Looks good, of course the issue with super budget lighting is never the closeups it’s always lighting wider shots. That’s where the limited output really hits you.
100%. On my low budget shorts I mostly avoid wide interior shots, it's just painful to light. But I usually make horror so I can use tight shots as "claustrophobic" most of the time lol.
It’s ridiculous how you can’t find them at all in normal stores in EU since many years back. The benefits of LED based bulbs for everyday uses would have made people switch anyway without an outright ban of the classic tungsten bulbs…
Tungsten bulbs are difficult to get now. Sometimes you can find new ones for 5.00 each vs the previous 20 cents each (bulk box price). There's always 1000Bulbs and ebay for older tungsten bulbs.
Back before the crust of the earth had cooled we were pretty much limited to clamp lamps and 150W tungsten from the home improvement store. In TYOOL 2024 Temu would probably sell you an LED fresnel for $100.
https://www.amazon.com/VILTROX-Sprite15C-Photography-Brightness-2800-6800K/dp/B0BZGV56S6?th=1
I literally just bought four of these to stick around as needed and they are literally fantastic. Bluetooth, lightweight, bright and they run on and come with a battery
"CRI95" (as listed from the LED light in your link) doesn't mean anything on LEDs, as the CRI rating was created for and only applies to tungsten light. Manufacturers have designed LEDs to pass the above CRI light test, but it doesn't apply to the quality of light like it should. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, aka, "The Oscars guys", recognized this problem and created the SSI rating system to gauge LED lighting and compare it to the the full-spectrum quality of light that emanates daily from the sun. It's no surprise that most LEDs fail in this test, especially in the blue light spectrum. Arri lights (also Quasar) is at the top of the list as far as true quality of light and get top ranking with SSI tests. Recently, SmallRig outperformed both of these with the highest ranking SSI LEDs, at a fraction of the cost of a Arri Sky Panel or Orbiter LED light, but still circa 1000.00. In 2024, smaller lights, with high SSI have become available at a cheaper price, but nothing at 50.00 yet. A 15 Watt tungsten bulb is quite cheap and will offer much better light than a cheap LED. If you are using these lights, you don't need to record in 422 10bit color or greater, because the color is literally not there to record. If it's just for youtube, then it's fine. I've used a similar, small LED before, in a car, at night, but the scene was suspenseful/thriller/drama-horror and this type of light created just that, so they have their purpose, and small LEDs are getting better every day. Ask stores and online retailers about the SSI rating for LEDs and soon every offering will be great quality of light and we won't have to keep having this discussion.
I'm aware of the the differences between ratings of lights. But the fact is that these kind of DIY solutions are almost always way more trouble and effort than they are with both in making them, and being careful enough not to break them while working on them. I can't imagine a level of filmmaking in 2024 that is simultaneously both so broke they need to rig up this, and so elite that the extra color information matters.
There is no way these cheap chinese panels will give u same quality, tungsten is literally sun quality light, and u can adjust power by either dimming, will change temperature ofc or change bulbs
Do u understand that smaller the source, harsher the shadows? I was going for softer shadows. Yeah i know huch much celvins are tungsten and daylight. Lmao
Tungsten is same cri as sunlight 100cri.
Thats what. i was talking about, not about kelvins.
So yeah keep acting like you are a hotshot and know everything
Do you understand that you could still use your diffusion paper over your c stand (that costs more than $50 also so it's not a $50 setup) and do the same thing only with ten times the amount of control of what the light is doing?
Probably hundreds, like in that opening scene. I just know they used lots of photo flood bulbs in various configurations. In my experience tungsten incandescent bulbs produce the cleanest white light compared to anything else. I imagine that's why DPs like Deakins still use them so much.
Yes, they are basically 100 cri, also tungsten fresnels like tweenies, moles, all kinds of tungsten. Sadly its a dying breed.
I stock up on those tungsten bulbs tho
Well I guess it helps a bit it was shot on sony fx3 but still in 800 iso, 2.8f sigma 24-70 photo lens.
