Lighting sets

[Yannick Hagman]

I wonder what lights those of you own, who have chosen to buy any lights.

[Cedric_Akins]

I feel somewhat embarassed :embarassed: but I have only 2 "real" production lights. The other lights that I have are halogen work lights that I have modified. Some of them I have made barndoors and others I have made diffusion lenses with the glass that is supplied with the work lights and an angle grinder and wire cup brush. When you don't do a huge amount of "paying" productions you have to make due with what you have.

[Cedric_Akins]

Personally I don't plan on buying any more lights. I would rent lights for any serious work.

[dvpixl]

What do you guys think about some of the new LED lights in general?

I like the idea of owning several good ones for personal production.

And go easy on the energy consumption as well.

[Isaac Brody]

What do you guys think about some of the new LED lights in general?

I find them really useful, especially for tight spaces, like lighting characters in a car, light coming from a computer screen, or fill light and an eye light.

And I own a couple china balls and pro lights. For really simple stuff I can get by with these plus diffusion, gels, and reflectors. But it's easier and faster to rent kinos.

[Christoffer]

Depending on the budget and scenes I will rent light. When doing smaller stuff I got a pack of 800w Red Heads with softboxes... usually only use one with one supporting background light, existing light or backlight. This works for most locations.

But when working in a studio you almost always must rent light. There's no existing light that can help you there so you must create a world from scratch; which means much more lightrigs.

[Tim Hole]

embarrased...dude! CHILL OUT MAN!! I only have production lights because people have sold them to me cheap. The nature of the industry is RENT. The nature of the Indie is: BEG, STEAL AND BORROW and then if you can't...RENT or do without. Ligthts are really not that expensive to rent really. its the same with flags, finger, wrap etc...Gels expensive but no-one returns it anyway.

Have you seen the Cool-lights DVD. Built some 2bank and 6bank fluorescents for blue/green screen work because they are so expensive to rent or buy. work really well. Also have some soft lights.

Got some lilliputs, couple redheads, sungun and an old 2k blonde. Need to get the blonde checked though. Haven't used it in a while...keep meaning to give it a good once over.

Really like using par lights which are dead cheap, and the par36's you can hide anywhere to give a punch in the corner. Thats all of $20 each. As well as the MR16's

Par can's hold ACL's (aircraft landing lights) as well that you can bank up and create some major light. Blinders!

I like light and chiaroscuro like Caravaggio is an undying love affair.
But the motto still is...Painting the darkness with light.


EDIT: Just in case you didn't know about the cool lights and are interested--- http://www.coollights.biz/index.php

[Tim Hole]

Yannick...Moleskine notebooks are the dogs dangley's never I use anything else. Out of interest am planning on buying an Intuos. Don't know whether to get the A4 or A5. Is the A5 decent enough size. I want it for storyboarding with storyboom, modelling with Zbrush and Lightwave. Then the obvious photoshop and After effects.

you think the A5 is nice to work with?

Its handy being left handed. I can use a mouse in my right and pen in left. Keyboard with my nose...

[Peter Majtan]

We have all the different sizes of Wacoms here - what is Your screen size?

[Peter Majtan]

The 6x8 are great size I always carry with my 17" PowerBook - they are almost identical on the outside and it has almost the same aspect ratio as my display. I use it for sketches, storyboard and basic ADOBE work on my laptop. Wouldn't travel without one...

[Yannick Hagman]

Yannick...Moleskine notebooks are the dogs dangley's never I use anything else.

:) They are sweet. Way overpriced though! Sometimes it's about the air.

Out of interest am planning on buying an Intuos. Don't know whether to get the A4 or A5. Is the A5 decent enough size.

I can't tell you, cause I got my A5 (non-widescreen) from fleabay. I will receive it today or tomorrow by postal service and will tell you.

I want it for storyboarding with storyboom, modelling with Zbrush and Lightwave. Then the obvious photoshop and After effects.

Never heard of storyboom, is this good? I only will use my Intuos with FCP and After Effects and for storyboarding. For Zbrush and Lightwave maybe the A4 is better sized. My choice of A5 was, that it can sit beside my keyboard like a mouse. I have seen a A4 in a real production environment and it sits under the keyboard, for editing this it kind of uncomfortable I think.

Its handy being left handed. I can use a mouse in my right and pen in left. Keyboard with my nose...

