I've said it here before... I love a good practical light! Simple, utilitarian. Oftentimes, quite beautiful. Many years ago, I shot a small indie film where our primary location was a musty, old recording studio (where magic happens of course). The space was huge and extremely dark. I needed to find a way to light the entire space on a limited budget and make it all look natural to the story.
While walking through the space one day, regretting ever becoming a DP... I had an epiphany! For about $300, I purchased a bunch of China balls, sockets, matching globes, and dowel rods. I spaced the balls out along the rafters, ran each rafter to its own circuit, and dimmer. BAM! I had an adjustable bank of room lights that were hidden in plain sight. They played as part of the aesthetic and even made it into the film.
While it's not my most expensive or admittedly best-looking piece of work, I've always been extremely proud of that set-up, mainly because of the boot-straps problem-solving involved with bringing it to life.
Share some of your most quirky or inventive lighting setups in the comments below.
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That's a great idea, Michael Fitzer, MFA! I like the way the scene looks!
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Improvisation, lighting, ideas, and lenses go hand in hand.
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The still of the set looks amazing the lighting was perfect. it has become a challenge with lighting to be original because it seems the Bi-color practical lighting teal foreground orange background has become the signature template.