Please recommend Light for lighting backgrounds during interviews

[Todd Terry]

That’s what I was just thinking, John. And that’s just for the snoot/projector. The Pepper head it fits on is about another $200, if I recall, so you’re looking at a pushing-$500 instrument.

On the upside, the Peppers are built like tanks and the particular instrument that snoot fits on is only about the size of your fist… such is the tradeoff. As is often the case in life.

T2

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

[Bob Cole]

Thanks for that rec., Todd. The LTM focal spot looks fantastic.
I’ve already added that LTM focal spot to my wishlist – traveling “light” looks better every month — and I’ve already got the M series “PATTERNS” (don’t want to get into the Great Gobo Debate) from my Source 4 Junior Zoom.

Do you find that the output is anything close to the Source 4 Jr. Zoom?

[john sharaf] “That’s about what I pay for a complete Source Four!”

True, John, but you have a truck!

Regarding the fragility of the shutter leaves, Dennis is absolutely correct (what an original statement that is); if you push them in they’re quite sturdy. I was a little afraid of that myself, but several years into hauling the Source 4 Jr. Zoom around the country, usually inside a Pelican case with no particular padding except bubble wrap, it looks just about new.

Bob C

[Todd Terry]

[Bob Cole] “Do you find that the output is anything close to the Source 4 Jr. Zoom?”

I haven’t used both (maybe David has), but I’m sure betting not. I think the Source 4 Jrs take 575w lamps, if I recall. The little Pepper instrument that device fits on is just a 100 or 200, depending on how it is lamped. I often use them directly to throw a little splash on backgrounds or as a small special… but they are not all that bright especially if there are a number of brighter instruments in your lighting plot. They’re useful, though. I’m not sure how well gobo projection would stand out on a well-lit scene… but I guess that subtly is part of the idea. Just don’t want it to be so subtle you can’t see it at all, of course.

T2

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

[Dennis Size]

DAVID…..That was a great post …very informative, and easy to understand. I also am very impressed you studied with Millerson, a favorite L.D. of mine, who wrote the “bible” for television lighting — albeit from a very British sensibility (that is sometimes confusing for many American technicians).
Regarding your explanation of templates, or patterns, (more words describing “gobos”) I would tend to agree with John and Todd however.
I find that semantics often becomes counterproductive, and useless, if the gaffers/grips hanging my shows don’t understand what I’m asking for. I work all over the world and everyone has a different way of asking for their carmel colored soda water (usually Coke). Normally, rather than trying to re-invent the wheel, I try to find out what a particular studio’s crew calls the tools they work with and that’s the terminoloigy I’ll adapt myself to using.
As for the LTM Pepper with the ellipsoidal lens attachment, it’s output is often not enough intensity (especially compared to a Source 4.) IF the Source 4 is too big, but you still need more intensity, go with the Dedo light and it’s lens accessory. It’s got more “bang” for it’s expensive buck.

By the way, I shall be anxious to hear your impressions about the lighting for GOOD MORNING AMERICA. My company designed that two-floored studio facility in Times square, and I designed the show’s lighting (several times).

Dennis

[Steve Kownacki]

I’ll agree with the Pepper getting lost in a lit scene. Plus if you’re doing multiple setups those peppers stay hot for a long time after being shut off. If I have to pack and move quickly I’d sooner use an Arri 150 fresnel because they cool faster. This cold weather in the east makes it easy this time of year – we just take ’em outside to chill. I mentioned earlier I’m totally sold on the Source4 now. It’s not that big and I’d sooner have to cut down/flag/dim/cookie/gobo output on a single fixture than use multiple lights.

I can’t remember if the original poster ever stated what type of background he was trying to light. Muslin, studio set, office location? Or how big his crew was. All that would play a huge part in deciding what to do. There were a few mentions of Dennis’ truck. I jam pack a mini van and my LD would do the same on a larger shoot. Guess this would tie into the biz/marketing forum now about charging for what you offer and be able to afford the proper transportation – even if you rent a truck for $50. Most associations I deal with have their staff rent cars for out-of-town trips because it’s more cost-effective than paying the employee mileage. Just like you rent gear, I get the right vehicle too. A full-size van on shoots that need a more run-n-gun approach would be more effective if I can have easier access to the gear without constantly re-packing and burying in a small vehicle.

Steve

[David Speace]

Dennis,

Somewhere along the way I picked up the idea that a cookie was a pattern that you could punch light through, whether it was a small metal disk or big wooden frame… anyway I think I will just go with the flow… gobo it is! I agree the 200w Pepper w/ projector isn’t as bright as other lights, but it has worked for me… like I said before… I tend to use lower wattage lights… Rifas w/ egg crates that help keep the light off the background… so the pattern will have enough punch for me in most of my setups. What’s nice about my lights is that I can put the projector on a Strand 500w Bambino. There are 2 different size flanges/adapters. I should take a picture…for all to see. I also have a couple of Stand Mizers, also 200w, that do a pretty good job with this projector. The Strand Mizers I picked up on ebay for about $70 apiece… they hung in a studio at Paramount… they were painted gold at one point and then repainted black… when I opened the light to check the bulb and the condition of the inside of these Mizers… I found the insides were brand new… they had never been turned on! I had 2 Arri 150s that kind of wore out on me… I had to rewire the insides a couple of times… so I sold them on ebay… replaced them with the Mizers… and pocketed the difference!

