Homemade COOL Lights

[Bankim Jain]

Hi, Just exploring what if I use 55W CFL tubes to make five rows in front of reflector framed into a metal box with a mesh glass to throw Cool 3200 Video light for my shoots. My clients wont melt during their interviews & would be well lit & I would also use less energy.

What say any body amongst you is of major use to me. I feel that the cool light makers like ari etc use GE lamps in their consols along with Elecgtronic ballasts to cahrge me 1000$+ lights.

:)

[Jaron Berman]

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=75353

perhaps what you're talking about?

[Dean Sensui]

You want to get the light to be as lightweight as possible. What you're describing could end up weighing more than 10 pounds. Perhaps 20, depending on what sort of materials you use.

The box could be made out of something more lightweight like fiberglass. This would require making a simple mould, treating it with a release wax, and building a relatively thin fiberglass shell in it. Similar to the way boats are made.

Or you could fabricate it from sheet aluminum with a lightweight wood or metal frame. Take a look at the way airplanes are built. Very stiff and strong. But very light.

The electrical fittings are then added. If you can put the ballast on the stand that would help keep the weight off the light box.

You won't need a diffuser as the lamps are already diffused. Unless you need to eliminate the reflection of individual lamps, in which case a thin scrim could be added.

See if you can find daylight 5000k bulbs from Home Depot. Another useful feature of a light like this is that it allows you to use lamps which match fluorescent-lit interiors. Handy when doing certain types of jobs where you need additional lighting from a specific direction in an existing scene.