-
You are welcome to promote here, but members are also welcome to reply with their opinions.
Portable lighting
- Thread starter Eddie Rex
- Start date
Well you have a couple of options. One is buying/renting a gennie which has become a really cheap option. The other, is using a car battery to run a couple of small 250's or even a couple 500's off an inverter. Whether you're working with mole tungstens or halogen worklights or what, thats about what your options are. Car battery and a couple of 500w halogens and even a silk probably wont run more than a franklin.
oops, just realized a franklin probably has no meaning to you. Lets say no more than 50 pounds + inverter.
oops, just realized a franklin probably has no meaning to you. Lets say no more than 50 pounds + inverter.
Camera choice
Hey Rex! I see you're planning a film now. Did you find a camera?
Just curious. D
Hey Rex! I see you're planning a film now. Did you find a camera?
Just curious. D
Genny will probably be your best bet. If the cave has any wide shots, you'll never get exposure, even if your going for a dark look. If your camera is 320asa (average for video) you'll still need 1-2 thousand watts to get to a dark image on screen. After that you probably want hot pools of light and edgelights, which could push your draw past 5000w. Also you might want to look into renting (genny and lights) grip and rigging in a cave isn't easy, if no walls/ceilings/floors are plumb and level, so having professional light/grip might alleviate a lot of headaces. The least you can do is rent a bunch of rocky legs or lazy leg C-stands to make uneaven terrain easier. Also invest in a milk crate of wedges and cribbing. it won't cost much but it will save you many times over. Also get black stingers, very easy to hide in a dark cave. You can run power right through frame without anyone being the wiser.
Also think if you can modivate your cave light by flashlights the charecters carry, that might make lighting a bit easier.
Also think if you can modivate your cave light by flashlights the charecters carry, that might make lighting a bit easier.
I'm going to play jargon demystifier and say "Genny" = Generator. You silly industry folks and your abbreviated language 
A car inverter is usually only rated high enough to run a single work light or 3 modest clamp lights. Larger inverters probably won't cut it either as they will end up drawing so much power that your battery will drain faster than your car's generator can fill it back up.
Sunlight and a large mirror is also a possibility, with bounce or a large sheet to diffuse/redirect the light in side the cave.
A car inverter is usually only rated high enough to run a single work light or 3 modest clamp lights. Larger inverters probably won't cut it either as they will end up drawing so much power that your battery will drain faster than your car's generator can fill it back up.
Sunlight and a large mirror is also a possibility, with bounce or a large sheet to diffuse/redirect the light in side the cave.
I'm going to play jargon demystifier and say "Genny" = Generator. You silly industry folks and your abbreviated language
Haha, yeah sometimes I forget. At least I wasn't telling him he needs to keep plenty of butt plugs on set
extra credit for anyone who knows what that is.
rocky legs = light stand with one or two legs that can extend to compensate for uneven ground
lazy leg C-stand = a C-stand where one or two legs can slide vertically along the lower stage to get the same effect.
cribbing = short lengths of 2x4s used to prop up something, usually a dolly track.
wedges = sort of like shims in door hanging. 2x4s cut on a slant so you can make fine adjustments to your cribbing height.
stingers = extension chords.