good lighting setup idea?
 

Hi all,

I'll be shooting a project next weekend using 2 Canon XL-2s. It is a mock group meeting for a therapist who will sell the class on the net. So we're thinking a group of maybe 6 or 7 plus two therapists sitting around on couches. I'm planning on using the lamps they have plus 3 or 4+ 150watt clamp lights up high around the room, possible diffused to make them a little softer. I normally shoot using a standard three point system with the clamp lights, but I've never shot a group in the round like this, and I don't really want to buy a lighting kit yet. any suggestions?

peace.
-Jonathan

For a group this size and the theme being somewhat tv-like, you could also use one or two 1K tungsten bounced to the ceiling and/or walls.

If you use all your clamp lights to light the people directly, I'd still use one 800-1000W light bounced to make the room brighter (unless you want to have a setting with the background dark, but I understand it's kind of a promo, so you'd want everything to look bright and friendly)

Not sure how the couches are set up, but assuming they are symetrical, and you have camera positions both side of the centre line, then you could use a key on the centre line with side fills, either side or a big softlight on the centre and then redhead types either side with a half scrim - to avoid one being too hot on one couch as a backlight. Not sure I have explained that well - but if the light is behind one couch, loking down at the opposite one, it can be back light for one couch and be the key for the other - the scrim just dampens down the output from it that hits the couch below - without the scrim, the closeness to the nearest couch is far too bright!

I forgot - one of the best setups for round tables and such is always a china ball in the middle, as low as possible and as high as necessary. Plus the necessary edge- and backlighting of course.

great suggestion on the china ball, never would have thought of that. I also like the idea of bouncing off the ceiling.

I generally use ge daylight bulbs (the blue ones) and I'll probably bring the same kind for the lamps they have strewn about. I'll probably use painters plastic to diffuse. I know this all sounds a little ghetto, but I already spent my new gear budget for this project on a new shotgun mic.

keep the suggestions coming...and remember, think ghetto hardware store solutions! ;)

also, as far as the cam positions go, I'll have one on a tripod to pan back and forth between the two therapists, and one handheld to get the participants. So there won't be a center line per se...I know whenever you have a camera that's not in a fixed position it creates obstacles for lighting, but this is the scenario.

I would also go with china balls, maybe even a few of them. Properly placed, and given that you have some practicals around the room as you said, you may not need anything else. Backlights/kickers are fine but not always necessary. It depends what kind of look you are going for. If it has to look like a TV studio, hairlights are fine. If it can look more natural, it becomes a choice.

If I had to do this for tv, I'd really use the bounced light way. I mean a chinaball in the middle of the group is nice, but you gotta set it up and everything - something you have to do in advance, which is mostly not a choice for tv (but for a commercial/promo it should be, I guess?).
However, don't underestimate what two 800-1000W tungsten lamps bounced on white ceilings and walls can do - most tv home stories and stuff like that are shot with only that!

A chinaball in the middle won't interfere with your camera, and most bounced lighting won't throw any shadows as well (well it can, if you really want to - but mostly it won't!)

oh well
 

shoot's over.

I went with 6 can lights with 100watt ge daylight bulbs, all bounced off the white ceiling, I brought the china ball but got pressed for time and couldn't get it hung. So, lesson learned, bring your own ladder! Overall, I was fairly pleased with such a cheap light kit. I had some issues with shadows because the presenters insisted on standing so close to the back wall. It was an extremely tight space. It certainly doesn't look like a tv studio, but it passes for the counselor's office with ambient room lighting on. I would post some footage or stills but I'm tied up in an NDA.

So, thanks for the suggestions, I made it work, and for this project, that's the best I could ask for.

peace.
-Jonathan