When you watch videos made by large production companies, do you yearn to produce that same vibrant quality but somehow feel constrained by your kit? Do you notice how the people seem to pop out of the screen and wonder just how much equipment the grips brought along? Do you say to yourself "Yea, anybody can do that with enough lighting equipment"? And then say "I do the best I can but I only have so many arms to carry it all around"?

You've been reading Videomaker and you are aware of how necessary it is to bring your own lights along. You've found lots of resources on lighting techniques, grip equipment and lighting kits. You've even found some nice DIY articles on how to make your own booms and modify your existing kit to accommodate special situations, but somehow it all still seems overwhelming; there's so much to think about. How do I transport it all? How do I carry it once I arrive on location and how can I do all this without breaking the bank?

You have probably struggled while trying to gather stands, lights and tripods feeling like a frustrated mother chasing a two-year-old through a shopping center! Nothing really cooperates. The extension cords slip out and trip you. One of the stands comes loose, extends out and hangs up on a doorway. And the client shows up just in time to watch the show!

Quartz Lights

There are several types of lights to fit any budget, ranging from low cost quartz to high cost arc lamps, e.g. HMI.

There's also fluorescents available and now, the new kid on the block, LEDs, are finding their way into the lighting toolkit. Each one has its advantages and disadvantages and just like the rest of the world "you get what you..." well, you know.

I know what you're thinking; "Well I haven't got a lot of money so I'll get the quartz and make due". That's actually not a bad idea, because you get a lot of bang for the buck, they are easy to maintain, lightweight and you can find them just about everywhere. They put out a bunch of light and you can get inexpensive umbrellas, gels, soft-boxes, spots and Fresnels especially designed for them.

But keep in mind that the quartz lights can get very hot, so much so that they can easily set your studio ablaze if you don't exercise proper electrical procedures.

Quartz lights also produce color temperatures that are considerably warmer than daylight, so mixing them with existing daylight can be challenging but also quite rewarding, because mixing that warm color temp with daylight can produce some very dramatic results. And it's nothing a few gels and some creative ideas can't handle. Lowel offers a huge selection of professional quartz equipment that won't break your budget but still offer you vast flexibility in how you modify your light output. And you won't have to worry about attachments because their lights are designed to accept hundreds of accessories.

You might have noticed I mentioned gels. That's because it's absolutely necessary to have them along when lighting with quartz, and that means you must have a safe way of attaching them to your lights as they are likely to burn up when placed too close to the quartz tube. It's probably smart to keep this in mind when considering those "shop lights" at your favorite box store because they don't have systems for mounting gels or other accessories. It's tempting to want them, but they can introduce a collection of problems because every mod you make to them invites a new set of problems and opportunities for failure. The thing about quartz lights is "they can be quite dangerous" if not properly set up and if left unattended such as you might do when lighting a room in the distance. They can be like that two-year-old I mentioned in the beginning of this article; they can really get into trouble! You can find a tremendous assortment of gels, diffusion and other modifiers from Rosco.com.

Quartz lights make great heaters too, heating up your set in a matter of minutes and consuming a lot of energy while doing so. Something to think about when shooting inside a home or small office. Oh, and don't forget to bring plenty of extension cords because they draw a lot of amps which can trip circuit breakers and burn up extension cords. For this reason, I would only assign one extension cord per light and one setup per each electrical socket. (Remind me to tell you about the time my partner set the drapes on fire with our lights in a nice home that we were showcasing for a big production...)

Fluorescent

OK, so you've considered quartz and they are great in many situations and provide a cost effective lighting solution. But sometimes you may want a kinder, gentler light; something that isn't such a pain to use but still reasonably affordable. That's where fluorescents come in. They don't heat up the environment or draw a lot of current, and they can match the color temperature you need; choose 5500K or 3200K or both and be ready for anything. No gels, no fires, no problems... well, maybe just one problem!

Fluorescents are much larger than quartz and that means heavier and with that comes a whole new set of problems, such as requiring large light stands. And if you're like me, obsessed with safety, that means you must have some pretty sturdy grip equipment with fluorescents. Nothing bothers me more than flimsy little light stands under big bulky lights! And what bothers me even more is seeing big bulky lights that aren't sand bagged, especially out doors. But don't let their size stop you from considering them because the advantages provided by fluorescents really make them worth the extra effort. You can put them right next to your subject and leave them on all day and not worry about heat; try that with quartz and you'll have an angry, sweaty group of people during your shoot.

Besides keeping their cool under pressure, flourescents are reliable. Yep, they put out a nice soft light which comes in handy when shooting interviews and they don't suddenly burn out or worse, blow up like quartz bubls can. But that soft, fuzzy feeling comes at a cost because it's pretty hard to create a classic "Hollywood Look" with hard, dramatic shadows and spectacular highlights.

You can't use a lot of neat light modifiers like spots and Fresnels but for subjects like people and food where a soft wrap-around light is preferable, fluorescents are the way to go. Kino-flo and Videssence has been making these systems for a while and can point you in the right direction.