LOL

[fde101]

I don't own professional video lighting yet (I do have a few par cans), but I kind of have my eye on this kit right now:

http://www.pclightingsystems.com/fl/fluorescent.html


Anyone here have any experience with or opinions on those?

It looks like the only "major" feature possibly missing would be barn doors, but I'm not entirely sure how important to consider those?

This kit has them, but what would one need to be doing to make it worth the extra $800 compared to the other one (lower wattage also...)?

http://www.pclightingsystems.com/DF/4500-kit.html


I definitely want to go florescent with daylight bulbs. I like the idea of having the boom stand, and the carrying cases (which seem to be "missing" from the more expensive kit, yet another reason I'm looking at the first one...)

[Luke Stewart]

Looks like a great kit. I may even end up buying it myself!

[Yannick Hagman]

I wouldn't, they have a VERY bad reputation, search their name on dvxuser and you know what I mean.

[Luke Stewart]

Yannick, what would you recommend for a softbox setup? I will be needing something like this in the near future.

[Yannick Hagman]

Recently the birdcage of chimera caught me, but after reading that it's probably very hot to operate and useless if I have to use CTB i'm more drawn to coollights. But the birdcage ships with a mogul base-adapter, I'm not sure yet if that helps me here in Europe.

Barry Green recommended me
http://www.coollights.biz/clsft1-cool-lights-fluorescent-video-softbox-fixture-p-33.html

I can't use it, cause it's 110v and I'm running on 230v here. But for that price trying is worth it I would say.

Due to shipping costs and some greenscreen work I'm thinking about a 6x55 of them with thungsten and daylight bulbs.

www.coollights.biz

[Luke Stewart]

Thanks for the heads up on that disreputable company... I hope they get whats coming to them.

[Yannick Hagman]

They sell Britek lights by the way. We don't know about Britek in Europe, but I haven't read good things about Britek from us citizens on dvxuser.

[fde101]

Wow, glad I asked about it...

Thank you for the warning!

[Luke Stewart]

Yannick have you seen the ballasts they sell there at Cool Lights?

http://www.coollights.biz/t5ho-universal-voltage-ballast-p-98.html

Should be OK for your voltage according to them. You could build your own...

[fde101]

Anyone have recommendations on a similar kit from somewhere else?

I particularly like the idea of the single travel case, and I definitely want daylight florescent when I'm finally ready to order...

[fde101]

Actually, looks like the same kit from somewhere else:

http://www.eoslightingllc.com/fluorescent/dayflo-fx/7000/


Price is a bit higher, but still not too bad... I'll see what some google searches turn up on this company.

[fde101]

Ack! The zip code is only one digit of from that of pclightingsystems...

Maybe I should just keep looking...

[Luke Stewart]

Its in Wisconsin, its probably the same guy.

[fde101]

Also of interest is that this URL takes you back to pclightingsystems...

http://www.dayflolighting.com/


I guess I'll be looking for a different kit, too :-(


Thanks again for the warning!

[Tim Hole]

Yannick...why don't you use a step-up transformer? 110v-230v

If you look at the cool light DVD's you can buy all the parts to build you own cool-lights. The only bitch is the housing. Unless you can professionally make-shift or go to a sheet metal shop.

[Tim Hole]

Sorry Peter...

I'm using an AG Neovo 22 inch TFT monitor. Resolution 1600 x 1200.

I like the idea of using a smaller one. They have massive ones in the Online suite where my girlfriend works, like it has been mentioned I want to use it like a mouse in a sense. Its sensitivity of movement and fluidity I'm after. Not so much large strokes.

I'm unsure about how the hand-eye-coordination and screen resolution works. I'm guessing there you can use it like a mouse and lightly stroke the tablet to see where you are and then the varying pressure defines the line thickness...am I right?

[Yannick Hagman]

Yannick have you seen the ballasts they sell there at Cool Lights?

http://www.coollights.biz/t5ho-unive...last-p-98.html (http://www.coollights.biz/t5ho-universal-voltage-ballast-p-98.html)

Should be OK for your voltage according to them. You could build your own...

If you look at the cool light DVD's you can buy all the parts to build you own cool-lights. The only bitch is the housing. Unless you can professionally make-shift or go to a sheet metal shop.

Luke and IndiEvolution, it's embarassing, but I have two left hands for such things.

