lighting b&h vs home depot lights

dlevanchuk

dlevanchuk

How many of you guys are using lights that are not construction lights? Would you prefer to own or rent the lighting set up?

I had an itch to buy some lights from b&h. Browsed around some light kits , and debating if they re that much different from equivalent construction lights for 30 bucks from home depot.
 
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GuerrillaAngel said:
BEWARE OF GEAR FREAKS!

lol!

You can accomplish virtually the same lighting effects with Home Depot gear as pro gear. Sure it takes you more time to set it up, but time cost you nothing. Pro gear can cost more than your entire budget.

Besides, pro gear isn't going to impress your hungry crew. They will home depot stuff and PIZZA everyday!

Don't buy or rent pro gear unless (A) You've plenty of OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY underwriting your film or (B) you need the gear to make a living.
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Should I be saying BEWARE OF TECHNOPHOBES! everytime you post?

SinEater said:
I'm not saying it's absolutely necessary to get pro lights to shoot a short film, it just makes controlling the light so much easier.
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Do you really disagree with what I said? At a certain point you have to stop cutting everywhere if you want a quality product. Can I light a scene with Home Depot lights? Yes, and if I want it to look like as good as using Pro lights will then I have to spend four times as much time attempting to find ways to control them. Even then, it's tough to get a clean even light from a work light. If all you can afford is work lights, then so be it, but you're going to be spending a lot more time trying to control them. Time is money. Even if your crew is working for free, the longer the shoot the more meals you'll end up buying. And are all these people going to continue working for free if you're spending most of your time trying to figure out how to attach tinfoil barn doors to budget lights?

For whatever reason you fear technology, even if it will end up saving you money. According to you we should all be shooting using smartphone cameras or cameras from over a decade ago with lamps you borrowed from your parents living room. Everyone has to start somewhere, but you constantly act like your method is by far the best, when it clearly isn't.

/RANT OVER
 
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SinEater said:
Time is money.
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Not if you don't have any money. In that case time is your friend.

if you're spending most of your time trying to figure out how to attach tinfoil barn doors to budget lights?
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Now why would I do this with a crew standing around? I'd prepare in advance.

For whatever reason you fear technology, even if it will end up saving you money.
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:lol: I LIKE technology, but I like saving money more. This way my films get made and completed.

According to you we should all be shooting using smartphone cameras or cameras from over a decade ago with lamps you borrowed from your parents living room.
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That isn't what I said, I said BEWARE OF TECHIES AND GEAR FREAKS! :lol:

Everyone has to start somewhere, but you constantly act like your method is by far the best, when it clearly isn't.
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Who is to say it isn't? I'm not saying its for everyone -- if you've got the cash -- spend away, but if you've little money, its far better to complete a film than to please the techie and gear Gods!

Good luck!
 
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GuerrillaAngel said:
Who is to say it isn't? I'm not saying its for everyone -- if you've got the cash -- spend away, but if you've little money, its far better to complete a film than to please the techie and gear Gods!
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My point of view is that you'll never get money using your methods. It's fine for your first few shorts, but renting an Arri Fresnel kit for $70 for a weekend and a 5DmII with lens for $150 and you could shoot a commercial for local company for $1000, or a short film that could actually be a contender at festivals.
 
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" Sure it takes you more time to set it up, but time cost you nothing."

Maybe for you, for me it costs a lot of money. All my key crew are paid, sometimes locations are rented, etc... If 30 minutes here and 15 minutes there pushes me over into another shooting day it just cost me potentially $1000 or more (my average cost per day of shooting on my shorts).
 
