More "unpopular opinions" on pro lights...
 

Hey Kids... It's me again with a couple more thoughts about pro lighting.

Decide what you're in this for as you allocate a budget for your tools.

Pro lighting is great. It's fast to set up and effective, a real time-saver on location or in event-video.

I've been putting off the new dvx100 in favor of a "ground-up" approach to my a/v kit... after-all, lighting will NEVER go out of style. Your light-kit will be virtually timeless and your camera will be "out of date" in a year or two... That said I just got another Video Systems magazine which features a few dv film-makers... not wedding videographers or corporate videographers... film-makers... which is what I'm going for. Anyway, in all of the featured stories about these dv film-makers... not ONE used pro-lighting.

"Charlotte Sometimes" was shot on dv and is being professionally color-corrected and transferred to film... on a distributor's wallet... at a cost of $30K... yeah thirty THOUSAND dollars... because they thought it was that good. It was shot with $800 worth of lights.

"Mole" is another independent film shot on dv which is gaining some momentum... shot with pd150's and ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS WORTH OF LIGHTING FROM HOME DEPOT!

I could go on, but if you're curious get a Video Systems magazine or if you live in St. Louis I'll start giving you mine when I finish 'em, which takes me an hour.

Anyway, my thoughts are to get pro-lights early on if you:

A. Do event/wedding/corporate video.

B. Have to pay a crew as you and they set up lights.

C. Have first rate gear including camera and audio and are done "growing" your kit.

My reasons to wait on pro-lights apply to those of you who:

A. Do not have a really good camera... I still use a trv900 and I think I should have got the dvx100 before spending a couple grand on lights.

B. Want to make independent feature films and shorts and you'll be using no-pay talent who will assist in production as well as acting.

When I say wait on pro-lights I'm saying you'll still have to spend SOMETHING on lights. Get the Everlights or something like that... maybe even some Lowels... and if not that you can make some effective lighting cheaply... just to get by for now.

I'm back to thinking I can make my own fluorescents and you guys will see something from me on that in the next few weeks... If they look really good and work really good I'll get some pics up and offer to make some discount fluorescents for those of you who would be interested...

I guess there are a couple of factors.

It depends on what inconvenience you're willing to put up with.

It depends on what you will accept as a decent level of control and quality.

If I was in my early 20's i might go for the home brew stuff , but not now, but that's just my opinion. In my tired old eyeballs, there is a biiiiiig difference in quality of light and control.(not to mention safety)

One big thing you missed

Having pro lighting and grip helps you get paid quicker and for some reason the more used it looks (within reason) is a bonus since it gives the impression that you are in demand

My jobs generally fall into X days flming Y days editing

Once the client sees the pro gear the cheque book miraculously appears to clear off the X days filming payment


If you cant afford full wack check out mandy.com or the ARRI auctions for used gear - bargains to be had and usually they have a story to tell

"did you know my Berkeys were used on the original Star Wars set .. bla bla wuff wuff"