Yannick...why don't you use a step-up transformer? 110v-230v

Never heard. How expensive is such a transformer?

[Yannick Hagman]

Out of interest am planning on buying an Intuos. Don't know whether to get the A4 or A5. Is the A5 decent enough size. I want it for storyboarding with storyboom, modelling with Zbrush and Lightwave. Then the obvious photoshop and After effects.

you think the A5 is nice to work with?

Its handy being left handed. I can use a mouse in my right and pen in left. Keyboard with my nose...

IndiEvolution,

I can't upload a bigger image here and didn't test it out yet. But as you see I've received my Wacom Intuos 3 A5 today. It looks like brandnew. If you buy it new, I would buy the widescreen version. But I'm sure I can do without. There are plenty of hobby graphic designers, who sell it on fleabay once in a while, because they end up not using it.

My A5 is bigger than a A4 sheet, so I assume the A4 Version is as big as A3 on your desk. That defenitely means that its sitting under your keyboard and not next to it. For me that would be inconvenient. Maybe you have an apple store around where you can test it.

[Peter Majtan]

Sorry Peter...

I'm using an AG Neovo 22 inch TFT monitor. Resolution 1600 x 1200.

I like the idea of using a smaller one. They have massive ones in the Online suite where my girlfriend works, like it has been mentioned I want to use it like a mouse in a sense. Its sensitivity of movement and fluidity I'm after. Not so much large strokes.

I'm unsure about how the hand-eye-coordination and screen resolution works. I'm guessing there you can use it like a mouse and lightly stroke the tablet to see where you are and then the varying pressure defines the line thickness...am I right?

For such a resolution I would recommend using the A4 size, but if you want smaller - the A5 will do the job, but You might find it challenging to be pixel-precise when working in Photoshop.

All wacom tablets can be used in a "pen" or "mouse" mode. Mouse-mode will work just like mouse - even with pen. You can keep scrolling, etc... In the pen-mode each pixel on the screen is mapped to a fixed position on the tablet - You have a great control over how this happens. You can map the entire screen to the entire tablet, or just a portion of it. Make sure You enable 1:1 ratio. You will loose some of the tablet area (depending on the difference between the ration of your screen and the table, which is why You should buy the wide tablets fro wide screen), but circle drawn on the tablet will stay circle on the screen...

Not only are the tablet pressure sensitive, but they can also sense the actual angle of Your pen in relation to the tablet, which in return modifies the stroke of your brush. You have to try it to believe it - amazing...

I compact size is what You are after - go for the A5 wide model and do not forget to add the mouse...

[Yannick Hagman]

Sweet. The scrollbars are intended for fingers I assume? The guy didn't had the handbook anymore. I actually changed the board to widescreen mode. I'm loosing a 1/5 of the board that way, but I feel it's too big anyway for the editing work I do.

A question, is this suggested storyboardingsoftware freeware? Didn't found anything on the net.

The mouse should be included, but they offer an airbrush pistol now.

[Peter Majtan]

The scrollbars are indeed intended for fingers, but You can use them with the pen as well. The bottom and top of each scrollbar can have an additional function. Do the RTFM and You will be surprised what else can You do with it...

The airbrush is only included in the 25th anniversary edition of the A4 & A5 models...

As far as the storyboard goes - have a look at this post: http://www.scarletuser.com/showpost.php?p=5495&postcount=15

[Yannick Hagman]

Don't really work with the pen here. Except if I really use it on the right edge.

I meant storyboom, I have celtx installed. It's a great scriptwriting app.

RTFM?

[Yannick Hagman]

Bad news from coollights in between, the bigger fixtures only will be sold after September again...

[Peter Majtan]

RTFM = Read The F****** Manual... :thumbsup:

(Don't take it personally - it is a common industry slang...)

[Tim Hole]

Yannick...thanks for the pic budski great to see it in a relative environment to a monitor, desk etc...

Peter...thats what I was kind of worried about. Thanks for your response. For extra 100 pounds I could get the bigger one and have a better reference point for detailed work. Food for thought!

Yannick sorry...this is the kind of thing I was talking about. it would a little research to find one with a reasonable output tolerance. But you get the idea...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/STEP-UP-VOLTAGE-CONVERTER-110V-220V/dp/B000LB3HL2

[Yannick Hagman]

RTFM = Read The F****** Manual... :thumbsup:

Hehe, that's the only drawback, the guy didn't have it anymore but it was just 220$.

