NEED LIGHTS: with intensity adjust
- Thread starter Sojiro21
- Start date
We generally only use constant / continuous lights in film/video (unless it's for an effect). You can buy an outboard dimmer for any tungsten or halogen lights you get, not fluorescent or LED (must be part of the circuit as their power is driven by a transformer).
focusable, barndoors, sturdy, tall (7-9 foot stands) under them.
Ultimately, you can get away with just about anything that throws light if you REALLY learn to finesse them -- but it'll take much less time on set with better lights.
I started with clamp lights and halogen worklights.
focusable, barndoors, sturdy, tall (7-9 foot stands) under them.
Ultimately, you can get away with just about anything that throws light if you REALLY learn to finesse them -- but it'll take much less time on set with better lights.
I started with clamp lights and halogen worklights.
To add to knightly's response: if you do decide to use dimmers on your tungsten/halogen instruments, be aware that in addition to lowering their output, dimming them also lowers their color temperature, which means they will red-shift.
If all lights in a scene are dimmed to the same degree it's not a problem, since you can just white-balance the camera to compensate. If, however, you're mixing sources - some dimmed and some not - you may run into color imbalance issues in your look.
There are several ways to counteract this. One is to keep a set of CTB gels in your kit - a couple 1/8, a couple 1/4, a couple 1/2 - that way you can shift the light back toward its proper color temperature.
An easier way is to keep a set of neutral density gels or "single and doubles" in your kit, and use those rather than the dimmer to cut down light output.
Still another - and my preferred method - is to bounce the light, and/or shoot it through various densities of diffusion. This has the added benefit of giving you the most pleasing light overall.
I have dimmers for all of my lights, but I almost never use them to lower light intensity on camera. They are strictly intended to increase the amount of use I get from my bulbs. If you warm up the filaments at about 10% power for a few minutes, then bring them slowly up to full power you will increase your bulb life tremendously. I have lights for which I've never had to replace the bulb by doing this, which is nice since some of them run $20 apiece.
If all lights in a scene are dimmed to the same degree it's not a problem, since you can just white-balance the camera to compensate. If, however, you're mixing sources - some dimmed and some not - you may run into color imbalance issues in your look.
There are several ways to counteract this. One is to keep a set of CTB gels in your kit - a couple 1/8, a couple 1/4, a couple 1/2 - that way you can shift the light back toward its proper color temperature.
An easier way is to keep a set of neutral density gels or "single and doubles" in your kit, and use those rather than the dimmer to cut down light output.
Still another - and my preferred method - is to bounce the light, and/or shoot it through various densities of diffusion. This has the added benefit of giving you the most pleasing light overall.
I have dimmers for all of my lights, but I almost never use them to lower light intensity on camera. They are strictly intended to increase the amount of use I get from my bulbs. If you warm up the filaments at about 10% power for a few minutes, then bring them slowly up to full power you will increase your bulb life tremendously. I have lights for which I've never had to replace the bulb by doing this, which is nice since some of them run $20 apiece.
Last edited:
All above good stuff.
Dimming changes the color temp (warmer).
Extra distance is a good solution (when you have the space)
"Real" lights use scrims.
Dimming changes the color temp (warmer).
Extra distance is a good solution (when you have the space)
"Real" lights use scrims.
I'll just support what the others have said. You do not want to use dimmers
you want to adjust the light with scrims and flags. There are DIY options
for both.
you want to adjust the light with scrims and flags. There are DIY options
for both.
Thanks for the input everyone. I originally got the idea of dimming from a photographer, so maybe that is the disconnect.
Would anyone be able to recommend a light package for film?
Ive seen a few online here and there, but it's always nice to get other filmmaker opinions.
Would anyone be able to recommend a light package for film?
Ive seen a few online here and there, but it's always nice to get other filmmaker opinions.
Also, check out lights with individually controllable banks as a decent way to control your output.
Kino-Flo is a good but pricey example. On 'Wyatt' we've been using Interfit Supercool lights with decent results. (Go to this thread for examples)
Kino-Flo is a good but pricey example. On 'Wyatt' we've been using Interfit Supercool lights with decent results. (Go to this thread for examples)
Just to add a little to the dimmers discussion:
As a general rule of thumb, no you don't want to dim. Especially if you don't understand what the light is doing.
However, once you do understand what the light is doing, there are quite a number of situations where you do want to use a dimmer. I lit a set recently and had every single light on a dimmer - in this case I not only wanted to use dimming as an effect, but I also wanted some the light to be warmer.
If you don't however, walking the light back, or using ND or one of the many diffusion gels can work much better
As a general rule of thumb, no you don't want to dim. Especially if you don't understand what the light is doing.
However, once you do understand what the light is doing, there are quite a number of situations where you do want to use a dimmer. I lit a set recently and had every single light on a dimmer - in this case I not only wanted to use dimming as an effect, but I also wanted some the light to be warmer.
If you don't however, walking the light back, or using ND or one of the many diffusion gels can work much better
http://www.flolight.com/led-lighting/microbeam-1024-high-powered-led-video-light.html
It's 900$, but is a 1K (equivalent) broad faced light. I don't personally like the quality of light from fluorescents or LEDs, but they do provide a large light with very little power consumption. A bit of diffusion and the weird grid shadows go away some too.
It's 900$, but is a 1K (equivalent) broad faced light. I don't personally like the quality of light from fluorescents or LEDs, but they do provide a large light with very little power consumption. A bit of diffusion and the weird grid shadows go away some too.