A video about studio lights
Occasionally when I buy something to help me make videos - I'll then make a video about that thing. This is one of those occasions. Over the last few weeks I've been trying to improve a couple of behind the scenes technical issues. One of these was sound, which should improve starting from the *next* video after this - I discovered an incorrect setting just after I'd completed editing this one.
The other issue I'd been having was with lighting. This video is about that.
In other news - production has been difficult this month as I've been rather unwell for a good portion of it. Nothing serious, just repeated bouts of colds and bugs. The only reason I mention this is that I may be forced to slightly reduce the number of videos I put out to give myself time to work on improving my overall health. I could certainly do with moving about more - this is a very sedentary occupation.
So yes this video is unashamedly a bit of a filler - but it's all I could muster after that mammoth second Mission Impossible video edit.
Hope 2019 is treating you well.
UPDATE: As is now tradition - following your input I've made some changes. Removed an adlib - added a section about the purpose of the plastic wedge (thanks for that) and while I was there I've done a quick demo with the lights at the end.
Comments (52)
Thank you very much for posting this! I shoot tabletop items for eBay -- mostly restored cameras and lenses but from time to time antique / vintage porcelain and glass. I'm using five LED bulbs in diffused conical reflectors, four mounted two each on tripods and one smaller one handheld as an accent light. The setup - like your old CFL rig - is cumbersome. Biggest problem is the color temperature. Household LED bulbs come in just three Kelvin flavors. My DSLR allows me to dial in a given Kelvin temperature, but the match is not ideal - particularly when trying to shoot white milk glass, or clear glass objects. And the color of the backdrop influences the way the camera records the object itself. That Neewer brand is well-established and carries a good reputation. The adjustable color temperature feature alone sells me on these - I can tune it shot by shot to match the colors of my subject and the background. Your demo video was most helpful. Now it's off to the web to buy two or three of these panels!
Apparently those panel lights are intended to be mounted from above and pointing down. When they are on floor stands and tilted down, the support arm fork is going to cast a shadow because the panel tilts back with the bottom lights shining on the back of the fork. Overhead mounting eliminates this problem.... unless they need to be tilted to illuminate something overhead...
Although I really wasn't into the subject, it was a very pleasant video to watch because of the sheer joy that this seemed to bring you. While the data was well organized and well-presented, you really had that "new toy" enthusiasm that we tech geeks can all relate to, so it was a fun watch. Hope you feel better soon, Mat.
The way you're standing behind the camera in the first part of the video made me think of the cover of the Elvis Costello album 'This Year's Model'
LOL!
Excellent video as always! On a different subject, I have heard you mention ‘audiophile’ vinyl records a couple of times, and I happened across one when browsing in a second-hand record shop the other day. £20 for Planet Waves – quite a lot for a second-hand record, but I thought I’d give it a try – and was amazed at how much better then my existing copy it sounds. Nothing can improve Dylan’s singing, but the music sounds to me to be much clearer – higher resolution may be the best way to describe it. My other copy is an original pressing from the mid 1970s, probably the nadir period for vinyl quality, and it is only a sample size of 1, but in the interests of investigation, I have ordered a new copy of a different album (also manufactured by Mobile Fidelity) to see if that sounds better than the regular copy too. I know that of themselves audiophile discs wouldn’t be a subject for a Techmoan video, but maybe next time you demo some equipment by playing vinyl records, it might be interesting to include one such in the mix? Normally, I am deeply cynical towards anything labelled ‘audiophile’, but in the case of my one disc, it really does seem to me to be better!
I often feel with any of these audiophile type discs - if they're claiming to be better, it shows that someone has made an effort at some point along the way. Whether it's half speed, 180g, remastered or whatever - the fact that it's attempting to sound better is a positive in itself. The main issue is that I only have one of each record - so there's nothing for me to compare them against. If I have the choice of buying a record that stated 'this time we made a bit of an effort' vs 'here's a standard record' - I'd always opt for the former, but more often than not, you just get what you're given. I'll keep the idea of using a better record in demos in mind for the future - although often I'm playing them on less than perfect devices.
