Best light for film at DVinfo.net

Jakaria Habib · March 17th, 2010, 01:31 PM

dear friends,

i run a small video production house in our country.recently,we are planning to make a digital film.we are going to use panasonic hvx200 camera with letus ultimate 35m.m adapter.

I am not sure as to what lighting kit i should use to get better quality.So, i am planning to buy some for my company.my budget is around 70000$ us dollar.i am going to shoot indoor as well as outdoor and my option for buying these stuff is to buy from singapore.

It would be a great help for me if any of my learned friends from here give me some ideas and name of lighting products or kits in specific. i am looking forward to your proper guidance.

Jakaria habib

Perrone Ford · March 17th, 2010, 02:36 PM

Could you clarify your dollar amount please? Because you have written $70000, which is Seventy Thousand dollars. Is this what you meant or do you mean some other amount?

Christopher Glavan · March 17th, 2010, 07:01 PM

For those curious about how much lighting gear $70k buys, I believe the answer is all of it!

Never forget you get what you pay for. If the sky is really the limit on your budget, I highly recommend you look at some quality flood/spot fresnels, as well as some fluorescent soft banks (great for fill light). As far as kits, there are so many... Personally, I'm a fan of Arris and Lowels, but others will say differently. I really believe you will be better off looking for the lights that will fit your specific needs and piecing together a kit of your own.

Also, imho, invest just as much research in grip and peripheral equipment as you invest in the lights. Having that cartellini clamp handy to put a light where you need it will save your bacon more than you think. Nothing ruins a shot like having a big light stand in frame... except maybe forgetting to turn the light on. =)

Perrone Ford · March 17th, 2010, 07:37 PM

Well, it's really not THAT hard to spend $70k on lighting depending on what you're trying to light. Go price a few 20k HMI or Carbon Arcs and Max Mover then get back to me. But if you're lighting interiors, and maybe trying to get some supplemental outdoor lighting, then it's quite a helpful budget.

But even at that level of the game, without having SOME idea of what the needs are, it's hard to make any recommendations.

But I'd suggest we wait to hear what the true budget numbers are before speculating too much about what could be bought...

Charles Papert · March 17th, 2010, 11:52 PM

pssst...Perrone...20K's are tungsten, closest HMI's are 18K's...haven't seen a carbon arc in 20 years (but I'm sure someone's using them somewhere for the novelty factor)...MaxMovers are cool though!

I think anyone investing heavily in g/e right now should take a hard look at the current LED offerings. They are still in their infancy compared to where they are heading, but there's a lot of advantages. Been using the IS3 from Zylight and it's an amazing piece of gear, especially with the remote (dialing in intensity, color temperature and mired shift all from a tiny box on my hip; thus no gelling, no color shift on dimming).

Perrone Ford · March 18th, 2010, 12:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charles Papert

pssst...Perrone...20K's are tungsten, closest HMI's are 18K's...haven't seen a carbon arc in 20 years (but I'm sure someone's using them somewhere for the novelty factor)...MaxMovers are cool though!

Wait a sec... I know ARRI has an HMI up in that range... lemme see...

Ahh yea, the 12/18 You're right.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/192477-REG/Arri__Daylight_12KW_18KW_HMI_Fresnel.htmlRetail of $33k is gonna go through that budget pretty fast...

(Gee the Mole is only $29k... everyone loves to stretch their dollars... http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/192477-REG/Arri__Daylight_12KW_18KW_HMI_Fresnel.html)

In reference to the Carbon Arcs, I was thinking of the article on the recent Indiana Jones movie where the DP was having problems keeping the HMIs cool, and the director offered, "That why we used Carbon Arcs last time". Apparently they are more heat resistant, but given their rarity, I'd bet they'd be pretty pricey!

I love having you on this list Charles.. really. If you're ever in N. Florida, look me up. I'll set you up with beers all night just to pick your brain about a million questions I have!

Charles Papert · March 18th, 2010, 12:50 AM

Even without beers, Perrone, my brain holds far less than a million answers (less every year, of course)...but I'll take you up on your offer when and if my travels take me there! Which will hopefully NOT be during your hot season, I don't do well with the sticky...

Arcs had a great quality of light, but they were finicky and required specialized crew to operate and maintain. Ultimately they were phased out by HMI's which were much more efficient. There are still plenty of people who prefer the look of arcs, but the economics of the business are not favorable to their use (and many of the electricians who were qualified to operate them have retired in the meantime).

