. I do this to save my own butt if I have a problem with the audio. If the director is OK with the audio, then I’m not responsible.

etc., etc., etc.

Regards,

Ty Ford
Cow Audio Forum Leader

Want better production audio?: Ty Ford\’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Ty Ford Blog: Ty Ford\’s Blog