Hey Mat, Remember the Clarke and Smith RNIB Talking book machine I mentioned a few months back? <a href="https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-TAPE-TALKING-BOOK-TUBE-AMP-REPRODUCER-TYPE-327-CLARKE-SMITH/283325349652" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-TAPE-TALKING-BOOK-TUBE-AMP-REPRODUCER-TYPE-327-CLARKE-SMITH/283325349652</a> I have no idea where you would get one of the HUGE 16 track cassettes, but it would be a start. :-) Made for Canada so 117 volt 60 Hz. I never knew C&S made them for foreign markets.
Funnily enough I’ve seen another of these machines a while ago, but I think the tapes will be the trickier part to locate. In the past I’ve made the mistake of buying players with no media and then never finding the media...so I’ve learned to start with the media and work back to the players.
I love videos about production methods! Keep on!
Interesting video. Lighting has changed quite a bit in a very short time. Hope you’re feeling better.
awesome. LED FTW!
Maybe not a killer video, but also not filler, Mat. Especially after the last few. I don't know how many of your viewers/subscribers/patrons have a keen interest in photography and the process of video production ... just me, then? Oh, well.
Still photography is an unpopular topic on my channel - one of the biggest surprises last year was how poorly the B&W retro photo camera video did. I watch a fair amount of photography videos online, but it seems that the people with a photography interest elbow out and drown out the videographers. It’s always been that way - I used to search the magazine shops for magazines that focused on amateur video production - but there was nothing. However you could get dozens of still photo magazines...some of which would cover video by stating at the end of a ten page review of a digital camera - ‘it also does video’. The problem with featuring anything about video production is that pontificating ‘photo experts’ will complain about it - even though it’s not aimed at them.
LED lighting has taken over the world - that video still frame reminds me of CRT vs Plasma tech :)
I love the way the colour temperature is controllable by a couple of simple controls. I bought dead cheap LED lights from China a couple of years back - which I love - and they do have barn doors, but I think I may have to look at an upgrade after watching this.
I feel I should have done this earlier - but I'm sure last time I looked there was nothing I could afford that did what I wanted. If I look back over the last few years, LED lights are one of the areas of tech that have really come on in leaps and bounds.
Before someone on YouTube comments about it: the main reason why movies were shot in Los Angeles was not merely because of light, but mostly to avoid patent lawsuits from Thomas Edison who was based in New York.
I'm really going to have to stop ad-libbing anything - there are always so many caveats to any statement, it's become impossible. I'll just stick to the facts. Back to the edit....
I’ll be watching this soon, hope 2019 is treating you well too Mat
Have you considered a ring light around the lens? Not great for just any case, but for your close-ups usual shots of your hands working on a device, it might help.
I've looked at them - but they've always looked a bit unwieldy, like they'd get in the way. I don't really like having things attached to the camera. Never say never though.
I can hear the excitement in your voice about these lights. Take care of yourself, Mat.
Welcome to the professional world of Manfrotto (yes, manfroTTo is the correct way). We use these in the rental business all the time for nearly everything. Especially the SuperClamp. :)
The arm and superclamp has been holding my camera for a few years now. They’ve earned my trust with my £1300 camera - so I’m happy to let them look after a £55 light.
Great vid! I have the 960 LED version (same brand) and will be getting another soon. They seem to be great panels for the money. I've had mine for 6 months, no issues to report.
Good to know, thanks.
You are investing a lot of money in technical equipment. But your videos show that. They are qay better thean the most, i see. Manfrotto is by no means top of the pro equipment. But way better than hobby. I use some tripos and video heads from them since many years, and they are as good as they were new. BTW, we would view your videos anyway, pro equipment or not, lol.
Maybe an additional shot at the end showing how well they light something on the bench? I realise it wouldn't look any different, but that's the point. Or maybe you could show a type of shot you couldn't easily do before?
If I’d had a bit more energy I’d have tried to do more of a demo. But when I was playing about as much of it was down to the camera settings as the lights.
