What kind of lights do you use to take pictures?

sweet...

Sweet. Yeah, steady cams are nice, but expensive as hell...I think with me being me I could rig up something...an indy steady cam, as it were.

This is a great shopping list, albeit incredibly expensive. Guess I better start saving...

No man, thats the point....lol... you can make one for less than 30 bucks by watching my tutorial

Sweet. Yeah, steady cams are nice, but expensive as hell...I think with me being me I could rig up something...an indy steady cam, as it were.

This is a great shopping list, albeit incredibly expensive. Guess I better start saving...

yes, for somthing profesiional like a commercial, the Marantz PMD-150 with a shotgun o n a boom is the way to go... and I do have a lighting kit.... thats where my 30 bulbs come into play..lol. I already had them for video, but they get used for action figures more..lol

I have a mixture of stuff, http://www.lowel.com/popular_kits.html

also, a steady cam is great to have. I invented a Steady cam/mono Pod called the KyPod Steady..lol.. a video tutorial can be found on my youtube page.

Yeah, I meant for commercials and stuff. I'd imagine when you were making commercials you used more than your camera, for nothing else than to look more professional. Haha.

You have any lights that you use for filmmaking?

I know it's a lot of questions, but I'm actually making a shopping list based on what you're telling me. Of course this is for the future.

Yes, I did exactly what tony just said with my images.... but now that I have a DSLR I tend to play with my f-stops and shutter just cause I can... but if you have a basic point and shoot digital, just go auto mode and shoot under good light.. and Use "auto color" in photoshop, or the equivalent in other editors. and I know you have photoshop john
I love my Rebel XTi, so many functions but when I am in a hurry the auto mode never fails.

That's a whole lot of fancy talk about cameras, blows my mind.

I use a Marantz PMD-150 Digital USB field recorder and a Audio Technica Shotgun Field Mic with a boom

You put it on your computer VIA USB like an MP3 player, then import your editing program

But dubbing/syncing audio is a biotch, so if ts not that serious a project... I use the mic on my cam... cause agian. The Sony PD150 has an External on cam mic, unlike a built in internal mic like on canon XL2's

Oh ok. I'll be sure to do that...well I need to get a new computer first, and then Adobe Premiere CS3 definitely...

Then the camera. Haha. But I have no bills to pay right now so I think I can do it.

And yeah I recognized you in the Colt 69 trailer. I thought it was great. I would have had him say "Works every time" after shooting someone though...since that was ol' Billy Dee's catchphrase from the Colt 45 malt liquor commercials.

What kind of sound equipment do you have? You said you used to make commercials, did you use the mic on the camera, or do you have your own sound equipment? Boom mic and all that. And does it hook up to the camera, or do you have to record it separately and then somehow get the audio on the computer?

You just want to make sure to ask people what those play times are... its kinda like milage on a car. And all of the Cameras will have firewire outs for sure (the capturing output)


Thanks, did you watch the Colt 69 trailer? Im the guy playing craps by himself then he gets thrown in the trash..lol... thats also my voice you hear narrating.

That Donovan was pretty cool. Haha. I saw the name Robinson a lot. Family members I'm assuming? Good stuff. This indy director I used to work for used a Canon XL2, but that one sounds far better.

I've found tons of bundle deals on eBay with a canon XL2 as well as a bunch of other stuff. But 1300 doesn't sound bad. I need a new computer first, then I want to get Premiere CS3 (I've never used it before but always wanted to).

As long as the camera has outputs to hook it up to the computer so I can digitally capture the footaget I'm good...cause I sure as hell don't have a tape deck or anything.

What do I need to know about drum time, head duration, and all that?

I'm seeing some good ones right now on eBay. The only thing stopping me is not enough money. Haha.

YEAH, wait until you MUST HAVE THEM before you spend 30 bucks on them.....lol

and DUDE, we MUST talk... Im am a connoisseur of mini dv cams, I love the cannon xl2, BUT DO NOT GET IT... for the same price you can get either the sony VX2K - VX2100 or the PD150 - PD170

and if you were going to get a conon... get the XL1 not the XL2, the run the same price but the xl1 is a pro-sumer cam and the xl1 is consumer cam.

I have a Sony PD150 and I can tell you that it is the BEST pro-sumer 3CCD mini dv cam that exist in that price range. The Xl2 only has 1/3 video chip, which sucks compared to a 2/3 size chip that can be found on the sony cams... I have owned both XL1 and XL2 cams and I would never go back after my sony PD150... its the greatest thing ever. The xl2 have a fixed and NO XLR inputs mic also, which sucks...

Also, on a PD150, you can choose between Mini DV tapes or DVCAM tapes... (they are the same thing basically, but DVCAM is higher quality and has a shelf life 5000 times longer..lol this is cause the reels are thicker and that also means you can record over them 100's of times and they will not stretch out and lose quality like mini DV tapes after only 2 uses. Granted DVcam tapes cost about 25 bucks each, but well worth it... you also get virtually no dropped framed while capturing to you favorite editing program - im a premiere CS3 guy myself)

If you ever buy a cam, hit me up, and I can help you pick a good used one from ebay, there simple things you must know like, drum time, head duration and hours. You can get a GREAT camera for about 1300 bucks (they retail at 3000) its worth paying the extra 100-200 bucks.. (I say that cause you can typically pick up an Xl2 for about 1100-1200 bucks)

here is my camera


oh, and here is my last trailer..lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf_nfLQU_2k

and a sort film (live action anime style)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mDFS5EhR_Q

Sweet. Always glad to meet a film buff. So far I've only made short very amateur films. Like with a mini DV camcorder. I would love to get a Canon XL2. That's kinda what I'm shootin' for. It's great for indy stuff.