Perrone Ford · March 18th, 2010, 01:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charles Papert

Arcs had a great quality of light, but they were finicky and required specialized crew to operate and maintain. Ultimately they were phased out by HMI's which were much more efficient. There are still plenty of people who prefer the look of arcs, but the economics of the business are not favorable to their use (and many of the electricians who were qualified to operate them have retired in the meantime).

I fear in 10 years we'll be saying much the same thing about film. I say that as someone who just bought a Nikon film body for a song...

Charles Papert · March 18th, 2010, 01:03 AM

10 years, probably true. Anyone want to buy a Nikon FE body from the early 80's...?

Brian Drysdale · March 18th, 2010, 04:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perrone Ford

=
In reference to the Carbon Arcs, I was thinking of the article on the recent Indiana Jones movie where the DP was having problems keeping the HMIs cool, and the director offered, "That why we used Carbon Arcs last time". Apparently they are more heat resistant, but given their rarity, I'd bet they'd be pretty pricey!

The previous Indiana Jones was released in 1989, so brutes and crews would still be around then.

You'll also need to buy a silent generator If you're going to operate these big lights.

Perrone Ford · March 18th, 2010, 05:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charles Papert

10 years, probably true. Anyone want to buy a Nikon FE body from the early 80's...?

I'd say yes, but I can get them on Ebay all day long, and you'd do better just keeping your for nostalgia's sake to be honest.

Jakaria Habib · March 18th, 2010, 05:01 PM

i am extremely sorry for writing 70k instead of 15000 $ .Actually i want to spend 15000$ for light.since i want to spend this money as an investment for my company so, i am looking forward to have some reply from our learned friends. i want to buy some lights that has good long life as well as portable.

thank you all for your valuable reply.

Richard Alvarez · March 18th, 2010, 05:05 PM

Jakira - help us out. "Digital Film" - means... what? You're shooting narrative features? Lots of locations? Do you have a small studio space you're trying to outfit?

Paul R Johnson · March 18th, 2010, 05:11 PM

With this kind of money you don't want to waste it, so why not get the people who will design the lighting for the projects to select the kit for you. The DoP would want the most appropriate kit for each project - so unless you can predict what you want, we can't really help.

I have lots of equipment I thought I would use often, and it often may sit for a year without being used, but during this time I'm buying or hiring other kit because what I have already isn't what I need for the current job.

Jakaria Habib · March 18th, 2010, 05:14 PM

well to be specific the film is going to be a romantic with a little touch of comedy.almost 35% of the scenes are going to be shot indoors and i need proper lights for this reason.the other 65% is going to be shot outdoors.50% of the outdoor shots are going to be night sequence and i am very worried about it.to be specific i need lights for indoor shooting and outdoor night sequence.

March 17th, 2010, 01:31 PM	#1
Jakaria Habib New Boot Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Bangladesh Posts: 6	Best light for film dear friends, i run a small video production house in our country.recently,we are planning to make a digital film.we are going to use panasonic hvx200 camera with letus ultimate 35m.m adapter. I am not sure as to what lighting kit i should use to get better quality.So, i am planning to buy some for my company.my budget is around 70000$ us dollar.i am going to shoot indoor as well as outdoor and my option for buying these stuff is to buy from singapore. It would be a great help for me if any of my learned friends from here give me some ideas and name of lighting products or kits in specific. i am looking forward to your proper guidance. Jakaria habib

March 17th, 2010, 02:36 PM	#2
Perrone Ford Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 4,100	Could you clarify your dollar amount please? Because you have written $70000, which is Seventy Thousand dollars. Is this what you meant or do you mean some other amount? __________________ DVX100, PMW-EX1, Canon 550D, FigRig, Dell Octocore, Avid MC4/5, MB Looks, RedCineX, Matrox MX02 mini, GTech RAID, Edirol R-4, Senn. G2 Evo, Countryman, Moles and Lowels.

