I'm actually pretty handy. You should see the dolly that I made. but with these Nano lights (soft boxes) I just bet there is sewing involved. I don't know much about sewing. John, (off topic) I see that you are pretty involved with Sony Acid. I am going to get that program soon. It is just incredible what you can do these days (been said a million times before) but I am still in awe of the "creative power" that every one can have now with video and music.

I promise there is no sewing in the making of a nano light. It does use lots of gaffers tape (but what great design doesn’t?) ;-)

ACID is just incredible. I’m a musician so I can’t say how easy it is for just anyone to use but lots of vidographers tell me that they find it very easy to use. I am just amazed at all the virtual instruments that you can buy these days. I’ve got a bunch of rack mount MIDI hardware in my basement that I never use anymore. I also still have my Tascam 80-8 ½ inch 8-track tape deck. Who needs that stuff with programs like ACID and Vegas?

When you get it, if you need help let me know. If you need lots of help, buy my book. :-D

~jr

If you are in NY on the 28th and 29th of this month Jan 06' I have a few spots open for a great seminar I have been giving:

http://www.bluesky-web.com/location-jan05.htm

And I have for more DVD's in my series coming out in February 06 that teach dramatic style lighting on a budget and don't break the bank. Click link and scroll down to the bottom.

http://www.bluesky-web.com/dvd1headshot.htm

I totally underline what Johnny says. Vic Milt's book is essential. Walter's web tutorials are amazing. PLUS, attend any trade shows that provide a host of tutorials. Here in the UK I must have learnt my the majority of "confidence" making lighting decision making.

.. oh yeah go study the master painters: Rembrandt, Holbein and any of the Dutch and Italian masters. You wont look at the Godfather series in the same way any more.

Grazie

Hey, I just realized where I learned lighting! I couldn't remember the site, but I knew right away when I re-visited it tonight that it was Walter Graff's site that I looked at that finally got me to finally put all the pieces together.

http://www.bluesky-web.com/new-page6.html

Thanks, Walter!

I think what allowed me to really soak up what Walter instructs is the fact that I had played around enough with lighting to prep myself for learning. I think one must formulate questions first, then the answers fill in the empty slots in your brain and stay there. Walter's tutorials just made perfect sense and helped structure what I had already observed. Now, I can more directly make things look like I want instead of randomly trying things until the image is "not bad".

My suggestion to everyone, get a few different lights and play around lighting for hours with a friend. Then, go to Walter's site and read all the tutorials. Finally, repeat the first step and see how much better it looks and how much easier it is to get the look you want.

Grazie, I like the idea to study classic painters. They were the first to have to figure out how light and shadow set a mood and feel with their subjects. No need to re-invent the wheel! Just look at the classics and figure out where the "lights" were placed. :)

I'll second (or third or fourth) the "learn on set" advice, when that's possible.

I learned some lighting as an art director for commercial still shoots... enough to get me fascinated. IMHO, the biggest difference between digital & film, regardless of still or motion? In a digital media, you pretty much know what you got, on-set. With film, there's that nerve-wracking wait for the lab, often with lots of dollars at stake (not just the stock, but other people's time, makeup, talent, etc).

"Study old master painters" is good advice, and to expand: study the things that fire up your own personal tastes & imagination. Fashion magazines, music videos, great cinematographers... try to emulate the looks you like on your own; I'm not an advocate for copying... starting off there may lead you down some fascinating paths, based on what gear you have available.

Personally, I don't think there's enough respect for "playing"; try to find time to experiment for fun, and leave yourself open to the unexpected. I spent many, many frustrating-yet-happy hours (and many hundreds of dollars) experimenting with tungsten film combined with lighting and lab effects. I can't tell you how many times I reached out to adjust or change something based on a polaroid (or in the video realm, an image on playback) and realized that even though it wasn't what I had set out for, it looked cool. Causing a 90 degree turn in direction as I tried to figure out, and then harness, the "mistake" into something useful.