Small Studio

[James Ewen]

I am involved in the setup of a small studio and need some pointers.

 

So far I am looking at the following:

 

Arri Juniors 300/650 x2 of each

Arri Juniors 1000 x 4

Arri Junior 2000 x1

Plenty C-stands, Rolers, grummets, clamps, wurzelbinders, polyboard, flags, snadbadgers etc

Diva-Lite 400s x6 (or 4x4's)

Something for large soft lighting (bluescreen 3x6 metres and general soft fill)

In line dimmers etc

 

We are based in Southern Africa so maintenence is an issue. As is availability of parts.

 

Thanks in advance

[John Hall]

Not exactly sure what your question is.

 

Are you looking for a place to buy these fixtures? Do you want advice on your package selection?

 

 

What sort of stuff will you be shooting in this studio?

Is your blue screen only going to be on the wall or will it extend onto the floor?

 

If it's just on the wall, you could use cyc lights.

If you are installing a grid, they can be hung from there, or they light the wall from the floor up.

 

If you need to light the wall and the floor for a head to toe shot, I would recommend a couple space lights.

These provide a great general ambience for a cyc.

The beauty of these lights is they are about the simplest design possible. a metal ring with six 1k bulbs, with a cloth skirt. No lenses, no moving parts.

The only thing you may have to replace are the bulbs, sockets, and perhaps wiring.

 

Don't know what the configuration would be to power these in South Africa, but in North America, each light has three u-ground plugs, each controlling 2 bulbs, so it's intensity can be modified without dimming.

You may find that these provide great general illumination for most projects you may do.

 

I would save on the Kino's for now and get a couple Lowell Tota's with Chimeras for a fraction of the price.

[Brian Wells]

I would save on the Kino's for now and get a couple Lowell Tota's with Chimeras for a fraction of the price.

I have always heard and accepted the general notion that the higher cost of Kino Flos (vs. quartz/chimera) in a studio environment would be offset because they consume less electricity, generate less heat, remove the need for constant air conditioning, and in turn create a more suitable environment for quality sound recording (i.e. - less noise from less air conditioning). But, maybe these benefits are greatly exaggerated?

[James Ewen]

Question was a bit of both. I worked as a spark for some time in the UK but the sudden responsibility of telling the guys what to buy threw a panic on me and I wanted some second opinions.

 

I have since added cyc lights and space lights to the list (for general studio ambience), although the bluescreen will only be on the wall indeed likely will be a cloth that can be stretched on a frame and hung when it is needed.

 

Good point regards the affordability of Kinos in relation to the net savings in terms of power, I like the Kinos for portability and general ease of use, but they are really pricey.

 

Thanks for the input up to now

 

J