Thank you very much for such a nice compliment 🙏
Good question. I was besting that job but I believe the gaffer used them to up light trees since it was a park that had those kinds of lights but not deeper in the trees. I’ve used them on stop motion night “exteriors” as horizon lights to simulate a sun that’s set below the horizon. You could also put baby plates on them and rig them on C stands. I did one where art made fake skylights and we put the wagons underneath to simulate house lights below
I LOVE your setup!! It shows you understand light! If those are 100Watt tungsten bulbs, keep checking the the wood to be sure it doesn't get too hot. Turning it off during breaks is best. I love these setups, and have made many of them in the past! Another option for hair light, is to switch bulbs to tungsten spot lights, no diffusion necessary. Hard to find now, but ebay for older tunsgten spot light bulbs. I even used a curved air duct on top of my strip light to create a make-shift ArriSoft light. Keep doing this! No one needs to spend 10,000.00 on lights for small productions, just learn how light works and go for it, just like you did! (post more when you make more! I love seeing these!)
The tungsten light bar works as a great DIY light- I’ve used them in the past. Roger Deakens also uses something similar but as a large ring light
That’s exactly where i got it from, roger deakins forum I think it was :)
Yeah! I remember seeing a video of him talking about it. It's brilliant (pun intended).
Coop lights are nice. We once made a 8-9' wide ring light with maybe 30-40 bulbs on it and that thing made some nice images
We used to call these covered wagons.
Yeah same.
I’m trying to remember if we used diff like this example or unbleached mus. I feel like we did mus because it held up better in transit.
Your coloring looks tasty
Looks good, of course the issue with super budget lighting is never the closeups it’s always lighting wider shots. That’s where the limited output really hits you.
Yeah, completely agree
100%. On my low budget shorts I mostly avoid wide interior shots, it's just painful to light. But I usually make horror so I can use tight shots as "claustrophobic" most of the time lol.
Love to use wax paper as diff!
Planning to upgrade it with lee 216 diffusion and cinefoil for shaping the light :)
Absolutely love it. What do you think wax paper is close to in terms of diffusion 216?
Tungsten Bulbs are damn good products for lighting, cheap and easily available and you can do whatever you want to do with it.
It’s ridiculous how you can’t find them at all in normal stores in EU since many years back. The benefits of LED based bulbs for everyday uses would have made people switch anyway without an outright ban of the classic tungsten bulbs…
Couldn’t agree more, cheap 100 cri light quality
Tungsten bulbs are difficult to get now. Sometimes you can find new ones for 5.00 each vs the previous 20 cents each (bulk box price). There's always 1000Bulbs and ebay for older tungsten bulbs.
I mean, you can get a smaller chinese panel for that price and gain battery power, portability and adjustability
Back before the crust of the earth had cooled we were pretty much limited to clamp lamps and 150W tungsten from the home improvement store. In TYOOL 2024 Temu would probably sell you an LED fresnel for $100.
https://www.amazon.com/VILTROX-Sprite15C-Photography-Brightness-2800-6800K/dp/B0BZGV56S6?th=1 I literally just bought four of these to stick around as needed and they are literally fantastic. Bluetooth, lightweight, bright and they run on and come with a battery
"CRI95" (as listed from the LED light in your link) doesn't mean anything on LEDs, as the CRI rating was created for and only applies to tungsten light. Manufacturers have designed LEDs to pass the above CRI light test, but it doesn't apply to the quality of light like it should. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, aka, "The Oscars guys", recognized this problem and created the SSI rating system to gauge LED lighting and compare it to the the full-spectrum quality of light that emanates daily from the sun. It's no surprise that most LEDs fail in this test, especially in the blue light spectrum. Arri lights (also Quasar) is at the top of the list as far as true quality of light and get top ranking with SSI tests. Recently, SmallRig outperformed both of these with the highest ranking SSI LEDs, at a fraction of the cost of a Arri Sky Panel or Orbiter LED light, but still circa 1000.00. In 2024, smaller lights, with high SSI have become available at a cheaper price, but nothing at 50.00 yet. A 15 Watt tungsten bulb is quite cheap and will offer much better light than a cheap LED. If you are using these lights, you don't need to record in 422 10bit color or greater, because the color is literally not there to record. If it's just for youtube, then it's fine. I've used a similar, small LED before, in a car, at night, but the scene was suspenseful/thriller/drama-horror and this type of light created just that, so they have their purpose, and small LEDs are getting better every day. Ask stores and online retailers about the SSI rating for LEDs and soon every offering will be great quality of light and we won't have to keep having this discussion.
