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Need Lighting Tips Fast!

Ezra

Ezra

My film starts shooting in under a week and I really need the lighting issue solved.

I checked out this article:
DIY Lighting

I have a couple questions:
The lights won't be on the floor, so how will I do light diffusion?
Where can I get those bulbs in the 120v range?
 
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WARNING WARNING WARNING.. DO NOT PLACE BED SHEETS DIRECTLY OVER THOSE LIGHTS.. YOULL DIE A FIERY DEATH

Yeah, my fault for sending you to an Aussie site.. jut go to home depot your 120v choices will abound!

As an alternative to bed sheets for diffusion.. (those lights get DANG hot so be careful with flammable cloth..)
Get lights with grills. (most have 'em) and you can use C47's to clamp diffusion gels to the light. (keep scissors handy to cut down sheets to the small size..)

(... "C47" is the Hollywood term for wooden clothes pins, don't get plastic they will melt.)

Also, google suggests that
Pro Sound, Production, Lights, Stage, Generators and more! near Pittsburgh should have all the diffusion gels you'll need (they're cheaper then new bed sheets)

Pro Sound, Production, Lights, Stage, Generators and more!
601 Chartiers Avenue, McKees Rocks, PA‎ - (412) 771-3060‎

Good luck
 
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The light has a grille:

080083534340lg.jpg


I plan on purchasing 4 of these, so how big of a sheet would work?
 
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Don’t forget to plan ahead for other incidental grip kit stuff, like:

*A plastic bin to throw the lights and everything else in.
*Gloves to handle the hot lights if you have to make an adjustment.
*Extension cords and/or power strips rated to handle the lights.
*3 prong adapters.
*Maybe get some Cinefoil and tape when you get gels.
*Some basic tools are good to have in your kit.
*Extra fuses if you need them.
*A few strands of white x-mas light are okay to have.
*If you are using stands you might wish to have something to weigh them down.
*Spare bulbs.
*All kinds of other stuff can be in your kit

If for some crazy reason you are hanging the work lights (which I wouldn’t) be sure to add a short secure safety line, so if it falls the safety catches it.

If it matters to you, don’t overlook that some work lights do not have an On/Off switch.

With the nearly zero control work lights have you might want to bounce them off a wall or ceiling at a safe distance. (I would get one soon and experiment)

Sometimes I turn them sideways and insert the stem of the work light base into a stand to make use of the light vertically.

I have a few power remotes, so I can kill the shooting lights without disturbing their position (or getting burnt) AND I also have a few light senor lights that you can hang up or place on the floor like a stage footlight, so when I kill the mains via remote the sensor lights pop right on and illuminate a safe path out of the shooting area.

-Thanks-
 
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I appreciate all the help, guys. I still have to figure out a system so the lights can be easily removed to move to another location. Other than that, I'm looking forward to the first shoot.
 
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This: Times like Infnitabajillion:

wheatgrinder said:
WARNING WARNING WARNING.. DO NOT PLACE BED SHEETS DIRECTLY OVER THOSE LIGHTS.. YOULL DIE A FIERY DEATH
Click to expand...

Really. Bed Sheets as diff? Not a safe idea. It might work out okay, but it is a very very very big fire hazard. Even if you leave space between them it's still dangerous to put something flammable in the path of the light. I've seen Lowell Tota's melt real diffusion and gels when they were too close to, or over a light that was aimed vertically. I shudder to think what one would do to a bed sheet. And that's not a very big light with a similar bulb style to the halogen work lights it sounds like you are describing.

And This:

Buddy Greenfield said:
Don’t forget to plan ahead for other incidental grip kit stuff, like:

*A plastic bin to throw the lights and everything else in.
*Gloves to handle the hot lights if you have to make an adjustment.
*Extension cords and/or power strips rated to handle the lights.
*3 prong adapters.
*Maybe get some Cinefoil and tape when you get gels.
*Some basic tools are good to have in your kit.
*Extra fuses if you need them.
*A few strands of white x-mas light are okay to have.
*If you are using stands you might wish to have something to weigh them down.
*Spare bulbs.
*All kinds of other stuff can be in your kit

If for some crazy reason you are hanging the work lights (which I wouldn’t) be sure to add a short secure safety line, so if it falls the safety catches it.

