OMG that is too funny! LOL

Anyone know where I can see that video? The link seems to be broken now. Thanks!

Ditto on that

Stephen,

Not to burst your bubble...

On the one hand you need diffused light, but on the other hand you also need a broad source. Broader the light source softer it is.

So if you're trying to really get a "SoftBox" effect then what you should really do is mount a diffusion layer a bit away from the lights. Bedsheet, Rip-Stop Nylon etc.

There are two advantages to this:
1. The diffusion material is away from the heat source thus reducing the risk of fire.
2. The light is a broad source. That is from the subject's (or cameras) point of view, the light is emitting from a broad source.

Now diffusing those light might be a good idea in and of itself, but a softlight it will not make.

I've used these lights and done the glass bit and then moved to the Rip-Stop nylon and that was a whole lot better.

The other issue with those lights is the heat and of course the power consumption. Mine are 1200W at full bright. Each light has a 300W halogen and there are two.

You can get the same light output with practically no heat using CFLs. Mount them in a home made enclosure and put some rip-stop nylon in front of them and you've got a really great soft box.

Or you can do what I eventually did (after experimenting with both suggestions above).

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=103871

Shiv.

We did some shower curtain tests:

Y.A.F.I.:Underground Media

I used a 500W halogen site/work light for a film in the past. The light had baking paper over the front to soften the light and after using it on and off for about an hour our living room started to fill up with noxious smoke. The components inside the light had seriously overheated and started to burn and melt. If the unit hadn't been self contained with the glass plate on the front to prevent oxygen getting in quickly I'm fairly certain it would have set on fire rather than just smouldered. As it was it smouldered for a good five minutes after turning it off at the socket.

I recommend not wrapping site/work lights in anything.

- don't make the same foolish mistake I did!

If you do get any smoke coming out of a site light that's overheated don't ever use it again as it's probably damaged inside - chuck it out - it's not worth the risk. In fact that goes for any light unit, unless you get it checked by an electrician.

That's what diffusion gel is for. It doesn't burn. But if you get it too close to the bulb it can burn. With some metal coat hangers and a pair of pliers you could make a gel holder for a work light. Or even easier, just hang a piece of gel from a C-stand.
Recently I saw one of those worklights with fluorescent bulbs. They're pretty soft.

It wasn't the baking paper that burnt Bill, the light itself overheated and burnt inside. It's important you don't prevent the light from losing heat by covering it up. The C stand is a good idea bill.

I don't know if this was suggested because I didn't read the whole thread. I started using diffused tungsten lights back in 1995 when DV format came out. This was before I had bought some Photoflex light domes. I used white umbrellas in front of my 1000w lights. The lights shot through the extended umbrellas attached to the light stand and produced very soft light. Now worries about fires as the umbrellas are far enough away from the lights. Used this set up for years. looks a whole lot more pro than using bed sheets and shower curtains. The umbrellas were like $25 each.