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SinEater said:
My point of view is that you'll never get money using your methods. It's fine for your first few shorts, but renting an Arri Fresnel kit for $70 for a weekend and a 5DmII with lens for $150 and you could shoot a commercial for local company for $1000, or a short film that could actually be a contender at festivals.
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Really, how would you know? And why the heck would you assume something like that? Shouldn't you actually check to make sure I'm not making money nor a contender at festivals? Hmm?

gonzo said:
Maybe for you, for me it costs a lot of money. All my key crew are paid, sometimes locations are rented, etc... If 30 minutes here and 15 minutes there pushes me over into another shooting day it just cost me potentially $1000 or more (my average cost per day of shooting on my shorts).
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Obviously my suggestions are not for you. For the majority of filmmakers here, a safe bet is most of the crew is unpaid (or working for points they'll never get) or the filmmaker is doing most of the work themselves.

Filmmakers are able to decide for themselves whether the money spent on saving time is worth it. One thing for sure, money spent to save time doesn't show up on the screen, so the math has to pencil out. In your case it does, in many others, it may affect whether a film gets made at all.
 
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I've cheaped out in the past and learned my lesson. You always end up paying more in the long run than if you bought the quality equipment up front, either in replacements or upgrades.

On a side note, I do keep a few work lights (250w) around. They're handy for a handful of shots, and lighting the work area (behind the scenes) when setting up gear when needed.
 
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GuerrillaAngel said:
BEWARE OF GEAR FREAKS!

lol!

You can accomplish virtually the same lighting effects with Home Depot gear as pro gear. Sure it takes you more time to set it up, but time cost you nothing. Pro gear can cost more than your entire budget.
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"pro lights", meaning lights made for film/video are more than just something to impress a crew. The lights from Home Depot, etc. are NOT color balanced for film or video. They are not as easy to control or shape the light into something usable. Because they are made to light a workspace, not a movie set, diffusing or manipulating them - and the aforementioned color balance issues, make them less than appealing for any significant use as movie lights.

You can use these el cheapo lights, but you still need to get over to a photo/video store to buy gels, diffusion, and black foil plus a whole ton of C47 Media Attachment Clips (aka clothes pins). Make sure to do test shots with those lights and run them through your post production to see what kind of color these lights are putting off.
 
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I am learning that if it flies, floats , records sound, shoots video, or fucks, rent it unless you "really" need it available at a moments notice. Just sayin

Another option is to buy it then sell it when your project is done. This stuff is expensive and a newer model is always around the corner






.
 
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sonnyboo said:
The lights from Home Depot, etc. are NOT color balanced for film or video.
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If you get only the ones with halogen bulbs, they'll all be pretty darn close. I believe I've about 25 of these in all sizes, with half mounted overhead on my film set. I also bought some screw in halogen bulbs to put in the practicals used as set decoration.

you still need to get over to a photo/video store to buy gels, diffusion, and black foil
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True, but you can stop at Office Depot first and get diffusion in the form of plastic notebook covers. The come in all sizes and colors.

plus a whole ton of C47 Media Attachment Clips
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There is where I follow filmmaker convention and rob a liquor store to purchase these spendy items! :)

Make sure to do test shots with those lights and run them through your post production to see what kind of color these lights are putting off.
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Absolutely. You should test, test, test. Test on the set, test on location, test to discover something new.
 
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GuerrillaAngel said:
If you get only the ones with halogen bulbs, they'll all be pretty darn close. I believe I've about 25 of these in all sizes, with half mounted overhead on my film set. I also bought some screw in halogen bulbs to put in the practicals used as set decoration.
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Halogen bulbs have a different color temperature than 3200k or 5600k. White balance in terms of both the cameras and software are looking for something more precise to be "accurate".

For a run and gun, quick and easy shoot, sure you can get away with it. If you are aiming to make something that looks professional, then this simply isn't enough. So for beginners, yes you're right and these kinds of lights will work.

GuerrillaAngel said:
True, but you can stop at Office Depot first and get diffusion in the form of plastic notebook covers. The come in all sizes and colors.
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Again, the colors are not balanced for film/video using whatever is handy. The aforementioned fire-hazard comes to mind too. Never ever use something flammable in front of hot lights.
 
