Music Video Lighting - Flashing

[knoxvillesjs]

I started making music videos and i can be out of my depth a bit when it comes to lighting. We use standard Red Heads to light the sets but from watching other music videos we want to know what sort of lights they use and the techniques they use to get them to flash. If anyone could please give me any information on what lights they use in this video and how they are getting them to flash it will be greatly appreciated

(the music isnt great by the way)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDJpf2mQ0w4

 

[chilipie]

The simplest way is to just rapidly turn the lights on and off; a step up from that would be running the lights through dimmers, so you have more control over the speed and intensity of the flash.

The best (but also most expensive) solution would be to power all of the lights from dimmers which are in turn controlled from a lighting desk. With more advanced desks you would be able to program the sequence of flashes in time with the song, and only have to press one button every time you start playing the track.

Which lights to use? Anything that uses a standard incandescent or tungsten-halogen bulb. Fluorescents and HMI lights are not suitable for rapid flashing (you could use them in conjunction with a mechanical shutter, but that's another matter altogether). One thing that's worth bearing in mind is that higher wattage bulbs have a much longer decay time (the time it takes for the light to fade once the power has been cut) - that's why an array of small bulbs (as seen in this video) are often used for audience blinders at concerts.

 

[knoxvillesjs]

Thank you. Thats explained things a lot more. I was curious to know if i could do this then with just in line dimmers on the plug, as you said what would be ideal is a lighting desk but im guessing they are going to be expensive.

 

[knightly]

You can also key frame the brightness in post to simulate flashing... you can also use a glow effect and/or a flare to key at the same time to add more punch.

 

[wheatgrinder]

You can get some guys that do DJ\light shows guy to run the light show like he would for the gig. Its pretty cheap compared to CINEMA lighting stuff...

Oh and a LOT of smoke for ...

I bet a lot of this is PUMPED up in post like Knightly said..