Savage lights vs Lowel Lights … Input please

[Randall Raymond]

[Reggie Spires] ”
I am an extreme lighting novice … The savage lights are less expensive… Is there a signifigant reason to buy lowel other than name?”

Yeah, speed of set-up. Lowel’s Rifa’s are incredibly fast to set up.

But you don’t need that advantage for what you doing. Go with the Savage, same lamps, same stands – three times the value for the money. It’s a no-brainer.

Make your decision and get back to us.

[Reggie Spires]

Ok Thanks … Now I was considering a package that had 6 1000 wt lights … (novice .. more is better ..lol) but then as I thought about it I think 4 500 wt lights and 1 1000 would be plenty .. again mainly for Green Screen work and local commercials… Am I thinking right?

[Randall Raymond]

[Reggie Spires] “Ok Thanks … Now I was considering a package that had 6 1000 wt lights … (novice .. more is better ..lol) but then as I thought about it I think 4 500 wt lights and 1 1000 would be plenty .. again mainly for Green Screen work and local commercials… Am I thinking right?”

I’d go with the 6 1000 lights and get 2 C stands with booms – one boom to backlight the talent and one for mic. And egg-crates for all 6.

[Reggie Spires]

can’t afford it… I guess I need to wait till I can

[Todd Terry]

Reggie…

Keep this in mind… I don’t know if you are doing sound shooting or MOS, but I know at least some of the Savage lighting instruments are FAN COOLED (they all may be, I’m not sure)… so you may have a bit of noise from them from their internal fans.

I’m in a similar situation… our primary lighting instruments are LTM, Arri, and Kino, but we do have a little 3-instrument 3K Norman kit that we sometimes use for supplemental lighting. They are actually wonderful instruments (very well made, multiple output settings, good accessories…. and a real bargain), but DO have fans that you can very definitely HEAR… so you do have to be judicious about their use when doing sound shoots. I usually reserve them for MOS-only shoots, or for sound shoots when I need lighting far away from the mics (deep background, outside a window, etc.).

T2

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

[Dennis Size]

My God. I’m shocked at the inordinate amount of posts discussing these cheap fixtures that are only one step above floodlights from HOME DEPOT.

REGGIE: Just buy the dumb 500w watt package. It’s quiet and will illuminate your space. You’ll make a boatload of mistakes, and waste a lot of time trying to figure out what to do, which I suspect you realize. Once you get a modicum of experience, and begin to learn how to work with lighting fixtures — and perhaps eventually how to cope with that ellusive beauty known as light — buy what you really need.

It’s been repeatedly said in this FORUM that the best use of money for any novice is to hire someone who knows what they’re doing and learn from them. It’s money more wisely spent than on a pile of junk that inexperience prevents from being used properly.
That being said, if a person has never driven before — but wants to learn how in a big way, and quickly — then it’s probably better to buy an old piece of junk and get behind the wheel, instead of purchasing a lamborghini …then ruining it. Let’s just hope no one gets killed in your educational process.

be safe.

DS

[Reggie Spires]

Wow .. I always stand amazed at the way some people communicate a point… That being said .. Thanks to all for the input…

[Reggie Spires]

Wow .. I always stand amazed at the way some people communicate a point… That being said .. Thanks to all for the input…

Signed
The stupid ignorant boy from the south that Dennis thinks will hurt somebody with the wrong lighting package.

[Dennis Size]

…or even the right equipment package.

BAD lighting hurts everyone.

DS

[Bob Cole]

[Reggie Spires] “The stupid ignorant boy from the south that Dennis thinks will hurt somebody with the wrong lighting package.”

Having someone the caliber of Dennis Size consult for free on your lighting kit is a privilege. He’s absolutely right in every point he made. He said “be safe” almost as a throw-away line, but you should really listen to that. If you’re using any high-output, high-temperature device (costly or not), you really should be careful: use safety screens, don’t touch even cold bulbs with bare hands, secure your stands, etc.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

MacPro 2 x 3GHz dualcore; 10 GB 667MHz
Kona LHe
Sony HDV Z1
Sony HDV M25U
HD-Connect MI
Betacam UVW1800
DVCPro AJ-D650