If I were you I'd drop a line to MLyons... this is right up his alley.

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Sorry, hadn't gotten to the forum as early as I usually do. :)

JasonX,

Welcome to the forum! Glad to have you here. Ayb flatters me, but since the bulk (but not all) of my training is in theatrical venues, I don't have quite as much practical experience with lighting for video as I would like. That said, though I can certainly offer a little insight that might be of help. Flash also has some experience in this field, and it goes without saying that porn producers do as well. Hopefully we'll get a bunch of good responses.

The equipment you get is certainly an important factor, but just as important is how you use it. Today's video and lighting equipment can be somewhat complex, and it has to work together in order to produce a high quality result. Get to know the camera you're using very well, and if you're going to be doing editing, make sure that your using formats, and equipment (or computer hardware/software) that isn't going to significantly degrade the quality of the original video footage that you shoot. I can't speak too much to that end of it, since I'm not familiar with good quality editing stations or the camera settings you might want to use to make that transition as smooth as possible.

As far as indoor lighting for the camera, to get a really good quality image from even today's respectcably priced digital cameras requires a fair amount of light. Much more light, in fact than your average incandescent sources at home. Flash mentioned 6" fresnels, and that's a good suggestion. Although my suggestion would be to look into getting yourself a "lighting kit", which is a package that a number of manufacturers (like Arri or Lowell, etc) put out that includes three or four fixtures of varying wattage, and all the stands that the fixtures would be mounted to. These are made to be portable, and adaptable to different "on location" environments, and I would suggest starting there (make sure the plugs are compatible with your building though!). I'd be happy to do a little research and make some recommendations, but be aware that none of this is cheap. A starter kit with four fresnels and stands and some silk diffusion filters could run you between $1500-$2900. Another option, however, if you live in a relatively large city is to look into renting this equipment from a local video / film production house. This is much less expensive for the occasional user.

As far as how to use the equipment, this is where a fair amount of trial and error comes into play. Unless you have a fair number of fixtures, it is unlikely that you'll want to point the lights directly at the action your going to shoot. The whole RLD look has to do with creating a well lit environment that does not heavily rely on the performers being in exactly the right position. Often times, producers will point the lights at the walls or the ceiling instead of at the action they're shooting. This has the effect of diffusing the light over a wide area when it bounces off the surface. It also requires very bright sources and you have to be careful not to ... scorch the wall. They will also use a combination of both direct and indirect lighting to get the best of both worlds along with some interest with subtle highlights and shadows. :) In my opinion, flat is boring.

One other consideration is power requirements. Individual fixtures like these can easily draw between 150-500 Watts each, and much much more if you really need some brightness. (There are high intensity "sun" lamps out there used for film that can easily draw 50,000 Watts--obviously you won't need anything like this... :). It's a good idea to be aware of the electrical capabilities of the house or building you're using when you start plugging lights in, it would be very very easy to start tripping circuit breakers right and left.

Obviously, you might need to do some compromising, instead of high quality professional fixtures, you might have to come up with something less expensive. This is certainly possible, but just know that the top porn producers who are doing this on a daily basis and featuring well, and evenly lit action are using some decent equipment. If some of the insiders don't mind speaking up, you might be able to get some great recommendations for reasonably priced fixture packages, and like I said, I can do a little research on my own. There are a fair amount of subtleties involved here which I haven't touched on (color temperature considerations, etc.), and it depends on how involved you want to get.

My recommendation is to see if you can find a rental house, and see what they have available. They might also be able to give you some practical recommendations based on the location where you plan to shoot, etc. that I haven't mentioned here. You don't have to tell them that it's sex. :) Renting will be much more affordable, and much more versatile, at least in the short run, when you're starting out. Ultimately, you will have to go through some trial and error.... but that's all part of the fun!

I hope that helps... and I hope some other people who have some more experience with lighting for video than I do can also contribute some pointers. There may be some more reasonably priced solutions that work extraordinarily well that I'm not aware of.

Mike L.

Edited by - MLyons on 5/2/2003 3:05:46 PM

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However, some of the best "lighting" in gonzo out there is actually natural light, such as from John Stagliano, Jules Jordan and John Leslie.

But like MLyons said, even if you have the Exact Same equipment as what was used in your favorite-lighted gonzo scene, it doesn't mean you'll accomplish the same look. My advice, stay away from lighting things to look too flat and perfectly lighted. It totally takes away from the natural feel that should define a gonzo look.

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Tricia, I agree.. flat is boring. I dislike the 'glamor' and 'dark' look that I see in a lot of videos (usually non gonzo).

JulesJordan's videos probably have one of the clearest and brightest pictures I've seen. Probably due to the huge windows brining in natural light and the VX2000 camera. His stuff looks great although there's occasional shooting toward the light which makes things dark.

MLyons, very comprehensive response. I do have quite some $ to play around with as I'm now retired and I'm planning to make this my hobby :)

I have a VX2000 camera already so image quality shouldn't be a problem. I am already learning to use it and set the whitebalance

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If you are inexperienced and go out spending thousands of dollars on a full kit of lights, I'm pretty sure you will be dissappointed with the results. When new people go using 3 or 4 fresnel or open face lights the results are often really bad. These lights throw a fairly focussed beam that will result in shadows all over the place.

It takes a lot of bits a pieces (and experience)to modify and control the light from these fixtures. You might be able to hire a light with a soft box attachment which would work fairly well by softening the light which makes it more flattering to the people in front of it and reduces shadows.

I have noticed in the behind the scenes stuff on RLD movies that they are using KinoFlos which are a flourescent light which is excellent for the type of work they are doing. However, they do come with a hefty price tag. So my suggestion is to see if you can hire these types of lights (The Kinoflo DIVA series will probably do all you need). Lowel also make a flourescent light called a caselight. These are a little bit cheaper, a bit stronger and will do the job as well. The other advantages of these lights is that they are low wattage so you wont be tripping breakers, and they are cool. A couple of 500 watt lights soon heat up a room.

Start off by hiring one or two of these fluro fixtures and see how you go. If you like the results then consider purchasing.

Another consideration is using a soft light attached to the camera in conjunction with your AC lights. Just a small 20w diffused light on top of the camera will help provide a bit of illumination for those close up dap shots when there are legs and arms blocking all the light.

Here are some manufacturer websites.
KinoFlo
Lowel Lighting
Chimera Softboxes

Edited by - The_Poker on 5/3/2003 6:30:44 AM

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Theres alot more to it than that
I use special settings on the camera itself, use special lenses and filters, and i shoot into the light sometimes for effect. I think this is one of the reasons i am so pirated on the internet as well, because of the crystal clear optics. I also do use lights on occasion.

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In other words, if you are using artificial lights, you may need to provide a high level of diffused lighting plus one source of somewhat-brighter, direct lighting. (You do NOT want a shadow-less environment! Flat lighting is ugly and boring!) Over the course of the various takes within the shoot, you may need to reposition both the lights providing the diffuse coverage and the "main" light in order to keep light levels appropriate for the positions of your subjects and to keep shadows under control. But remember the shadow's general direction - having shadows come from the left in one take and then from the right in another where the scene is edited such that the audience's point of view does not change is distracting to the viewer.

In a natural light environment, you may still have to provide some artificial light or use large, light-reflecting panels in order to control the overall brightness level of a scene and/or to soften or control shadows.

~ GaySatyr

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