March 17th, 2010, 07:01 PM	#3
Christopher Glavan Major Player Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Redding, CA Posts: 260	For those curious about how much lighting gear $70k buys, I believe the answer is all of it! Never forget you get what you pay for. If the sky is really the limit on your budget, I highly recommend you look at some quality flood/spot fresnels, as well as some fluorescent soft banks (great for fill light). As far as kits, there are so many... Personally, I'm a fan of Arris and Lowels, but others will say differently. I really believe you will be better off looking for the lights that will fit your specific needs and piecing together a kit of your own. Also, imho, invest just as much research in grip and peripheral equipment as you invest in the lights. Having that cartellini clamp handy to put a light where you need it will save your bacon more than you think. Nothing ruins a shot like having a big light stand in frame... except maybe forgetting to turn the light on. =) __________________ Reel Impressions Media - Make it more than a memory GY-HD100- 7D- PSC Promix 3- Lectro/Sennheiser- Zoom H4- MPB- CS6/CC

March 17th, 2010, 07:37 PM	#4
Perrone Ford Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 4,100	Well, it's really not THAT hard to spend $70k on lighting depending on what you're trying to light. Go price a few 20k HMI or Carbon Arcs and Max Mover then get back to me. But if you're lighting interiors, and maybe trying to get some supplemental outdoor lighting, then it's quite a helpful budget. But even at that level of the game, without having SOME idea of what the needs are, it's hard to make any recommendations. But I'd suggest we wait to hear what the true budget numbers are before speculating too much about what could be bought... __________________ DVX100, PMW-EX1, Canon 550D, FigRig, Dell Octocore, Avid MC4/5, MB Looks, RedCineX, Matrox MX02 mini, GTech RAID, Edirol R-4, Senn. G2 Evo, Countryman, Moles and Lowels.

March 17th, 2010, 11:52 PM	#5
Charles Papert Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 6,810	pssst...Perrone...20K's are tungsten, closest HMI's are 18K's...haven't seen a carbon arc in 20 years (but I'm sure someone's using them somewhere for the novelty factor)...MaxMovers are cool though! I think anyone investing heavily in g/e right now should take a hard look at the current LED offerings. They are still in their infancy compared to where they are heading, but there's a lot of advantages. Been using the IS3 from Zylight and it's an amazing piece of gear, especially with the remote (dialing in intensity, color temperature and mired shift all from a tiny box on my hip; thus no gelling, no color shift on dimming). __________________ Charles Papert www.charlespapert.com

March 18th, 2010, 12:50 AM	#7
Charles Papert Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 6,810	Even without beers, Perrone, my brain holds far less than a million answers (less every year, of course)...but I'll take you up on your offer when and if my travels take me there! Which will hopefully NOT be during your hot season, I don't do well with the sticky... Arcs had a great quality of light, but they were finicky and required specialized crew to operate and maintain. Ultimately they were phased out by HMI's which were much more efficient. There are still plenty of people who prefer the look of arcs, but the economics of the business are not favorable to their use (and many of the electricians who were qualified to operate them have retired in the meantime). __________________ Charles Papert www.charlespapert.com

March 18th, 2010, 01:03 AM	#9
Charles Papert Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 6,810	10 years, probably true. Anyone want to buy a Nikon FE body from the early 80's...? __________________ Charles Papert www.charlespapert.com

March 18th, 2010, 05:01 PM	#12
Jakaria Habib New Boot Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Bangladesh Posts: 6	lighting kit i am extremely sorry for writing 70k instead of 15000 $ .Actually i want to spend 15000$ for light.since i want to spend this money as an investment for my company so, i am looking forward to have some reply from our learned friends. i want to buy some lights that has good long life as well as portable. thank you all for your valuable reply.

March 18th, 2010, 05:05 PM	#13
Richard Alvarez Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: San Mateo, CA Posts: 3,840	Jakira - help us out. "Digital Film" - means... what? You're shooting narrative features? Lots of locations? Do you have a small studio space you're trying to outfit?

March 18th, 2010, 05:11 PM	#14
Paul R Johnson Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Lowestoft - UK Posts: 4,016	With this kind of money you don't want to waste it, so why not get the people who will design the lighting for the projects to select the kit for you. The DoP would want the most appropriate kit for each project - so unless you can predict what you want, we can't really help. I have lots of equipment I thought I would use often, and it often may sit for a year without being used, but during this time I'm buying or hiring other kit because what I have already isn't what I need for the current job.

March 18th, 2010, 05:14 PM	#15
Jakaria Habib New Boot Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Bangladesh Posts: 6	film lighting well to be specific the film is going to be a romantic with a little touch of comedy.almost 35% of the scenes are going to be shot indoors and i need proper lights for this reason.the other 65% is going to be shot outdoors.50% of the outdoor shots are going to be night sequence and i am very worried about it.to be specific i need lights for indoor shooting and outdoor night sequence.