Impressed with how affordable those LED lights are, hadn't realized they'd gotten that cheap. The ones I got a few years ago were a lot costlier back then and didn't even come with battery packs. Nice solution with those arms too, might have to try that in one of the smaller rooms I record b-roll.
Yes, the relatively low price (less than the mount8ng hardware!) was a surprise to me too. I might need to look out for some LED panels closer to me. Also of note, at a quick glance that battery connector on the back looks to me like it might be a common (Sony video camera originated one I think), so might be extra useful to those with cameras that take the same batteries. Could be worth checking into for anyone interested in the battery option. Ewen
Mat. I could probably help with any audio issues. 30 something years as a sound engineer in film, tv and radio gives you a few insights :) Happy to share.
Thanks, but please hold off any judgement on the sound until the next video. This one has a very noticeable problem that has since been fixed.
Thanks for the video Mat. I hope your health improves soon. It is amazing how technology has progressed with lighting. I remember 1 kilowatt lamps in TV studios. I like those lights and will get some for myself. I'd like to make a comment about the sound. I'm not complaining. Getting audio right is a dark art. You have spotted a setting needs changing and I look forward to hearing it. I have a tip from an audio engineer to pass on. While you are perfecting your technique, I suggest you load the finished video into Audacity. If you put the whole track in one screen you can see any abrupt volume changes and make notes. I make live shows and learned to record them. The Audacity view and the notes helped me improve my microphone and music settings. Best wishes.
I have a bunch of light boxes I bought about 10 years ago that I've used for photos, they're like your old ones except they hold 5 bulbs, and thus they're even bigger, and I use 4 of them at a time, plus smaller umbrella lights to try to keep the lighting even. It's overkill, but for photos, it works and the photos look amazing. But recently I've started to do video and for video they're a real pain to work around and I was thinking of replacing them. This is really timely info!
It’s so nice to get some floor space back. Trying to squeeze my two human legs in-between nine tripod legs never got any easier.
It's so nice to know someone who doesn't need advice, I was all ready to write you about Manfrotto equipment when you mentioned the arms, and then you instantly pick the correct brand to order! - A lot of my friends here in the states are as dumb as a bag of hammers, probably a big reason that we are in the mess we are in ...... sigh.
Those of us that live here are being educated at just how large the bag is and how many hammers are in it. I think I can safely say many of us were surprised.
The Mission Impossible video edit was itself a "Mission Impossible" - but I am glad you chose to accept it, Jim!
I think it might have been responsible for me self destructing.
Hi Matt, just wanted to say that your voice over sounds great now!
There was still a bit of a problem in this video - I’d dialled all the settings in for my headphones - but the editing package was laying it’s own filter on top - so it ended up being a bit metallic sounding. It’s all part of the learning process though. The next video sounds a lot more like how I’d imagined this one would.
@8:45 It looks like the little bit of plastic is to adapt the arm to clamp it to square and rectangular objects instead of round ones. It could also be something that you could attach to e.g. that shelf in your studio to quickly dismount and remount it. Hope you get well soon!
The only downside to some of the pro Manfrotto stuff is that they assume everyone buying it is a pro and knows exactly how it all works - so the instructions are non-existent. The only booklet included with this was a generic warranty leaflet that they put in all their boxes.
I’ve decided to divest myself of my large collection of audio stuff this year, and I wanted to make videos of the interesting stuff beforehand. I don’t have aspirations to match your quality, but I don’t want crap either. I have those same bulky lights you do but hate them. Thanks for this video.
January and February is always a wretched time for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere and this year is no different. Get well soon, Mat!
Yeah, it looks like the plague has hit both sides of the Atlantic. Ooof. I hope the decongestants and so forth will take hold.
Take care and get well soon Matt
A Techmoan video just before bedtime. Perfect timing. :-)
very timely video for me, I was just looking at picking up some lighting for some tutorial videos I'm planning.
Heal thyself, Mat. Get well. I love your content, but I love even more to hear and know that you're doing well.