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Alternative to briese light


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I've been brought on late to the process with an upcoming commercial. Our director is in love with the idea of a Briese light (focusable parabolic umbrella) as the key light for a number of our set ups. Of couse, due to rental cost this basically destroys the lighting/grip budget and limits our ability to have more practical things like a doorway dolly.

 

I would rather have an HMI bounced into silver speckle with some rim lights and some support from makeup with a bit of shimmer powder or glycerine.

 

Any other suggestions to get 80% of the bresie look without the cost?

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B2Pro makes a similar light...much cheaper but probably not 80%

 

If you want something very cheap; take an 8x frame and skin it with half grid. Then tape two sheets of foamcore together into an 8x8 and cut a large circle in the middle of the foamcore. Clip it to your 8x frame like a hard matte (black side facing the subject). Book light or push through an intermidiate diffusion to get an evenly lit, large, circular light source. If you want it softer...cut a bigger circle or move it closer.

 

Cheaper but slower...lots of stands.

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I have bounced a 1.2k HMI off some ultrabounce through three frames with 1/4 diffusion in a sort of U shape wrapping around the talent. Its not exactly the Briese look, but I like the quality it gives to a female face.

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Time is money, in all endevours. Do you have the time to spend experimenting on you own time, so the Director can save a bunch of money then take credit for getting the look the client was after? Did the conversation go something like, "Angelo, we don't have the budget, I know you can pull off this look somehow. Work on it before the shoot I'll make it up to you on the next job, I promise." Director gets all the accolades and "high fives" for getting it right, Director becomes forgetful when the next time rolls around.

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It's not nearly as precise, versatile or cool looking but I have a 8 ft Westcott parabolic that costs about $100 bucks and makes a beautiful soft key. Comes in white and silver I believe. Easts lots of light. I regularly bounce multiple sources into it.

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