Not sure what type of light this is

[Nick Norton]

So i'm planning to start putting together a lighting kit... arri or mole richardson fresnels.

 

Looking to get a basic kit to build from, but wasn't sure what some of the standard wattage was for a key/fill/backlight.

 

Also, not sure what a nook light is.. or what the term kino or kino flo refers to.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Mole-Richardson-Nook-w...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

Would that light fit with the kit i am trying to build?

 

 

Thanks for any response-

 

Nicholas

[Serge Teulon]

So i'm planning to start putting together a lighting kit... arri or mole richardson fresnels.

 

Looking to get a basic kit to build from, but wasn't sure what some of the standard wattage was for a key/fill/backlight.

 

Also, not sure what a nook light is.. or what the term kino or kino flo refers to.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Mole-Richardson-Nook-w...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

Would that light fit with the kit i am trying to build?

 

 

Thanks for any response-

 

Nicholas

 

Hey Nick,

 

I would suggest that you try a 3 light kit that would comprise of a 1x 1kw(pup), 1x 600w and 1x 350w.

There is no standard wattage for a key/fill/backlight etc....its all down to your environment and what you are trying to achieve.

I also recommend that you also read some books on lighting.

 

Kino = name given to a light from a company that makes balanced soft fluorescent light sources http://www.kinoflo.com/

 

S

[Satsuki Murashige]

Also, not sure what a nook light is.. or what the term kino or kino flo refers to.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Mole-Richardson-Nook-w...1QQcmdZViewItem

A nook light is usually a small rectangular 1K open face light like the one pictured. It's a broad, unfocused tungsten light source that was used mainly for lighting backdrops and cycs. I don't think they're used much anymore since modern fluorescent sources like Kinos get the job done using less power and generating less heat. I haven't seen one in use since film school. They get extremely hot, so you do have to be careful with them.

 

As far as wattage, the reason tungsten fresnel lights in the 150w-1K range are so popular for low-budget stuff is that you can run them off of house power easily. They are all very usable but I think you'll find that as you get more experienced, you'll want bigger and bigger light sources for creating soft light that covers larger areas and also for lighting through windows to mimic sunlight. You'll start needing to rent generators for these bigger lights (as well as hire experienced crew members who know how to use them safely).

 

That said, you can do a lot with a small fresnel kit in this range. You might also look into getting some 1K parcans as they are very affordable and put out a ton of light. These are great for night exteriors and for the aforementioned window light effects on a limited budget. Kevin Zanit had a great post on these lights on this forum awhile back - if you do a search I'm sure you'll find it. You can also get photoflood bulbs which are close to 3200K (generally a bit warmer) like 75w PH211, 150w PH212, 250w PH213 which you can use in household fixtures and in medium-base fixtures that can fit into paper lanterns (China Balls). These make a great low-budget soft light source. Get a 650w dimmer or two. Get some blackwrap for shaping light and cutting spill off your lights, and a several yards of duvytene for blacking out windows and skirting the China Balls. Get some cube taps and ground lift adapters. Get some heavy duty Edison cables, 25' and 50'. And on and on. :)

[JD Hartman]

A nook light is usually a small rectangular 1K open face light like the one pictured. It's a broad, unfocused tungsten light source that was used mainly for lighting backdrops and cycs. I don't think they're used much anymore since modern fluorescent sources like Kinos get the job done using less power and generating less heat. I haven't seen one in use since film school. They get extremely hot, so you do have to be careful with them.

 

All tunsten fixtures get extremely hot, not just nook(s), broad(s) or other open face fixtures. I wouldn't suggest a nook light for a basic light kit. As for your statement they they are virtually obsolete, hardley true. They do have a limit to their uses, but the limit is your own ingenuity. If you are lighting a forest at night and HMI's aren't in the budget, 1k broad lights can do the job cheaply.

[Adrian Sierkowski]

I also find use for my own nook light, which I recall sitting around for years in my house.

Now a days I often throw it through a silk from a road rags kit for a nice soft light; akin to a lowel DP, but smaller; else I find myself hiding it in ceilings as just a brute-force down light. Definitely still has it's uses and is pretty cheap.

China balls are your best friend on a low budget. hit up your local Ikea!

[Nick Norton]

Anything close to tungsten lights in terms of price that don't give off as much heat?