I have one of my movies up on youtube. It's the one I'm most proud of so far. It's a short trailer I made back in high school for my film class.



I would suggest watching it until the end of the credits. I leave jokes and stuff in there. Plus, it's a good song. I also have a cameo (I get punched) and I do the trailer voice over guy.

If you've got anything to watch let me know.

And the only thing stopping me from getting better lights is those 30 dollar bulbs you mentioned...

Yes, I did exactly what tony just said with my images.... but now that I have a DSLR I tend to play with my f-stops and shutter just cause I can... but if you have a basic point and shoot digital, just go auto mode and shoot under good light.. and Use "auto color" in photoshop, or the equivalent in other editors. and I know you have photoshop john


Sounds good. I'll have to play around. This is my first time actually playing around with photography...I need the practice though, since I want to make movies one day.

I do have a basic digital camera. It's just a 6 megapixel samsung. Nothing too special. I'll try moving the lights further away. I want to have the figure lit, while having the background stay dark, like I see in a lot of yours and Jin's pictures.

COOL, I make movies. My real aspiration is to be a filmaker, hopefully the toy industry will help me fund my goal.....

What you want to do with they tent you have is set the light towards the front to where the are almost on a plane with your camera, and pointing inwards at an angle towards the figure... this will keep your figure lit while keeping your BG mid-lit. And remember to turn all other lights off in the room wile doing shooting... you want the diffusion tent to do all the work, not the ugly iridescent room light (this will help keep out the orange tint as well)

in the future I suggest ditching those tripod lights that came with your tent and getting Natural light Blu-Lights. Then you will never need to colot correct again. and they are much brighter... I would say that you could use more light, even in that first pic.

Yes, I did exactly what tony just said with my images.... but now that I have a DSLR I tend to play with my f-stops and shutter just cause I can... but if you have a basic point and shoot digital, just go auto mode and shoot under good light.. and Use "auto color" in photoshop, or the equivalent in other editors. and I know you have photoshop john


Sounds good. I'll have to play around. This is my first time actually playing around with photography...I need the practice though, since I want to make movies one day.

I do have a basic digital camera. It's just a 6 megapixel samsung. Nothing too special. I'll try moving the lights further away. I want to have the figure lit, while having the background stay dark, like I see in a lot of yours and Jin's pictures.

Yes, I did exactly what tony just said with my images.... but now that I have a DSLR I tend to play with my f-stops and shutter just cause I can... but if you have a basic point and shoot digital, just go auto mode and shoot under good light.. and Use "auto color" in photoshop, or the equivalent in other editors. and I know you have photoshop john

I'm with Kyle, if you want good clear pictures for showing off your customs the first one is best, throw a few shots like number two just for flavor. Don't see why people play with the iso and shutter speed, just turn off your flash and set it on auto, as long as you have good lighting you should not have any problems, then just put the images in to any photo editor and auto adjust to take out the yellow in the pictures.

Well, I think your 1st image is way better, the second one is too dark, but like doc said its, cool for those dark sinister shots....

ISO is basically your digital aperture, it controls how much light you let into your iris


but yeah, I think the 1st image is way better.

Nevermind, I found it. You have to switch it to manual. It's on 100 though, which I heard is best to use. Guess I should go lower though.

It's a Samsung S630. 6 megapixels.

I don't see anything anywhere about ISO though.

xP What kind of camera are you using?

I don't think I know what ISO is...

LEDs look way cooler for those sinister shots!

Oh and turn down the ISO on your camera so those "speckles" go away.

DOOD, if you can, snag that... thats a great price. You will love it


Alright, so I bought it last night. It's wonderful. The only thing is, at least as far as I can tell, is the lights are too strong.

I might need to put them further back, but in the space I was working in there wasn't a whole lot of room. I took the same picture twice with two different lighting setups.

The first is with the lights that came with the studio:



Now this picture was taken using the LED lanterns I bought the other day:




I honestly like the LED's better.

Like I said, maybe I need to move the lights back farther or something. And I'm sure you Kyle mess with all your photos in photoshop before posting them right?

I was trying to get the figure lit while leaving the backdrop dark, but couldn't get it. Perhaps I need to mess around in photoshop.

DOOD, if you can, snag that... thats a great price. You will love it

What's funny is I actually saw that the other day. It was marked down to 38 bucks, and I might buy that one day. But I think for now what I got going is at least sufficient.

If you have 50 bucks to spare, head to wall mart and pick up a diffusion tent, it comes with killer lights... I replaced mine, but my bulbs I use are 30 bucks each and I wouldn't recommend them unless your a lighting nazi like me. The killer Ones that come with that tent are great.. and the tent is the shiz too

Looks like the clip art in this image


and this one

It's the image menu.

Then go to adjustments, then "auto levels". You can also manually fix the levels yourself, but auto levels does the trick. Doing a color balance helps too.

So which menu does this 'auto level' thing hide in?

Yeah I have it. I never thought to do that before. Haha.

I've been wanting to, but usually I'm so anxious just to get a new custom up that I take the pictures and upload them directly from the camera, haha.

I'm going to take more time now.

That's what Photoshop is for! I take pictures with yellow light, one button fixes it. If you don't have it maybe I can send you a disk. But you make comics so you probably have it already!

Most likely. I just wasn't sure if the yellow light from the bulbs would make the picture look ugly. Nobody likes yellow light.

I don't think so, you'd probably get moodier pictures if you did that, like this:

Well I guess nothing is wrong with LED's....now, anyway. Haha. I bought 2 of them but one didn't work...so I have to exchange that. Do I have to turn off all the other lights in the room to make the picture work though?

What's wrong with LEDs? I think they're better than bulbs anyway.

Now I don't think it really matters what kind of bulb you use, all you have to do is get Photoshop and click "Auto Levels" and the picture becomes perfect.