Hak5 Lighting
From Hak5
Note: This article is a bit dated. The season two set on Hak5 uses a similar lighting method but things have changed a bit. We'll eventually get around to writing a nice new set building article
After investing in cameras, lights, and microphones, building a nice set can often be overlooked. I’ll show you how to turn a boring room into something worth filming on a budget.
I’m often asked by up and coming video podcasters what to do about set design on a budget. I’ve compiled a list of tips and lessons learned from our experience doing Hak.5
Contents |
Covering Walls
White walls, aside from looking utterly boring on camera, can wreak havoc with a cameras white-balance; especially due to their high reflectivity. An inexpensive fix is to create a backdrop for your set using colored fabrics or bedding. We use a red king-size flat sheet affixed to a wall with pushpins on our set. When lit properly it does a great job of keeping subjects from blending into the background. Total cost: $15
Displaying Your Logo
While a 40†plasma screen would be preferable to display our show’s logo it’s a tad out of budget. A 60†poster of our logo however makes a great inexpensive alternative. Many copy shops such as Kinko’s can print large images on a plotter for just a few cents per square foot. For under $10 we were able to have our logo printed on a 60â€x36†sheet, perfect for tacking to the wall. A few things to keep in mind here:
- That price is for black & white prints so get creative with your logo.
- The copy shop will most likely require your graphics in a vector format such as PDF or EPS. Use the export function in your graphics application and avoid up-scaling bitmap images at all costs.
Using Room Corners
Shooting towards the corner of a room will often give you the widest shot possible; however a bare corner can look awkward on camera. We first used a shelf to bridge the two walls but have since moved to using a metallic pillar and props from previous mods we’ve done. The Pillar was constructed from a 7 foot piece of corrugated sheet metal, wrapped in a cylinder and fastened with machine screws and nuts. The pillar works as a great bridge, adding an industrial accent to the set. It looks awesome when highlighted with colored lights. Total cost: $15
Types of Lighting
While not necessarily part of the set in terms of what the camera sees lighting is critical in how the camera sees it. Professional studio lighting kits can cost thousands of dollars; however a 90% solution can be had for around $100. 4-point lighting is out of the scope of these notes so I recommend checking out this site. I’ll break this down to the parts of the system:
- Key Light
- The main light in your shot, off center from subject: For our key light we use a set of 500 watt shop lights on a 6’ tripod. These can be found at hardware stores for around $30. The lights are bounced into frame off a $10 frosted shower curtain, which is a great substitute for more expensive umbrellas.
- Fill Light
- Light bounced into frame opposite the Key Light to diffuse shadows: For fill light we use a $5 clip-on scoop lamp with a $5 150-watt incandescent G.E. Reveal bulb which beams onto a sheet of cardboard covered with crinkled tinfoil. The crinkled tinfoil diffuses the light and bounces it back into frame, softening harsh shadows produced by the key light.
- Edge Lights
- Highlight focused on the top & back of the subject: Our edge lights consist of several $5 clip-on scoop lamps, painted black with high-heat stove paint, and 50-cent 40-watt incandescent G.E. Reveal bulbs. The edge lights are suspended from the track lighting system 24 inches from the backdrop. They bring highlights to shoulders and hair, making the subject pop out from the background.
- Background Lights
- Illuminate background, often with colored gels or patterns: The background lights are similar to the edge lights; however they are focused on the backdrop. Patterns can be projected on the background by placing cut up tinfoil in front of them. Gels can be used to add color to the background, simply affix a sheet of gel to the light using wooden clothespins.
- Track Lighting
- Support edge and background lamps Rather than purchase an expensive and proprietary track lighting system we built a versatile track that supports our edge and background lamps. A set of $15 valance curtain rods are suspended from the ceiling, 24 inches from the backdrops, mounted with the included braces, mollies and screws. Since our lamps are of the clip-on variety this works well and allows for simple changes in configuration.
- Barn Doors
- Focus a beam of light to a specific area Most of our lamps are simple $5 clip-on scoops, painted black with high-heat stove paint. Unfortunately these act as dumb wide-beam flood lights which don’t work well as edge lights. For a more precise beam we created barn doors for our scoops that allow us to open or close the light as needed. They consist of disposable tin pie pans, black high-heat stove paint, and tinfoil. With a razor blade cut an X in the center of the pie pan. Fold the triangular flaps outward, and cover with stove paint. Then simply affix the plate to a clip-on scoop lamp, folding the edges of the pie pan around the edge of the lamp. Adjust flaps as needed for your shot.
Cost of example lighting system
| 7x clip-on scoop lamps | $35 |
| 2x 48–72†valance curtain rod | $30 |
| 6’ dual head 1000 watt shop light | $30 |
| Frosted shower curtain | $10 |
| 8x 40-watt incandescent bulbs | $5 |
| 150-watt incandescent bulb | $5 |
| Black high-heat stove paint | $3 |
| Power strip | $3 |
| Tinfoil & Cardboard | $1 |
| 3x disposable tin pie pans | $1 |
| Total: | $123 |
Further reading
- There are more tips on IPTV production at Backstaging.com
- See the Hak.5 production notes and show at Hak5.org
- For those wanting to construct their very own "ham" green screen on the cheap. Check out Digital Juice