Bat Light / Covered Wagon

l3lewis · February 26, 2006

I am curious as to the difference between Bat Lights and Covered Wagons, if there is a difference at all.

Thanks for the answers.

Edited February 26, 2006 by l3lewis

Chris Clarke · February 26, 2006

A film I worked on a few years ago that was lit by Andrew Dunn utilised both of these.

Bat lights are varying lengths of 2"x1" wood with BNC bulb holders fixed to them. You then place whichever bulbs you wish (photofloods, household...) on them and usually wire them to a dimmer. You can place them in the tightest of places, behind sofas, next to tables, behind bottles on a bar - anywhere you want a little bit of light.

Covered wagons look like pretty much how they sound. There's a metal frame that consists of a rectangular base with 3 arches, 1 at each end and 1 in the middle creating a half cylinder shape. Inside at each end are BNC bulb holders. You can attach diffusion or whatever you fancy to the metal arches, hence creating the 'covered wagon' image. The rectangular base has flanges so that white card can be slid in to boost the level of light a bit. Again, these are often run through dimmers. On the film I saw them, they always had 216 with straw and 1/2 CTO as the filter package, through a dimmer at about 60% with a little flicker. They were put next to actors on the ground hidden behind set dressing producing a really nice fire light effect. From memory it was in a study for a night int. scene. Very soft, warm and cheap to run!

Don't know where or if you can actually buy bat lights or covered wagons. I think the sparks made them up on the job I saw them on.

But I do know that quite a few of them are in my garage now thanks to a very generous gaffer :)

Once had the bat strips (another name) rigged around the lens for a ring light on a promo that I lit. As each one could move independently, you could really fine tune the reflections in the eye with all the bulbs showing up clearly.

Hope this helps.

Edited February 26, 2006 by flyingpenguins

Jim Feldspar · January 17, 2007

A film I worked on a few years ago that was lit by Andrew Dunn utilised both of these.
Bat lights are varying lengths of 2"x1" wood with BNC bulb holders fixed to them. You then place whichever bulbs you wish (photofloods, household...) on them and usually wire them to a dimmer. You can place them in the tightest of places, behind sofas, next to tables, behind bottles on a bar - anywhere you want a little bit of light.

Covered wagons look like pretty much how they sound. There's a metal frame that consists of a rectangular base with 3 arches, 1 at each end and 1 in the middle creating a half cylinder shape. Inside at each end are BNC bulb holders. You can attach diffusion or whatever you fancy to the metal arches, hence creating the 'covered wagon' image. The rectangular base has flanges so that white card can be slid in to boost the level of light a bit. Again, these are often run through dimmers. On the film I saw them, they always had 216 with straw and 1/2 CTO as the filter package, through a dimmer at about 60% with a little flicker. They were put next to actors on the ground hidden behind set dressing producing a really nice fire light effect. From memory it was in a study for a night int. scene. Very soft, warm and cheap to run!

Don't know where or if you can actually buy bat lights or covered wagons. I think the sparks made them up on the job I saw them on.

But I do know that quite a few of them are in my garage now thanks to a very generous gaffer :)

Once had the bat strips (another name) rigged around the lens for a ring light on a promo that I lit. As each one could move independently, you could really fine tune the reflections in the eye with all the bulbs showing up clearly.

Hope this helps.

What are BNC bulb holders? I did a search but could find only electronics companies in

India that list but don't explain them and links to video BNC connectors? Thanks.

John Holland · January 17, 2007

hi i think he means bayonet cup holders , not screw holders , John Holland.

Jim Feldspar · January 17, 2007

hi i think he means bayonet cup holders , not screw holders , John Holland.

Thanks!

JD Hartman · January 18, 2007

From Wikipedia: The BNC connector is a type of RF connector used for terminating coaxial cable. The connector was named after its bayonet mount locking mechanism and its two inventors, Paul Neill of Bell Labs ...etc.

I'm guessing the "Bat" in Bat light referrs to the 1x2 batten (a.k.a. furring strip in the U.S.A.) that the sockets are attached to. Really noting more than a handy scrap of wood that was available when the first "Bat Light" was created. The Mole-Richardson Nook light might be considered the commercial version of the Bat Light.

Here is a link to some sockets of this type:

http://www.homestead.com/prosites-rcchre/C...dware/H036.html

NOTE: There are low and high voltage (US 117vac line voltage) versions of the same style socket. I'd choose the line voltage socket with the high temperature leads if I was building anything. Another possible source is "curbside" on garbage pickup day.