My Favorite Light Kit

Lighting is probably the most important element for creating quality video. As a friend of mine likes to say, "Videos without lighting are just home movies." Yes, there are certainly plenty of moments when you need to run-and-gun, and have no choice but to use available light, but most of the time (and with good planning!) you should be able to have control of your lighting.

One of the most common set-ups we find ourselves shooting is the single camera talking-head interview. No, I don't mean a sit-down with David Byrne, (My high school english teacher taught David Byrne. He used to do her bulletin boards. How cool is that?) I'm talking about a simple, straight-forward single person interview, the kind where you don't see or hear the person asking the questions. Think more Ken Burns and less 60 Minutes.

My favorite light kit for this situation is the ARRI Softbank IV. Two 150 watt Fresnel's, a 300 watt Fresnel, a 600 watt Fresnel and 1K open face with a Chimera, providing a nice, soft source. This kit is almost perfect, but you'll want to add an additional light stand (which will fit in the wheeled case), some colored gels, diffusion, wood clothes pins (when you're on-set you'll want to call them C47s), and a few other odds and ends we'll cover in upcoming posts.

I know, I know...if you're just starting out, you're probably saying, "Holy crap, Dave! This light kit is almost three grand! That'll buy a lot of burgers, pay a lot of rent!"  Yes, indeed, it will, but investing in a lighting kit like this one is one of the best things you can do for yourself when starting out. Why? Several good reasons.

First, because lights don't become obsolete. I've had by Softbank IV kit for over ten years, and I'm still using it all the time. My kit has travelled all over the world (it was a lot easier pre-9/11), collected its share of battle scars, but other than a few minor repairs and regular lamp replacement it's been a workhorse. And in that time we've been through several tape formats and camera packages, from Betacam to DV50 and now HD. Good, quality lights can last for decades when properly cared for, and ARRI lights are top-notch.

Second, because fresnel lights provide a lot of control and are much safer than open-faced lights. The more control you have, the more creative options you'll be able to explore. Remember, good lighting is as much about where light isn't as it is where light is. 

When I first started out I had a Lowell Omni kit that I purchased used from a friend for a few hundred dollars. (I still have it, and it does occasionally see use. Lights last forever...) Lowell makes quality lights, for sure, and there are circumstances where they are the perfect tool for the job, but I found myself frustrated with the lack of control I had over the lights, especially in the small spaces we often find ourselves in when doing corporate talking-head interviews. Investing in the ARRI kit gave me so much more control, and my work got better because of it. There were so many new, interesting creative possibilities to explore. It was thrilling!

To be fair, Lowell has come out with some really nice kits in the nearly twenty years since I bought that kit. Still, the ARRI Softbank IV remains my favorite, all-around go-to kit for quality and versatility. The wheeled case makes it relatively easy to tote around, and my crews never tire of hearing me joke about how heavy a light kit is. (Right guys? Anyone?)

In a future post we'll go into detail on how I like to light a single-camera talking head interview. In the mean time, what's your favorite light kit?