another HMI vs Tungsten question - budgets

[Guest shane grace]

Just finished shooting a video clip on 5248 and is the first time since film school (5 years ago) that i have used only tungsten sources (interior and exterior). I made this decision because my lighting budget was cut down. I thought i could get by with a 12k - it felt like a blonde - i had to have it so close to the talent to create a highlight it stung!!

 

But i was so impressed by the 'glow' tungsten fresnels had - much softer/flattering. HMI feels very harsh in comparison.

 

Am after some experiences from other dp's who get the shocked look from directors and producers when you say you want 1, 2 or maybe 5, 12k HMI's????? I feel like a doormat sometimes in pre-pro or post-pro when the clients complain at the result. i know myself it could have looked better with brighter light - or we could have shot it more quickly by not having to move lights every time the shot changed... but the client want champagne on a beer budget.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Shane

[Adam Frisch FSF]

Yeah, tungsten is very nice. It does however get unbearably hot in small studios with big tungstens and they draw extreme amounts of power.

 

I'd like to go with tungsten all the time, but the gennys I normally work off prevent me from that. It's nothing to max out a 150kva (and that's a pretty big truck) genny on tungsten - that's done in a snap on a big setup. With HMI's you can go a bit further.

 

I've actually calculated the wattage/power from tungsten vs. HMI's and factored in the genny and it comes out at about the same, maybe with a slight advantage towards tungsten. And if you factor in rigging time for HMI's and their ballasts, cables, weight etc, there's a definite saving in using tungsten. HMI's take time.

[gregory mandry]

can you not shoot on a faster stock 200 - 800t could save a lot of lighting costs

[Guest shane grace]

faster stocks - 200-800 - i have a fobia of :)

 

My day job is commercial still photography and as i have hardly ever shot above asa 100 in my life - i feel very awkward using anything above 100 for cinema work. I even shot a 15 second tv commercial last month on 50D for the interior - only with kinoflos - very close to the actors mind you....

[Adam Frisch FSF]

That's the spirit, Shane. I tend to do the same - I'm a low ASA shooter. I even try to do nightscenes on low speed stock just to, well, just to do it.