Simple Starter Light Kit Suggestions Needed

[Matt Hall]

Thanks Tony. Maybe I’ll just convert it all to black and white in post so I don’t have to worry about it. Just kidding – that was the editor in me taking. Maybe I’ll nix the window idea. I don’t think I’ll be getting any lights bright enough to compete.

The package I’m thinking of now consists of the following:

1 lowel Rifa 44 (250w) with a softbox for my key
Bounce card on a stand for my fill
Lowel Prolight as a special (either kicker or eyelight)

That’s it. Any suggestions? Again, this set up is for interviews in homes, shooting on the ony fx-1 in hdv. Looking to not spend too much money as budget is real tight.

Thanks
Matt

[Deleted User]

Hi Matt: Just as an example — and by no means the best example — the link below is a slightly compressed JPEG frame from a interview I shot using my DSR-450WSL camcorder in its 4:3 60i mode on DVCAM:
https://www.sonic.net/~dweezil/richard_goldman.jpg

The subject is indoors and has his back to a clear glass window (no tinting, curtains, or nets), and late morning sunlight is visible outside the window.

The only interior artificial light source was one 575-watt HMI PAR (an old ARRI unit I rented) mounted in a “medium” 32″x24″ softbox/Chimera. The face of the softbox was approx. 7′ from the subject, about 3′ above their eyeline, and slightly to the subject’s right. Since the HMI light is daylight color balanced, I didn’t need to add any gels to the light, and as a result the light level was maximized.

In addition to the HMI light, I also positioned a 48″ diameter collapsible white reflector on the subject’s left-front, angled toward his face. This caught both some of the window daylight and the HMI for fill.

Although this particular HMI light only draws 575-watts from the wall, it puts out a light level at least as bright as a 2,000-watt tungsten fixture. And as Tony & others mentioned, the light output is greatly diminished if you color-correct a tungsten light with a blue CTB gel.

Again, this is just one example of how an interior, daylight backlit scene can be handled. There are many different ways it might be done, and improved upon.

– Peter

[Deleted User]

Sorry, got my left/right mixed-up … the HMI key is on the subject’s left, and the bounce-fill is on his right.

– Peter

[Tony]

The 250 watt will have enought intensity by the time you soften it up.

I recommend at minimum a 500 watt especially if you need to use the bounce from the key as the fill.

Tony Salgado

[Bill Moede]

A a documentary producer, I shoot a lot of interviews. Currenly I shoot with Canon XL2s and GL2s. My current favorite and low cost (and lightweight) setup consists of two hardware store clip on reflector lights ($5.00 each) each with a 150 watt GE Reveal bulb($3.00) on light weight Smith Victor light stands (about $25.00 each from B&H). For back ground lighting I use two hardware store 75 watt halogen work lights ($10.00 each) again on Smith Victor light stands. I don’t use dimmers, I just change the light to subject distance.

Bill Moede
ITL Media Productions

Bill Moede
CESA 7 ILS
Green Bay, WI