Sound Guy in the Spotlight

[Glenn Davidson]

Now maybe the answer to this question is "someone who has been a soundman his whole life should stay away from lighting"..but here goes..

I am putting together a light set-up and am considering an Arri Fresnel light. Can I use my Shure sturdy tripod stand for the Arri. The mic stand has a 5/8" thread on it. Can the Arri slip over this and tighten or is there a clamp/adapter that may work?

[Bill Hamell]

Glenn,

Which Arri light?
One of the smaller lights might not be to bad however most will be to heavy.
A 200 0r 300-watt light with a sandbag should be ok, from a wieght stand point.

As to the adapter there is a 5/8” adapter that would fit the light, most likely it would damage the threads of the stand making it useless for a mike stand again.
They are meant to attach to a 5/8” stud on a light stand.

Then there is the height of the stand; mike stands are not very high, if you want to get the light above your subject you are out of luck.

So your answer is yes a small light could be put on a mike stand, now do you really want to do it? I think not, it would be best to find a proper stand for the light.

Think of it this way what if you were given a light stand, a microphone and a roll of tape?
Could you make it work? Sure, however how well would it work? That’s the real question is it not? :-)

Bill

[Marcus Marchesseault]

You can get light stands on ebay for about $25.00. They have proper 5/8" mounts with no threads, the indent for the fixing screw, and go up as tall as 12'. Don't bother with your mic stand or you will probably ruin the threads. Light stands are so light that you can probably tuck it in the bag with your mic stand or a tripod. Like Bill mentioned, you might consider a sand bag. Also, a mic stand is probably not tall enough. You need a light at least 7' tall so the light is coming from the proper direction. A low light as a key will look wierd because the shadows will be coming from the wrong direction.

You could also try something like this from B&H:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...goryNavigation

or search ebay for "Universal Clamp by DynaTran". The clamps may hold the light, but I still doubt if a mic stand can be tall enough.

[Glenn Davidson]

Thanks for the advice. My microphone stand is 15' and alot more stable than a Lowel stand. But your points about the thread damage are well taken. Since I am trying to put together a decent set-up on a budget (that I went over with the camera), I have decided to skip the Arri (for now) and just purchased two Lowel Omini with stands and filters used for $100.

So things that I have learned on DVI..

FX1 is a decent camera that might bridge technology changes with it's HD
Good lighting is vital
Good sound is even more vital,(this part is easy since I have a ton of sound gear)
Audio type stands for microphones, light type stands for lights
Soft light up high is best
15 degree off axis shooting angle for talking head
Bargains can be found on ebay

Advice from Professionals and experienced hobbists make learning fun.

Thank You!

[Bill Hamell]

Glenn,

Great! Now you are on the right track.
Add to that kit an LTM Pepper for a hair/rim light and a 42” white/silver reflector for fill. Now you have the start of a good interview kit.

One thing on open face lights that you have to watch out for is double shadows.
Remember you with each open face fixture you have two light sources, the bulb and the reflector. Without a lens to blend the two sources there are two shadows. Most of the time it is not a problem you just need to beware and watch your shadow placement.

Pick up a couple of Walter Graffs back issue newsletters ,a gold mine of info for $2 each.

http://www.bluesky-web.com/alacarte-newsletter.htm

You may need to sign up to the site for this one, it’s free.
Building A Compact Lighting Kit

http://www.dv.com/features/features_...cleId=18901484

Most importantly have fun it always looks better when you are having a good time.

Bill