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David.rhsc said:
What's the mired shift value on a plastic notebook cover?

Before it catches fire. Bonus points if you can tell me the value after it catches on fire too.
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It depends on the brand. :lol:

Do you really think I'd put anything close to a hot bulb? :lol:

For those using 250-watt jobs, I've success bouncing it off an umbrella.

Most of my lights are to 50-100 watt variety. The small 50-watt work light are rare and I snapped a boxful up.

----------

I do have something that WILL please you techies and gear freaks: I have 3 NRG 12 volt fixtures and stands, some as high as 16 feet (I think). I decided that these would work better for my run and gun shots at night. And they're great! If you're filming outdoors at night at a different location each time, these will do the trick.

There. Pleased? :)
 
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GuerrillaAngel said:
It depends on the brand. :lol:

Do you really think I'd put anything close to a hot bulb? :lol:
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Hey man, after some of the wacky #$%^ I've seen people try on set, I take nothing for granted. ;)

I have nothing against using whatever lights are available, I have tons of random stuff that I like to use, as well as boxes and boxes of miscellaneous lightbulbs - many of which are vintage and I pick up from garage sales, family, friends, salvage stores, etc. I love old bulbs.

It's the control equipment that I am slightly more particular about; if the budget will bear it I want real grip gear. If it won't I'll take whatever I can get.

Pro Gripology + DIY/Budget fixtures > Pro Fixtures + No Gripology.

All.

Day.

Long.

;)
 
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Gonzo_Entertainment said:
" Sure it takes you more time to set it up, but time cost you nothing."

Maybe for you, for me it costs a lot of money. All my key crew are paid, sometimes locations are rented, etc... If 30 minutes here and 15 minutes there pushes me over into another shooting day it just cost me potentially $1000 or more (my average cost per day of shooting on my shorts).
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In a sense, the ability to set up fast is MORE important with unpaid crews. The amount of time you save with real lights can't be overstated. One of the problems I've had on my short is that some people just don't show up. So once you get everyone there, the planets are in alignment, the fates are smiling, and you gotta get footage in the can. Fiddlefucking around with your homemade barn doors on you home depot lights costs you precious time, not mention that you're probably heating the set to pizza oven temps. The makeup is streaming down your actress's face, the homeless guy you found to operate one of your cameras is starting to smell like decomposing walrus. Your handsome leading man now has Broadcast News-like underarm stains. And at the end of the day, you weren't able to get critical pages shot because you just didn't have enough time. Time might not be money, but it is your movie.

Can it be done? Yes, but you better preplan and prelight the hell out of everything you plan to shoot. And no matter how much you preplan, things always seem to change. Gonzo is paying his guys, so worst case scenario, he can tell everyone come back tomorrow, sometimes that's really really hard when everyone is there for free.

We spend so much time here comparing Canons to REDS and whatnot, lighting is what will make you movie look like a million bucks. Not your camera.
 
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brianluce said:
In a sense, the ability to set up fast is MORE important with unpaid crews. The amount of time you save with real lights can't be overstated. One of the problems I've had on my short is that some people just don't show up. So once you get everyone there, the planets are in alignment, the fates are smiling, and you gotta get footage in the can. Fiddlefucking around with your homemade barn doors on you home depot lights costs you precious time, not mention that you're probably heating the set to pizza oven temps. The makeup is streaming down your actress's face, the homeless guy you found to operate one of your cameras is starting to smell like decomposing walrus. Your handsome leading man now has Broadcast News-like underarm stains. And at the end of the day, you weren't able to get critical pages shot because you just didn't have enough time. Time might not be money, but it is your movie.

Can it be done? Yes, but you better preplan and prelight the hell out of everything you plan to shoot. And no matter how much you preplan, things always seem to change.

We spend so much time here comparing Canons to REDS and whatnot, lighting is what will make you movie look like a million bucks. Not your camera.
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I agree completely.
 
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