 

 

Thanks for the help-

 

Nicholas

[Adrian Sierkowski]

Not that I"m aware of.

All your low-heat lights are going to be HMIs and or Floros (LEDs can get hot on occasion so I'm told). They're more complicated, and thusly more expensive.

That being said, you're gonna sweat on a set; so what?

[Satsuki Murashige]

All tunsten fixtures get extremely hot, not just nook(s), broad(s) or other open face fixtures.

Sure, but I've never had a tungsten fixture other than a nook melt a cine gel (CTO, not diff.) within 10 seconds of clipping it on! Some other especially hot tungsten lights that come to mind: Totas and parcans w/ VNSP bulbs. On the other hand, all the fresnels I've used from 10K down to 150w run much cooler by comparison.

 

As for your statement they they are virtually obsolete, hardley true. They do have a limit to their uses, but the limit is your own ingenuity. If you are lighting a forest at night and HMI's aren't in the budget, 1k broad lights can do the job cheaply.

Of course you can still use them in a pinch, I know I have. But a fresnel will serve many greater functions than a nook, so I still see no reason for Nick to buy one instead of a fresnel. A parcan will likely be a more useful tool for lighting the forest at night since you can swap lenses and control the source better, at the same wattage and with a cheaper fixture too. But hey, what the hell do I know, I'm just a camera assistant. :rolleyes:

[David Rakoczy]

That is a 650 or 1k Nook Light .. depending on what Globe you use.. made by Mole-Richardson. That is a great Light to have. If you absolutely need to use a gel it is best to use a piece of Heat Shield Gel (very expensive at $500US per Roll) between the Light and your chosen Gel. You can find scraps around.. ask a gaffer you may know. Anyway, that is a great Light for punching through a diffuser or just slamming it raw and hot! It is also great to use when loading the Truck at night :-)

Edited June 12, 2008 by David Rakoczy

[JD Hartman]

Sure, but I've never had a tungsten fixture other than a nook melt a cine gel (CTO, not diff.) within 10 seconds of clipping it on! Some other especially hot tungsten lights that come to mind: Totas and parcans w/ VNSP bulbs. On the other hand, all the fresnels I've used from 10K down to 150w run much cooler by comparison.

 

 

Of course you can still use them in a pinch, I know I have. But a fresnel will serve many greater functions than a nook, so I still see no reason for Nick to buy one instead of a fresnel. A parcan will likely be a more useful tool for lighting the forest at night since you can swap lenses and control the source better, at the same wattage and with a cheaper fixture too. But hey, what the hell do I know, I'm just a camera assistant. :rolleyes:

 

When applying a gels to a nook, broad or any open face fixture, I always clip the gels to the barndoors. There's less distance between the globe and face of these type of fixtures than in a Fresnel and you also don't have the Fresnel lens to absorb some of the heat. I never suggested that the nook would be a fixture I'd buy for my primary light kit.

 

Parcan(s) don't have lenses, the lens is incorporated into the globe. Maybe you are think of S4 parnel fixtures or lekos? The economy of parcans is somewhat offset by the need to carry a selection of globes in different wattages and beam spreads.

Edited June 12, 2008 by JD Hartman

[Ralph Keyser]

Sure, but I've never had a tungsten fixture other than a nook melt a cine gel (CTO, not diff.) within 10 seconds of clipping it on!

 

The ellipsoidals (like the Source 4) put a lot of heat out right at the end of the instrument, too. They come with a little gel holder at the end of the tube, but anything I've ever put in there just melts in the middle pretty quickly. Suspending the gel a bit in front of the light helps a lot.

[Satsuki Murashige]

Parcan(s) don't have lenses, the lens is incorporated into the globe. Maybe you are think of S4 parnel fixtures or lekos? The economy of parcans is somewhat offset by the need to carry a selection of globes in different wattages and beam spreads.

Well, yes if he goes the parcan route then he'd have to carry different globes to get the effect of different lenses. I figured if you carried just VNSP and WFL globes, you'd cover most of your bases and use the fresnels to cover the middle range. I also like the source4 Pars (haven't used the Parnels) for the reason that you state, ease of swapping lenses. You don't get quite as much output from them, but they sure are cooler. They're still rather cheap units too, under $200.