[Olivier Prudhomme]

alright Mike
Based on our conversations I decided to purchase a kit for $170.
The best rental I found was $150, which let me no time to practice.
For an extra $20 I have something I use for the shoot and then play with to learn.
I’ll also spend time reading the Lowel classes.
And you sold me on this brand for some reasons so as soon as I get more shoots booked, I’ll hit you up for more advices.
Thanks again for the time you spent on this. You really took the time to be specific and to answer my questions based on my needs/budget and not only on what I “should” do for a perfect shoot. Too many people trying to help by contributing to threads often forget that we don’t all have $5000 hanging around!

Thanks

Xavier (I’ll send you a link once I’m done with the shoot and editing!)

[Olivier Prudhomme]

sorry I wasn’t clear about the TV. I was trying to explain exactly what you just wrote. I guess I am starting to get it right 🙂
as far as lighting, I’m not too clear on how you feel about my purchase/investment.
(I understood the rental advice. Makes sense)
Any of these low cost kits (except the umbrella one) would work to the shoot?
I called a few rental places and it’ll cost me around $200 to rent….

And thanks for the awesome ling to Lowell.
I have my evening planned i guess 🙂

[Olivier Prudhomme]

I got what you’re saying about the “look” of some equipment…
As for the TV I’ve asked if it could be moved.
Regarding the budget, here’s my “dilemma”.
I am positive that they will hire me again for other jobs so renting “bothers” me for a few reasons:
1- I’d rather spend money to own the kit
2- I need to “rehearse”: I don’t want to show up on set having never used the lights.
3- I’d like to be able to practice in my home studio with lighting.
The question is: do you think $200 lighting kits I find on amazon do a decent job at lighting?
https://www.amazon.com/Fancierstudio-Digital-Continuous-Softbox-Lighting/dp/B0050K3DW2/?ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
https://www.amazon.com/CowboyStudio-Photography-Portrait-Continuous-Umbrellas/dp/B003WLY24O/?ref=pd_cp_p_2

Or if you have any recommendations that’d be great.

As far as budget if it’s too rent I have $150 or so for 2 days….
BUt that’s eating away my profit since I’ve been investing a lot on this shoot.
Hence the reason why I’d like to own vs. renting.

I can’t get a picture of the other side of the room since I won’t be there until Friday for a location scout type of visit.
But I know they won’t let me switch around since the TV is used to show PP presentations. (which I will get from the speaker to add in my edits).

Audio wise I hired a sound guy: lav. mic and boom. I didn’t want to have to worry about this since audio is the Most important thing to me in this type of shoot or any with audio for that matter.

[Olivier Prudhomme]

Hey Mark thanks a lot for taking the time to help. I can tell by your answers that you know what you are talking about.

“1. Have the meeting at night” I have no control over the schedule

That is a terrible room – are you sure there’s no better alternative?Good idea. Exploring

Hopefully, you’re shooting from the spot where we see that tripod, so the TV is not behind the main speaker? Actually I’ll be shooting from where the picture was taken, so TV right behind the speaker…. What issue do you forsee?

What time is the meeting, and what will the sun position be at that time? If those windows are facing west, an early- morning meeting might not be that bad. facing west…. bad….

if the meeting is long, 1-5pm

The sun, blasting in like that, is going to over-light the side of the speaker’s face, and the camera will under-expose the opposite side to try to compensate. yeah…. been thinking about this a lot….

If the budget is low, Right again!! 🙂
I would use a milky, translucent vinyl, I actually had thought about using kitchen wax paper since I can’t find diffuser sheets/rolls… I like the shower curtain idea but I’m afraid it’ll look “cheap”.

Failing that, I might place a reflecting board on the side of the speaker opposite the window, to balance-out the daylight and add fill. I was actually thinking of diffusing the light like mentioned above AND bounce what comes in from the other side… But now that you wrote this I understand there might not be much to bounce if I diffuse the natural light…
I was also thinking of adding a light: so the diffuse window light would serve as a fill and on the other side i’d have the key light….
What do you think?

If you can’t treat the windows at all, either by curtaining them off or diffusing them. then you need an instrument to fill in on the non-sunlit side, and it needs to match the color temperature of the daylight blasting in. A portable whiteboard or an easel with a white fox core board might help, in a pinch.

I have a deflector that i’ll try to use as well…

So based on what you said, my plan is to diffuse the light coming from the window and use a key light on the other side with either an artificial light or with a bouncer….

So, what gear is available to you from the rental shop? Rental shops overwhelm me becasue they pretty much have whatever i need… except that I don’t know what to ask for other than…. “lights”….

[Olivier Prudhomme]

[Olivier Prudhomme]

not sure if it worked…..
And thanks for helping!

[Olivier Prudhomme]

Hey Mark

I won’t be able to kill all daylight coming into the room.
I think my best option is what you suggested: blocking the portion of the windows near the speaker.

I found a place to rent: what do you think of this and which one would you pick, considering that I worked on shoots but I never actually set up lights myself. (I won’t have time to rehearse and I don’t want to look as an amateur if the set up is to complicated or unsafe)

Thanks!

[Olivier Prudhomme]

Thanks a lot!

Great info.
I need to read it a few times to digest it.
I might be able to get a pict of the room actually

[Olivier Prudhomme]

Thx Bill

But I actually went with an HMC40. I got a great deal and I think it’s a good solid camera.

[Olivier Prudhomme]

Only one card slot on mine…