[Peter Majtan]

Yannick - here's the manual:

http://www.wacom.com/productsupport/manual/I3_UsersManual.pdf

[Yannick Hagman]

:thumbsup: Found it already. It's the best thing I bought since a long time. Downloaded some photoshop brushes and probably won't do offline storyboards again. It's a real time saver.

[thommes]

Hi, my first post, learning a lot from you folks. Thanks.

Where can I find Storyboom which can be imported into Celtx? Sounds interesting, but cant find it searching the net.

Thommes

[Tim Hole]

Hello thommes welcome...i'm a dumbass. Its not Storyboom its ToonBoon.

But i cant express enough how good Antics3d is as well. With the added benefit the basepack for Antics is free and it has full integration with google sketchup (also free versions) look at this vid to get an idea.

http://video.google.co.uk/videosearch?hl=en&resnum=0&q=toon%20boom&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#hl=en&resnum=0&q=antics3d&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv&sitesearch=&start=10

if you want to work out the dynamics of a scene or even want to garner interest for a film by showing how you would direct it, this kind of Previz is incredible.

[thommes]

Dont worry, when I didn't find the application yesterday, it sent me searching. Got the Antics up and running, have been into scetchup before which is fabulously effective.

A tip for quickly making a indoor set is to make the room/house in Scetchup from a realworld floorplan drawing. Just scan it in, import it, remove a lot of small details, leave the walls, and just raise them from the ground with the push/pull tool. Then you throw in premade doors and windows. Saw this in a scetchup tutorial, cant remember where. This will give you a very quick and very accurate model of a scouted building.

Thanks for the video link. I was especially impressed with this video:
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-5875243180876091750&q=antics3d&ei=byFzSPeEDIrijAKLzZXQDw&hl=en

ToonBoom looks interesting though, less sophisticated, but can give a nice "look" for planning smaller projects. Guess these are great tools for different purposes.

Thanks, Th:o)mmes

[thommes]

Wow, the smiley in my name never came up with a face before, have to be careful. :)

[thommes]

Hm, I was a little too fast with my Scetchup tip.

The fastest way of doing it is to scan and import a floorplan. Then draw on top of it in a different layer, outer and inner walls, and then raise the walls. Goes superquick in Scetchup.

Tutorial nr 2 here, you get the idea towards the end of the video:
http://sketchup.google.com/training/videos/expert_to_gsu.html

Th:)mmes

[fde101]

Where is the Mac version of Antics3d?

It's useless without one...

Well, I *could* give it a try, but no matter how good the product may be, I'd rather use a pen -- the ink kind :-)

[Yannick Hagman]

Myself to, still makes the best boards, but you'd be amazed how fast you are with a wacom and some good photoshop brushes!

Get some for free:
http://www.brusheezy.com/

[Tim Hole]

Storyboards are great for the crew but the fat cats are like children and want to see what the film will be like - if you want to sell an idea previz is the way forward!

[todd folts]

Lighting question...

anyone have any experieince with these: http://www.imagewest.tv/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=102

BluLine lighting

curious

[Cedric_Akins]

Well I have not used these lights, but I have used the ARRI Frensel lights which are basically the same deal. I have been entertaining the thought of purchasing a set of these for myself. I would like to get (2) 1Ks, (4) 605w and (3) 300w. This way I could offer a lighting package for students and other professionals to rent. This way the light set could pay for itself. I would offer the students a nice discount.

Further more I would also have them for my projects. :)

But that's enough daydreaming. I do think I will buy thier 1950 Watt BluLine Light Kit: $839 (KIT/BLU-1950) or thier 2300 Watt BluLine Light Kit: $889 (KIT/BLU-2300). I know that would be enough light for small projecst and interviews.

[todd folts]

hmmm
I like the idea of renting them out.... but i dont know if there is enough demand here in pittsburgh.

I was looking at the three light kit $499. though i would rather it be two 650 and one 800...
i may call and ask em...

[OUinLA]

hmmm
I like the idea of renting them out.... but i dont know if there is enough demand here in pittsburgh.

I was looking at the three light kit $499. though i would rather it be two 650 and one 800...
i may call and ask em...

I'm sure there is plenty of demand in Pittsburgh for renting your lights. Just see what others rent for and be competitive.