Looking for a fake parafin lamp or similar, UK

[peterasimmons]

Hi,

I've been asked to shoot a scene in a cave, to be lit entirely by a parafin lamp that the performer will be carrying. The shot is to be a handheld tracking shot, with the peformer framed head-and-shoulders walking through a tunnel.

I need enough light to illuminate the performer's face, and tests with a real lamp show we simply don't have enough lumens. So, does anyone know where I can hire a fake lamp that would give a greater power output? (I'm based in London, UK.)

We're using Fuji Eterna 500T, which I'm pushing by a stop, shooting 1/50s at 25fps. Even at that high speed ISO, it's still a bit under-exposed, hence the need for an alternative solution.

Attached is an exosure test shot, taken on a Canon G12.

[Phil Rhodes]

Er, I made one once?

 

Sounds relatively straightforward - get a paraffin lamp, rip out the innards, replace with battery and light. Afternoon's work?

[peterasimmons]

Yep, that's pretty much my plan (hoping to run a couple of 20W bulbs off a 12v scource.) But, as I'm a bit of a duffer at DIY, I was just wondering if there was an off-the-shelf solution?

[Patrick Faith]

I was testing some of the new fake LED lamps that have a flicker, but the flicker was a bit too obvious. I'm moving to using those small LED flashlights, they can really crank the light. Current lamp setup for those ... have a little piece of paper folded in half and on a wire placed over the led flashlight ... this allows a bit of a controlled flicker as the lamp moves.

[Phil Rhodes]

And there was I thinking up complex technical solutions.

 

Never start writing microcontroller code when you can do it with a piece of paper and some bent wire!