LED Interview Light Kit Under $1,000 & 11lbs
I do a ton of single and two person interviews. A lot of which were done in rural parts of Africa with limited electricity. I needed to come up with something light and adaptable to augment both daylight and tungsten scenarios. Color temperature options were important because I like to take advantage of the natural light or existing interior lights when possible. That way I maintain a natural sense of the scene but highlight the talent(s).
This is a three light battery powered kit. But for the majority of my set ups I only end up using two.
The Key: Westcott Ice Light
This is the main source that will be lighting up your talents face from roughly a 45° angle. I love the Ice Light for this because it gives off a very soft and diffused light. It's bright enough for a two person interview and is contained in a tube. It's like having a soft box, but at a fraction of the size. At around $500 this will be the most expensive light in the kit. But it's important to have quality light on the subjects face.
The light is naturally daylight balanced, but they sell a separate tungsten filter. I've CTO filter paper that gets the job done for about $10. Just cut it into strips and clip or tape on.
The Ice Light only comes with a soft case, but I slide all of that into a Helix Document Tube which I found to work as an inexpensive hard plastic case for extra protection.
The Hairlight: Switronix TorchLED Bolt 220R
Also know as a backlight this light is placed opposite the key shinning at the back of the talents head. This creates a nice separation from the background. I love how bright this light is for it's compact size. I've use it for about 3 hours with the included battery. I'd add a mini ball head so you can raise the light stand high and angle this light down on the subject.
The Torch Bolt has daylight and tungsten colored bulbs so you can dial the temperature for either situation or use a combination for mixed lighting situations.
The Fill: F&V R-300 LED Ring Light
This is the brightest and cheapest of the lights in this kit. I find it to be a little harsh for the key, but with milk diffusion filter its perfect to "fill" in the rest of the face as well as the room. I don't always end up using this for every setup. I'm able to take advantage of existing lights or natural/window light I'll use that for fill, but I keep the R-300 in the bag just in case. It's meant to be a ring light, but I use it on light stand off camera, just like a small light panel.
I love magnetic filters and the way they click together. The light is naturally daylight and comes with a tungsten filter.
Lightstands
With such compact lights, we are able to use these lightweight reverse folding light stands. At only 19" folded up and 2.2lb you can't beat them for travel. I've found them to work great for microphones and GoPros too. I've even used them for small mirrorless cameras in a pinch, but only minimally extended due to weight.
I would love to hear what LEDs you all love that could be added to the kit! Don't forget to subscribe and let me know what else you'd like to know.
