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Space vs light question
Hello all. I am working for a not-for-profit company. I have been put in charge of planning and (hopefully) building a small studio. The goal of this studio would be a single camera interview style shoot in front of a green screen. Ideally, our goal would be to take the footage, add graphics using chroma-key, and then publish and add interactive flash compenents (eg. subject:”click on the map behind me” and then, upon click, bring up an enlarged detailed map). Being thrown into the project with very little time, the slow and steady apporach for learning the finer points is sadly not an option. Because so many of my searches have sent me back here, i figured I would try. The greenscreen will be at least 8ft by 10ft and possibly 8ft by 16ft. Along with a basic three light set-up for the subject, the best thing I have come up with, from both a cost perspective and a space persepective, would be lighting the green screen from both sides with a bank of 4 ft florecents from the local hardware store and using 3000 lumens softlights. Does anybody have any suggestions? Tips? HELP?
Thanks to all that reply in advance. This website has been a huge help already.
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9 Replies
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Hi Eric,
Just for starters, if all you need is one person coverage, an 8×8′ screen is plenty big. I’d recommend proper Kino Flo units to light the screen rather than hardware store units. In fact, for considerations of electric use and heat, I’d suggest you use Kinos for the three point lighting as well, so:
1 @ 2’Fourbank
2 @ 2′ Twobanks
2 @ 4’TwobanksStart the greenscreen party!
JS
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While John’s advice is spot-on, as it unwaveringly always it…. it is also advice that can be a little hard on the wallet.
I’m a huge fan of Kinos and use them often… however KinoFlos are quite darn expensive, and the hardware-store variety of shop-light flos can be had for about $15.
If budgets aren’t an issue, YES, go for the Kinos. But you say you’re working for a not-for-profit, and I know they rarely have deep pockets.
I will admit (shhhh!) that I have used Home Depot fixtures in the past, especially for wall-washing… and I think there’s one or two on the other side of our building on our stage right now. A few years ago we bought a few for a particular zero-budget project… and put Kino tubes in them and re-ballasted them so they were silent and flicker free (and dimmable). We even painted the outsides black so they didn’t look completely like $15 shop lights. Yeah… they still look cheap and flimsy (which they are), but for an inexpensive permanent install I have to begrudgingly admit they work fine.
T2
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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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These look interesting, especially the Setlite Series, used on the floor or ceiling. I haven’t tested it but the throw looks good.
https://www.videssence.tv/product_select_studio_fixtures.php
-> Ralph
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Wow! Thanks for the quick responses! Sadly, the Kino Flo lights are out of my price range. Todd’s idea of switching out bulbs and balasts of a hardware store special may be more cost effective for our needs and our space. Trying to balance quality and a tight budget can be tricky at times.
I did have one follow up question. John mentioned running the rectangular 2′ and 4′ lights for the subject three point lighting.
Does anybody have an opinion of running rectangular banks vs square or circular banks?
This is one of the links I found for a basic 3 point lighting kit.https://www.imagewest.tv/servlet/the-58/3light%2C-light%2C-light-kit%2C/Detail
As I said, I have a fairly tight budget and I have to consider price and quality equally. Any thoughts?
Thanks again for the quick responses.
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We use Videssence in our studio and love them, they were cheaper for us than Kinos by a significant margin. If you really need to impress your friends, you can always stick a Kinoflo logo sticker over the Videssence one:-)
Not saying kinos aren’t great; they are, just that we were happy paying less.
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How do you reballast?
Thanks! -
Mark,
Regarding your experience with Videssence…
Do you use the Setlite model? If so, what is the usable coverage on a wall, backdrop or screen?
I’m thinking of using one unit for a fairly portable operation, relying upon it to light a green screen single handed. What do you think? How large a backdrop could I use with one Setlite, lightinng up from the floor, versus the ceiling (should be the same pattern on the backdrop).Do you use other models? What for? If you use them for the backdrop, which models and how are they arrayed?
Thanks very much. I got excited seeing the Setlite chart and hope it may work out for us. It’s fgreat to have someone with practical and positive experience.
-> Ralph
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You’ll have to wait until Tuesday for me to get the ladder out and get you an answer. I can say we have them in three sizes/types, two are just used on the grids, one is a go-anywhere model… our Videssence have been hung on the same talk show set for at least 16 years now, (were put in just before my son was born) and I only recall us re-lamping any of them about twice in all that time. We run them probably 18 hours a week, maybe a bit less.
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Checked out the set lights I mentioned last week. They may have changed the instruments a bit since we got ours, most of ours look like the Videssence B11-255BY but ours have the tubes facing out, not parallel. We also have several of the K110-225 “Kool lites”, and something like the model B084-242 Baselight. You can tube these for either a daylight or a tungsten white balance, we are using the Osram tubes.
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