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Assembling a Do-It-Yourself Light Kit

From "Making Home Movies"
episode DMHM-103

This kit can be assembled for approximately $100 with a trip to the local hardware store. Items include the following:

Expensive lighting kit.

Budget lighting kit.

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Three shop lights with clamp handles (about $10 each)
Three 100-watt light bulbs
Three rheostat dimmers, which allow the brightness of the shop lights to be controlled
One heavy-duty extension cord
Gaffers or duct tape (the tape allows you to secure loose cords safely in place)
A three-way power-strip splitter
Three sheets of white posterboard
Six to eight wooden clothespins.

Lighting with a high-end kit.

Inexpensive shoplights.

Complete kit.

Three dimmer cords attached to one extension cord.

Tight shot: shop light with posterboard filter.

Lights positioned about 6" above subject's head.

Key light in place.

Back light in place.

Fill light in place.

Putting the Kit Together and Setting the Lights

Clamp the lights to chairs and point the lights straight up.
Wrap the posterboard around the lamp edges and secure in place with the clothespins.
Plug each light into a dimmer.
Attach each dimmer plug to the splitter, attach the splitter to the extension cord and plug in the extension cord. Since the three lamps produce only 300 watts of current, having them all on a single extension cord should present no danger of an electrical overload.
Position the lights so that when the subject is seated, the lights are approximately 6" above the subject's head.
Position the lights so that when the subject is seated, the lights are approximately 6" above the head.
Remember to keep the key light higher to provide chin definition and facial texture on the right side of the face.
Set up the fill light.
Backlight to separate the subject from the background and to help control the shadow on the right side of the face.
Make sure the key light and back light are directly opposite each other and slightly to the left of the subject, allowing the interviewer to sit directly in front of the subject, between the key and fill lights.
The key and back lights are about 180 degrees off from each other. The fill light is about halfway between them, with the back light placed about 45 degrees back.

RESOURCES :

IMAC Computer
POWERBOOK laptop computer
IMOVIE editing software
Apple Computer Inc.
Website: apple.com

Tripods
3433 Fluid Head
755B MDVE Video Tripod
522A Sony LANC Remote
700RC2,756BK MDVE Tripod w/head
714B Digi Tripod
Bogen Photo Corp.
Website: www.bogenimaging.us

Canon Digital Camcorders
Canon USA Inc.
Website: usa.canon.com
canondv.com

Video cameras
PD-150 camera and accessories
Vaio laptop
Flatscreen TV
Mini DV tapes
Sony Electronics Inc.
Website: www.sony.com

Media 100 editing software
Media 100 Inc.
Website: www.media100.com

Electronic equipment
Precision Camera
Website: precision-camera.com