[security_guy]

I am looking to film some footage in the dark in a forest. However, the lighting is abismal. There are only street lamps, which aren't nearly bright enough. So I was wondering what kind of good (preferably inexpensive - my budget is limited) lighting systems there are. It should also be relatively portable, as well as use (rechargable) batteries.

Does anyone have any info or pointers as to where I can acquire more information? Thanks.

/security_guy

[SirCastor]

Seeing as how no one responded to your post with anything, I thought I might throw in what I got, although I don't know how helpful it will be.

At film school my freshman year, We ended up using Halogen work lamps. Just the big, ultra-bright, construction lamps. They worked great. We made our own Bounce-boards out of large pieces of card-board and foil to give the light more of a soft spread.

It works wonderfully, and shouldn't be TOO expensive. If you need more info, email me.
aarone@mac.com

[tr]

SirCastor hit it right on the head: halogen work lamps.

they're bright, come with stands, and are under $50. i've seen them for $19 on sale. don't know about the rechargeable battery bit, though. you might have to get a car battery and an inverter to run the lights sans electrical outlets.

tr

[direktor]

Well, I suppose halogen work lights are cheap...

But they hard to control. Back when I was 20 and trying to learn how to light, I was never happy with the look I got out out of those (mainly because I was using them direct). Bouncing them into something would sometimes help, but then you had all the spill from around the card to contend with. Maybe some black wrap and bounce cards with work lights?

This still doesn't address your battery issues though. If you absolutely can't shoot with a little Honda genny because of sound, then I'd look at flourescents. There's a lot of little battery powered flourescents that you could gang together in groups for a nice, soft source for medium shots and closeups, which bring me to my next point:

If you need any really wide shots in this exterior, you're screwed. I've been wracking my brain for a battery powered light big enough to cover a large night exterior...and I don't think there is such a thing, short of VERY large budget items.

Good luck...

[msuper69]

Have you thought about shooting during the evening when there is still enough light to capture the details you need and then using Final Cut to change the overall lighting to make it appear to be night?

Any Final Cut Pro experts out there? Is this possible or feasible?

[direktor]

Msuper thought of something that I'm slightly embarrassed to say I didn't.

Day-for-night shooting is a technique almost as old as film itself.

With modern color correction methods (most of which ARE indeed present in FCP3) and careful shooting, you can come up with a look that definitely looks like nightttime, and in my opinion, sometimes looks even better than if you really shot at night, depending on subject matter.

(There's been quite a few music videos shooting day-for-night lately, including Pink's "Get The Party Started"; it's become a common look)

[SirCastor]

just remember to keep the sun out of any of your shots..