[Russell Steen]

My advice would be to look into several kits to see what they include, but let the projects you work on direct your final decisions. As you can tell from the posts here, people tend to use the lights they have become familiar with. I have always preferred renting equipment because each job usually requires different things, and it is hard not to make the stuff you own dictate the limits of what you do. At any rate, until you are familiar with the lighting equipment you will be using most of the time, renting will keep you from buying something you will rarely or never use again, and can help you refine your wish list before buying. Working with a good rental company is a great way to improve the quality of your work.
That said:
If you can afford it, Joker kits or other small HMIs often prove far more versatile. Adding CTO to an HMI is a more affordable light loss than adding CTB to a tungsten fixture.
I love kinos, but again, if you buy particular fixtures you’ll be trying to use your own when a bigger or smaller version would be the right call. If you find yourself continually using something, then by all means, buy it.
If you’re on a shoestring, look for used kits and theatrical lights on e-bay (or even craig’s list if you’re in major city). Sometimes churches and schools have lights they don’t know what to do with collecting dust. Lights designed for the stage aren’t as compact or easy to transport, but they are easily modified and usually put out a lot of light per amp draw. Ellipsoidals (like ETC 575 Source Fours)can do some amazing things when you get the hang of using them to bounce light off of cards, walls or ceilings, but don’t go buying stuff just because it’s cheap unless you want to store dust-covered lights too.
Russell Steen