Now for the good part… I was impressed to see that you are the guy who did the lighting for Good Morning America… I had the opportunity while shooting for WPVI 6ABC’s local magazine shows to go up to New York to interview Robin Roberts on the Good Morning America set… we used the interview area upstairs. But before we did I shot some b-roll in the studio while the show was going on… total controlled chaos! What most people don’t realize is that the live audience in the studio stands all around watching the show… when a segment ends and they move from the cooking area to the couch… the floor managers herd the audience around… while the cameras and lights are being pushed to the next setup! Push lights you ask? This is the part that I found really interesting… for the women on the set… Robin Roberts and Diane Sawyer… there is are 2 grips with an ellipsoidal spot light on a stand w/ wheels (not sure if they were Source4s… about eye level high and each is aimed at Diane and Robin…and the light hits them directly in the face… but the light has a piece of tough spun in the gate… it is already so bright in the studio… (your big 1K, 2K and 5K instruments really light up that studio) that the technician has to pull the tough spun out and drop it back in the light… he does this a couple of times to make sure the light is hitting Diane or Robin’s face! They have to position themselves between the cameras… it just seems a little much! But that’s what they do. The other thing that I noticed was the studio was equipped with HMI lights as well as tungsten… side by side… so I guess if it was really bright and sunny outside… they kid turn on the HMI’s to get a better indoor outdoor color balance. Of course, now they may have LED lights in that studio or not. The day we went up there was the same day the shooting happened a Virginia Tech… after the shoot we went to ABC World News to interview Bob Woodruff… he wasn’t there, his manager told him the interview was going to be in Connecticut… so we left… about half hour after we left I can imagine all hell broke loose at the network news desk… because of the Va Tech shooting… it would have been interesting to see that!

Lately, I have been using some LED lights for lighting my interviews. These are lights that I have designed and built myself. I found a supplier for the panel… 36 lensed LEDs… they put out about 400w…5500K I designed a frame for the panel and it uses a grip pin… so the light is designed to be used with grip equipment… grip heads, etc. I call the light the Grip-LED! I am selling it on ebay…check it out.

https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290520383244&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

Thanks, this has been fun talking about all this stuff.

Dave Speace
Producer/Director/DP
DZP Video

Windows 7, 64 Bit, i7 8 Core, 16Gb Ram, GeForce 4800

[Dennis Size]

Yep…. you probably missed earlier posts when I’ve noted that I actually use 26 degree Source 4 lekos (full sized) as “eyelights”! You can’t get better control.

As a sidenote …I also was the lighting designer for the WORLD NEWS TONIGHT studio you were at.

DS

[Bob Cole]

[Dennis Size] “I actually use 26 degree Source 4 lekos (full sized) as “eyelights”!”

That is very interesting. Could you say more about this? I’ve wondered about the subtle line that separates an eyelight from a key. I always thought eyelights were very small. In the discussion of the “Cincinnati Kid” big poker scene, there were references to “eyelights” but I thought that they looked like keys positioned right next to the camera. Eyelights and keys at the same time, actually.

David Speace mentioned a dislike for Katie Couric’s floorlight. I kind of like this effect, though it may look better on faces with lots of structure. I noticed in the DVD “Visions of Light” that some famous DPs used a small rectangular light (about 6″ x 12″) attached to the camera, underneath the lens. I’m guessing this is a glamour light, particularly for females, to keep deep shadows from forming under chin, nose and eyebrows. So if this is not an eyelight is it a chinlight?

Bob C

[David Speace]

Bob,

Light from above which casts the shadows down….nose, eyes, and chin…this is what helps create a 3D look to the subjects face. Remember this is a 2D medium. Lighting a face so that it appears shadowless makes the face look flat and even sunken… to me, a very unflattering look. It is okay for lighting models, products and anything glamorous in an advertising sense, but for a news person doing an interview…nada. In this day and age of high-def tv… the on camera people need really good makeup and lighting that is soft, flattering and directed from above!

Another explanation of 3D in a 2D medium…. look at your computer programs and the “buttons” that we click on! When the button appears to be raised… the shadow is below and to one side of the button… when you mouse over it… the shadow switches to the top of the button and the other side… the button looks depressed or sunken below the screen surface!

Dave Speace
Producer/Director/DP
DZP Video

Windows 7, 64 Bit, i7 8 Core, 16Gb Ram, GeForce 4800

[Bob Cole]

Thanks David, but I’m agreeing with you. That under-camera light from classic Hollywood films is a fill, not a key. Maybe I was wrong to compare it to the Couric floorlight, which does seem stronger. As I said, it’s an effect that seems to work best with faces with great structure.

My goal is to keep the eyelight from overwhelming the three-dimensional effect of the properly-placed key. Dim it too much, and it stops putting that “twinkle” in the eye.