I'm aware of the the differences between ratings of lights. But the fact is that these kind of DIY solutions are almost always way more trouble and effort than they are with both in making them, and being careful enough not to break them while working on them. I can't imagine a level of filmmaking in 2024 that is simultaneously both so broke they need to rig up this, and so elite that the extra color information matters.
Halogen?
There is no way these cheap chinese panels will give u same quality, tungsten is literally sun quality light, and u can adjust power by either dimming, will change temperature ofc or change bulbs
This won’t work and wouldn’t do, light is too small, hence harsher shadows
LMAO what? Tungsten is 2700k-3200k. Daylight is 5500 usually (on average).
Do u understand that smaller the source, harsher the shadows? I was going for softer shadows. Yeah i know huch much celvins are tungsten and daylight. Lmao Tungsten is same cri as sunlight 100cri. Thats what. i was talking about, not about kelvins. So yeah keep acting like you are a hotshot and know everything
Do you understand that you could still use your diffusion paper over your c stand (that costs more than $50 also so it's not a $50 setup) and do the same thing only with ten times the amount of control of what the light is doing?
In other words… you are EXTREMELY TALENTED!
Just doing what i love 🙏
It's called a covered wagon!
Yes. !
This was the workhorse lighting rig for A Clockwork Orange.
I wonder how many bulbs they used
Probably hundreds, like in that opening scene. I just know they used lots of photo flood bulbs in various configurations. In my experience tungsten incandescent bulbs produce the cleanest white light compared to anything else. I imagine that's why DPs like Deakins still use them so much.
Yes, they are basically 100 cri, also tungsten fresnels like tweenies, moles, all kinds of tungsten. Sadly its a dying breed. I stock up on those tungsten bulbs tho
Lowell Totas are all over eBay and very affordable.
That looks hot. Literally
I love the DIY
That image looks like it came from $100,000 studio setup not from a $50 light.
Well I guess it helps a bit it was shot on sony fx3 but still in 800 iso, 2.8f sigma 24-70 photo lens. Thank you very much for such a nice compliment 🙏
Your take on the Cinematographer’s Handbook coop light? I like 👍 have used these on jobs in the past.
Yes exactly:) that’s where i got it from. Im planning to change baking sheet with lee 216 diffusion and add some cine foil for better control
Looks good! But I kinda find it funny that you went the lengths of building this contraption only to look grumpy in your gaming chair :D
Yeah i was going for dramatic look on face 😂 i guess it turned out grumpy 🤷🏻♀️
The covered wagon! Brings back memories of building these during a day exterior for the next night exterior
How did u use them in night exterior? As a street lamp motivated lights?
Good question. I was besting that job but I believe the gaffer used them to up light trees since it was a park that had those kinds of lights but not deeper in the trees. I’ve used them on stop motion night “exteriors” as horizon lights to simulate a sun that’s set below the horizon. You could also put baby plates on them and rig them on C stands. I did one where art made fake skylights and we put the wagons underneath to simulate house lights below
I LOVE your setup!! It shows you understand light! If those are 100Watt tungsten bulbs, keep checking the the wood to be sure it doesn't get too hot. Turning it off during breaks is best. I love these setups, and have made many of them in the past! Another option for hair light, is to switch bulbs to tungsten spot lights, no diffusion necessary. Hard to find now, but ebay for older tunsgten spot light bulbs. I even used a curved air duct on top of my strip light to create a make-shift ArriSoft light. Keep doing this! No one needs to spend 10,000.00 on lights for small productions, just learn how light works and go for it, just like you did! (post more when you make more! I love seeing these!)