Best lights for beginner?

[craigbuckley]

Very true.... I was only looking for a longer cable because I figured someone else would be working the audio, with microphones and the mic away from the camera. Wouldn't it be better to have the controls near him and not me control it while i film?

And I def need xlr in

[Axel]

[quote name='craigbuckley' timestamp='1350087667' post='19695']
Very true.... I was only looking for a longer cable because I figured someone else would be working the audio, with microphones and the mic away from the camera. Wouldn't it be better to have the controls near him and not me control it while i film?

And I def need xlr in
[/quote]

Your solution is an [url="http://www.amazon.com/DR-40-4-Track-Portable-Digital-Recorder/dp/B005NACC6M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350100008&sr=8-1&keywords=tascam+dr40"]external recorder[/url] with XLR, phantom power and good enough controls. With FCP X, you let the synchronization analyse all clips (best with your voice naming the take at the start), drink a cup of coffee, and then you have compound clips. All you have to do then (or later) is un-checking the unwanted audio tracks (i.e. the ones with the fail-safe level of minus 3 or 6 dB) in the clip's information window.

[craigbuckley]

1.Would you go external recorder over one of those beachtek pre amps?

2. I just realized I have a mixer (that I use for my guitar and piano) that says pre amp on it. It has XLR input for mics and has a headphone jack, now the outputs are either 1/4 inch or RCA (red and white), I have the option. Would this work if I used this as a preamp?

[jgharding]

[quote name='aaronmc' timestamp='1350065251' post='19674']
jgjarding,

You mention HMI lights on your site post. Have you ever worked with them? I'm curious because a very salient memory of mine is when I was driving through the Rhode Island College campus back in 2006, and there is a satellite elementary school in which primary-ed students can learn in a practical environment.

The elementary school was being used as a location for the never-aired CBS show "Waterfront," and the scene's involved Joe Pantoliano's character's daughter in school. They needed to simulate daytime, so they had these MASSIVE circular lights set up blasting into the school's windows. Considering their size and brightness, I can only assume that they were HMI. Is this correct?

I read up on HMI and it doesn't seem to make sense why anyone would use them? Never use past half-life? Can EXPLODE?! Is it only the color temperature that is desirable? And if that's the case, can we expect LED and fluorescent to completely obviate HMI at some point in the future? Or is it also the sheer throw of the lights, something that neither LED nor CFL have?

And finally, as I eviscerate you with questions, why are HMI the go-to arc lights for the film industry? Why not other arc lights, especially considering that many of them have better safety profiles?
[/quote]

Yes, I used Arri HMI lights on this shoot: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgh-RSJh_Qw[/media]

Buying the following lights would be pretty mad. LEDs are worth owning though as they're so cheap. HMIs and Kinos are really hire lights. The stage has two Kino Divas with tungsten bulbs, while one Arri HMI 575 lights the curtain, and an Arrisun fills the stage from the upper circle. The Arrisun was so bright it has to be run on minimum and gelled with frost gel in order not to flood the stage too much. It's that powerful. I lit the scene it myself, believe me that's hard work as those lights weigh a lot, as do ballasts, sandbags and C-stands! Exhausting!

I also used a tungsten spot for the dancer, but it was a bit too dim, learned a lesson there!

HMI lights have a consistent colour temperature as well a powerful [i]quality [/i]of light, they are often described as 'punchy' and that's a word that suits very well. The fluorescents have a lovely glow to them. LEDs sit somewhere between, though to make them brighter you need more, thus a panel with a larger area that becomes harder to direct. They're a good cheap inbetweener though, and they can be battery powered (with [i]expensive [/i]batteries).

HMIs kick out insane levels of brightness for the watts, hence you seeing people using them to[i] [/i][i]augment the light of the sun!!! [/i]These are the only lights that will let you battle reality to a certain extent, I've found. I hope some of that is useful!

They aren't cheap to hire just to fool around with, but if you can find a budget this kind of lighting will kick the look of things up a notch.