If it matters to you, don’t overlook that some work lights do not have an On/Off switch.

With the nearly zero control work lights have you might want to bounce them off a wall or ceiling at a safe distance. (I would get one soon and experiment)

Sometimes I turn them sideways and insert the stem of the work light base into a stand to make use of the light vertically.

I have a few power remotes, so I can kill the shooting lights without disturbing their position (or getting burnt) AND I also have a few light senor lights that you can hang up or place on the floor like a stage footlight, so when I kill the mains via remote the sensor lights pop right on and illuminate a safe path out of the shooting area.

-Thanks-
Click to expand...


Them there are the words of a person who has been to many a BBQ.
 
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This reminds me of a question I have that doesn't deserve it's own thread:

I've been looking all over for those china lanterns. Where do you find them? I would buy them online but I can never tell if they are just selling the outside shell or if it's the whole thing with cord and socket etc.

And how much should I expect to pay for them? The ones I've seen online seem a bit pricey to me for something so simple...
 
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Dreadylocks said:
I've been looking all over for those china lanterns. Where do you find them? I would buy them online but I can never tell if they are just selling the outside shell or if it's the whole thing with cord and socket etc.

And how much should I expect to pay for them? The ones I've seen online seem a bit pricey to me for something so simple...
Click to expand...

They are pretty cheap. The cord & socket is usually sold as extra - but even then, those are cheap too.

Here: Cheap China Ball for a few bucks.

It comes collapsed, with a wire frame that is inserted after opening to help keep the round shape. The wire frame also has a "C"-shaped hook at the top to loop the (non-included) electrical outlet through.

You can also pick them up locally at stores like Ikea, etc.

Best light for the bucks ever, tbh. :cool:
 
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Ezra said:
OK, so one of the crew members acquired 6 of these lights:
lights003.jpg

Any suggestions for using these? Recommendations? And where can I get bulbs for these?
Click to expand...

Looks similar to a Mole Nook Light (except yours are green). You can google up places for replacement bulbs (including various colour temps) easy enough. General wide & soft illumination. Cheaper than using Kinos, I 'spose.

The plug & cord looks a bit iffy on that pic.
 
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Ezra said:
The light has a grille:

080083534340lg.jpg


I plan on purchasing 4 of these, so how big of a sheet would work?
Click to expand...

Did/are you sending away for these? They look like the Black & Decker ones I was checking out a few months ago. I was at Home Depot or Lowes or some hardware store. It would be easier to do that than send away to Australia, wouldn't it? Or are these lamps different from the ones I saw? They sure don't look different....


-- spinner :cool:
 
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Dreadylocks said:
This reminds me of a question I have that doesn't deserve it's own thread:

I've been looking all over for those china lanterns. Where do you find them? I would buy them online but I can never tell if they are just selling the outside shell or if it's the whole thing with cord and socket etc.

And how much should I expect to pay for them? The ones I've seen online seem a bit pricey to me for something so simple...
Click to expand...

filmtools has the sockets in various types.

Ikea is a decent place to get them on the cheap as well.
 
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Zensteve said:
They are pretty cheap. The cord & socket is usually sold as extra - but even then, those are cheap too.

Here: Cheap China Ball for a few bucks.

It comes collapsed, with a wire frame that is inserted after opening to help keep the round shape. The wire frame also has a "C"-shaped hook at the top to loop the (non-included) electrical outlet through.

You can also pick them up locally at stores like Ikea, etc.

Best light for the bucks ever, tbh. :cool:
Click to expand...

Sweet! Thanks a bunch!

*bookmarked*
 
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Ezra said:
Unfortunately, it's a problem now. It's impossible to find bulbs for these lights, I don't what type of bulb they use, and we shoot in 2 days. Ugh!
Click to expand...

I don't know what size they are, but the fitting looks to be the same as in most halogen worklights. DIY stores like B&Q and Focus carry them in the UK, maybe try Home Depot or some other store like that?
 
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