First time shooting on location

[leedo8]

I will be shooting in a health club with a Canon GL2. This is for a DVD infomercial. My question is about lighting. What kind of lighting and how much of it will I need? I will be taking all kinds of shots, so whatever I use, I would like it to be versatile.

I am looking at 1000watt softbox lights now. Would one of those and a few 300w do the trick? I am totally guessing here.

Help =)

[zoobie]

Maybe ask to go in afterhours for some test shots and experiment. That way, you'll be prepared at the shoot.

[edDV]

There is so much to start with in the intro links.

Google "DV Lighting"

[leedo8]

I don't have the lights yet to take test shots. I am trying to figure out what to buy.

Can anyone tell me how much light I will need to work in an area the size of a fitness club? Most shots will be of people on equipment.

I am looking at tungsten lights. There are 1500w kits of 3 lights. Will something like that do the trick?

[ozymango]

Can anyone tell me how much light I will need to work in an area the size of a fitness club? Most shots will be of people on equipment.

I am looking at tungsten lights. There are 1500w kits of 3 lights. Will something like that do the trick?

Do you know if there are windows in this fitness club, i.e. will there be significant outside (daylight) light providing any background illumination? Are there overhead lights at the club? Tungsten, fluorescent, sodium vapor? If I remember correctly from my old 8mm and 16mm days, tungsten light is about 3K kelvin and daylight is 5k ... can't remember what fluorescent is ... ...

Well, basically, not meaning to be to unhelpful but lighting for DV and/or film is a pain in the keiser. To do it well, anyway. DV (video) lighting, in a very tiny nutshell, needs to be a bit less "contrasty" than for film 'cause it doesn't have the dynamic range (light to dark) ... see, we end up going into headache-inducing geek stuff very quickly with this kind of thing. And despite my flinging around various jargon, really the only way to really get a handle on this stuff is to play around with it.

So for starters, if you don't have any lights yet at all, it certainly doesn't hurt to have a few on some stands to move around and use when you need 'em. I'm assuming your kit will have maybe a couple of floods and a spot? In some semi-easy-to-move-around case or bag? You can hardly go wrong with having your own lights to bring with you in any case. Also extension cords! A couple of really heavy cords, like 14 awg, day-glo colors so people don't trip, and a couple of rolls of duct tape.

As for how many lights you'll need -- how big is the club? Again, are there overheads and/or window lights? Will you be trying to get everything in a master shot, or just mostly focus on a person or small group of people, with various non-important stuff in the background? If you can give more specifics on the venue size, that would help. Also do you know what color the walls or ceiling are? Are there mirrors on the wall that could cause headaches for lighting and camera position?

[dLee]

Do not buy - rent. When you can justify the purchase economically, you will know what to get. A three head kit with scrims and barn doors will give you enought light and allow you to work quickly.

TV is a medium of closeups, medium closeups and medium shots. So you'll be working in close quarters. Maybe a wide establishing shot inside and outside, the rest is close.

You've got about 1 stop between blowing out the whites and losing detail in the shadows. If you use two 600/1000/1500 heads, move one back about a foot and you'll keep detail and get the illusion of depth.

Bring some large very white cardboard or foamcore to bounce light around. Hire some intern types to hold stuff. Bring gloves for every one. (Lighting instruments get too hot to touch without them)

A clamp with a standard post for lighting instruments comes in handy.

Gaffers tape, gaffers tape, gaffers tape!!!!

Make a plan / shot list. Stick to it. Leave time at the end to experiment, but only at the end.

Good luck.

[edDV]

Some Basics
I hope your camcorder has manual white balance. I'm almost sure the GL2 does. Read everything in your camcorder manual about white balance.

Take large white posters for white balance and to use for fill reflectors.

http://www.mediaed.org.uk/posted_documents/lighting.htm
http://www.bbctraining.com/tott3pointlighting.asp
http://www.dvinfo.net/articles/lighting/graff2.php
http://www.dv.com/print_me.jhtml?LookupId=/xml/feature/2004/mangini0304

[dLee]

[quote="edDV"]I hope your camcorder has manual white balance. I'm almost sure the GL2 does. Read everything in your camcorder manual about white balance.

Excellent advice

[quote="ozymango"]Also extension cords! A couple of really heavy cords, like 14 awg, day-glo colors so people don't trip

More excellent advice - several is better.

Also, spare bulbs and keep the GL2 on the sticks.

[leedo8]

Man...I am so glad I found this forum.

The club has windows, a fair amount, but I am betting I will still need lights. The gym floor is huge, but I hope to be taking only a few wide shots. But there is an exercise room, a locker room, etc. All shapes, sizes, and lighting issues.

The client gave me a budget to buy equipment so here's where I started.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=285845&...ughType=search

I also purchased:

Glidecam 2000

42" reflector

Heavy Duty Tripod

8 foot camera crane (dying to try this out)

2 extra batteries for the GL2 (which has custom white balance)

Wide angle lens

------------

Gaffers tape...awesome...I would have never thought of that. Gloves seem like a good idea too.

Also, spare bulbs and keep the GL2 on the sticks. (Does sticks = Tripod?)

I have extension cords, but I think a few new ones might be in order.

I am also going to try to make a dolly. Buying that would break the budget and I have a good feeling I could make a passable one.

Anything else you all think of, I'd be even more appreciative. You guys are going to make me look like I know what I am doing.

Thanks!!

[edDV]

I wish I had such a budget

You can rent this stuff.

[dLee]

If you're going to be a producer, you must get smart about the money.

Take all the stuff you bought (except maybe the extra GL2 batteries) and return it. Take some of the money and buy 6 months or a year of the insurance that the rental house will require. Talk to the people at the rental house - they see it all and if they like you, they will help you.

I like to get new stuff too, but unless you are using it every day, it just sits in your spare bedroom or garage, gathers dust, becomes obsolete and loses value.

When you're starving in a month or two you'll be glad you have the rest of the money instead of the stuff. Also, if the client is directly paying for the equipment, it belongs to them.

You'll go nuts trying to light a big empty space like a gym, especially if the walls are white. You won't have time to do it properly. Shoot it with available light. Use the white boards to bounce the light into the dark spots. Get an establishing shot and move on. Reread my previous post about the nature of shots used for TV.

Poor man's dolly = rent a wheelchair at a medical supply shop. The camera op can handhold or you can put sandbags in his/her lap and put the camera on top.