Gathering light on accessories
In addition to all the complex, technical lighting tools detailed in the preceding sections, you also need to think about a few low-cost, simple accessories
that are a necessity on the set.
An expendable refers to an element that can be used up and replaced. Light
bulbs (halogen, fluorescent, incandescent) eventually burn out, break, or just
plain don’t work. They are expendable and have to be replaced. Tape, glue,
batteries, and even gels (which eventually fade, melt, or wear out) fall into the
expendable category, as well.
Clamps and clothespins: You use clamps and clothespins to hold diffusion cloths or scrims over your lights, as well as to clamp things to your
C-stands. Clothespins can be helpful to clip light things together, attach
or hang props, and so on. Your local hardware store has a variety of
grips and clamps in all shapes and sizes.
C-stands and lighting stands: C-stands can be lifesavers. You can adjust
these stands to varying heights, as well as adjust the extended folding
arm post into many positions for holding flags, cookies, scenic backdrops
(see Chapter 17), or props. Light stands are adjustable in height and usually have three extended legs that spread out to help balance the weight
of the light securely so it doesn’t topple over.
Sandbags: Sandbags may not seem important — after all, they just lie
there like a lump and don’t look very impressive. But when you have
unbalanced light stands and other pieces of equipment tipping over, you
may wonder how you ever survived without them. A sandbag is simply
a filmmaker’s paperweight. A standard sandbag weighs about 15 pounds
and resembles a saddlebag.
You can rent sandbags, buy them for about a dollar a pound, or make
your own. To make your own, fill empty plastic sandbags (you can find
these at most hardware stores for under $1 each) with play sand (you
can buy 50 pounds for around $4).
Gaffer’s tapes: Your gaffer works closely with you or your cinematographer to perfect the lighting of your scenes (see Chapter 7 for details
on the gaffer’s job). Included in the gaffer’s arsenal of tapes are masking
tape, Scotch tape, double-sided tape, and spray-on glue.
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