Rick Wise
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[stan welks] “1.) My camera has an ISO range of 100–25600. How, if at all does this affect the lighting advice you provided previously?
2.) Is there anything I should look for in a shower curtain liner? If I have the option of thicker, thinner, white, cream, off white, etc.?
3.) If this works out with the lights, I will be using them often. I was looking at Kino Flo 4Bank Full Flozier – 4′ https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/258335-REG/Kino_Flo_DFS_4804_4Bank_Fu...
and
Kino Flo Flozier Diffuser for Diva 200 and 2′ Double System – 1 Stop
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/258364-REG/Kino_Flo_DFS_D2_Flozier_Di...will these do the same thing as the shower curtain liner for diffusion? If so, I won’t need 2 separate c stands to hold the liners.”
I suspect your camera begins to produce “noisy” images at any ISO higher than 1250. The higher the ISO, the less light intensity you need.
Shower curtain liners: they are relatively cheap. Get a couple of different ones. Cut them in half. Try them out. LOOK at the results. White balance manually when the light is coming through your curtain of choice. Those floziers are a quick way to slightly soften the lights. To get really, really soft light you need a large piece of diffusion close to the subject and far enough from the light that the light fills the surface. For an even softer look, use two layers. Two relatively thin layers will produce very soft light if they are spaced far enough from each other. Two thick layers will be even softer but may cut the light’s intensity down too much.
Play with different solutions. You can do that with a pumpkin or orange etc. long before the shoot.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
MFA/BFA Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
[stan welks] “1.) Will one Diva be enough, or should I consider the larger 4-Bank as the key light?
2.) When you said “you could probably use your Kinos pushed through two layers of shower curtain liner with a foot or so between them,”
Would I use some C Stand to hold the two layers of shower curtain liner to the C stand with some spring clamps?
3.) As for the fill light, should I use foam core on a c stand vs. using the 2nd Diva or 4Bank since I have them? Will I get better results with just the foam core”
I don’t know your ISO. Maybe a Diva will do the job, maybe not enough light. Also, the thickness of the shower curtain is a factor. The thicker it is, the more diffusion and the less light intensity. If this is a one-shot deal, bring enough extra fire power to meet possible problems.
I would hang the diffusion from a C-stand, and the second layer from another C-stand.
For fill, the foamcore will be softer than a direct light. With such a soft key you will need very little fill. It’s relatively easy to move the foamcore closer or farther away to adjust intensity.
There are NO formulas for lighting. Try something. Look at it. Make adjustments. Look at it again, etc.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
MFA/BFA Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
Ah, shooting beautiful babies! My favorite technique is to used either bleached or unbleached muslin with, in the old days, a 5K or 10K pushed through it. Today, with adjustable ISO on your DSLR, you could probably use your Kinos pushed through two layers of shower curtain liner with a foot or so between them, available at Home Depot and the like. The idea: place the key and diffusion to one side, about 90 degrees from the camera, and let the light wrap around that sweet face. Add a piece of foam core on the other side for fill, adjusting the distance to dose the quantity.
As to the angle, it could be overhead, or not so overhead, your creative choice.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
MFA/BFA Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
Note that DP and crew costs are considerably higher in San Francisco. However, they have not budged up in many years, so we earn less and less in terms of real dollars.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
MFA/BFA Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
Try eBay for the real thing. Also, this link: https://www.b-roll.net/forum/archive/index.php/t-8892.html. Also this one: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Mitchell-Camera-Corp-Movie-Film-Camera-Cartridge-Magazine-Reel-16-1299L/111423472401?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140602152332%26meid%3D36c47fb58a8041b29fb91d95511b0f39%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D20140602152332%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D10%26sd%3D360786047369
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
MFA/BFA Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
It appears that while the video is for one light with tungsten-daylight adjustment and one locked on daylight, the kit you link is locked on daylight. Also, “high” CRI doesn’t tell us much, nor is there any information about light output. That said, the CAM is probably OK for daylight-balanced interviews, especially if you can white-balance to its output.
The other light you link seems to be much smaller and cheaper.
It’s unfortunate that good LEDs are so expensive, but they are. The better ones will last longer and serve you better, but you can’t spend more than you can justify. Or shouldn’t. If see have good reason to expect to get lots of paying work, then you may be justified in taking out a small loan for a better kit. Otherwise, just get what you can afford and make it work.
As with cameras, lights do not make the movie. The filmmaker does. One can do amazing work with very cheap gear. You can also produce drek with the most expensive gear you can find.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
MFA/BFA Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
I so agree with Todd. Starting out a student has so many basic issues to learn. A camera such as the Sony Nx30 (https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/853433-REG/Sony_HXR_NX30_HD_Compact_Camcorder.html) with it’s excellent “auto” functions and amazing stabilizing system might be a good bet. $1,790, and on sale for $200 off up to the end of the month.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
MFA/BFA Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
I finally found a much simpler way to burn a project to DVD: do it directly in Sony Vegas Pro: Tools/Burn Disk/DVD. The software does all the necessary rendering and then burns the disk. Easy.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
MFA/BFA Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
Do some youtube sleuthing for visual reviews of the Sony. At least one pro user has ditched his GH4 for the A7s. I have not shot yet with either, and whatever is hot today will be cold, cold, cold tomorrow. But don’t let that stop you from making a choice. Otherwise you’ll never buy anything.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
MFA/BFA Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
The movie clip included in the first post is sample footage shot with the Sony Alpha A7s, a spectacular DSLR. All DSLRs are hybrids and are harder to use than a camera strictly designed for video with good audio. But your budget would allow you several lenses, plus a cage, an audio recording device, etc.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
MFA/BFA Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com