[Dennis Size]

I LOVE cineos too John. What a great fixture, with an excellent quality of light. I doubt if Garth will ever want to spend that kind of money however.

GARTH: Why 2 rooms? Why not properly outfit one space with a white cyc and the best equipment your budget will allow? Are you aware of what the grid and power installation for two different rooms will cost you? You can easily mount greenscreen material at the top of the white cyc and pull it down when you need it. The lighting can remain the same.
DS

P.S. Metal Halide fixtures are defintely the wrong way to go.

[Dennis Size]

research, past practice, analyzing manufacturers specifications, trial and error (and remembering what worked and what didn’t), PLUS years of experience.
DS

[Dennis Size]

To add to what Rick said, some fluoros (the KINO Diva for example), sometimes have a tendency to be a little “pink”. I find myself often using an 1/8 Plusgreen to correct.
Rosco also makes a wonderful 3/4 CTO (a favorite of mine) which would work quite well for you — Rosco’s CINEGEL #3411.
DS

[Dennis Size]

5100?? What company’s fluoros are you using? Do they lean toward the green …. or the pink??
Are you dimming your tungsten fixtures?
DS

[Dennis Size]

It’s no big deal …. depending on your OCD level.
DS

[Dennis Size]

Sorry Todd ….. I don’t even own a light meter.
I did rent one a few years ago for a large virtual reality (greenscreen) studio I was doing, and wanted to be sure I was being consistent with my footcandle level across the studio.
Dennis

[Dennis Size]

Everyone has had great advice, now you’re off and running Todd.
One note about bouncing light. My preference in lighting cars has always been to use the reflections. Consequently I usually use lekos with large breakups in them — shooting through the silks. The silk spreads the light over the car …. but the reflections the car windows “sees” appear to be clouds. The same effect is achieved lighting through muslin with your HMI’s.
You might have problems with only a 10’x10′ silk. As was pointed out, you need to have a surface bigger than the car itself. Normally I rent muslin cyc drops 30′ x 30′ or larger — and light through them.
I’ll hang muslin over the car (like a ceiling) and hang them vertically on both sides of the car.
When spotted, the HMI’s also create a “cloud” in the reflection.

I don’t know how long your shoot will take … but the wall of windows in the space is great. Why not use THAT source for daytime … and light up the columns and walls for night if you run late. The space could provide the opportunity to accomplish day and night looks.

Lighting under the car is another great gimmick I believe someone has pointed out.
I usually use a few Kino Flo 8′-0″ Mega Singles under the car.
You should also use a few Kinos (perhaps your 4 x 4’s)inside the car.
Laying on them on the front and back seats will help relieve the dark depressing looking car interior — especially if the car has tinted windows.

Have fun with it.
DS

[Dennis Size]

You could also introduce a dimmer into the mix. Dimming down non-dimmable fluorscent tubes will often cause them to flicker erratically.
Another alternative is to use the new LED source “fluroescent” fixture tubes. They might offer more of a controllable effect.

DS

[Dennis Size]

I lot of questions need to be answered before any advice can be given.
How it is used or how many lights are needed is relatively immaterial when it comes to which source to use.
That would be like saying you’re shooting in a studio and will be using a Source 4 leko.
DS

[Dennis Size]

Wow, this has been quite a thread ….. providing some of the best advice to a novice I’ve seen collected in one string in a long time.
Tom — I too am annoyed by those damn cars!
Bill– Congratulations on telling it like it is …I knew you had it in you!
Mayalin, you owe Mark Suszko more than you could ever realize. Even though you missed the point, he essentially totally lit your video for you …. providing a step by step process of how to achieve the look that you want. Our company would charge several thousand dollars in consulting fees for what he’s given you for free. it would then cost several thousand more to actually execute the lighting. Excellent lighting design work Mark (and without mentioning Lowell once!)

I have one last piece of advice for you Mayalin:
If you’re REALLY interested in learning the basics of what lighting is all about. Look around you and observe it — then strive to recreate it so that your work has as naturalistic a quality as possible. That was the main point Mark was trying to get across to you.
I would also recommend you go on line to Focal Press and buy one of the many books they sell on television lighting. The best one for someone of your skill sets would be Des Lyver’s book, BASICS of VIDEO LIGHTING, 2nd Edition.

DS