DIY Lighting

A key requirement of effective lighting is the ability to precisely manage the distribution and characteristics of the light that falls on the set.

The most common and basic lighting control is a set of barn doors that are mounted on the front of the lamp housing. This simple mechanism enables you to control and limit the amount of light hitting specific areas of the set, or indeed allows you to completely flood the set with light if required.

The following notes outline how I made a set of lights for use on Valley Films shoots. The basic components per light:

	500 watt Halogen lamp
	A sheet of aluminium
	2mm wire
	Self tapping screws

(both of these items should be readily available from your local DIY store.)

	DIY video light with barn doors. Standard 500 watt halogen lamp from most DIY stores.
	Wire frame with fixing plates (see below). Made from 2mm wire sized to fit round the lamp housing.
	Fixing plates. Made from aluminium folded round the wire frame, drilled and screwed to lamp housing with self tapping screws.
	Make two panels (one for each side).
	Make two panels (one for the top, one for the bottom).
	Folder the edge of the first panel round the wire frame. Repeat for the remaining three panels.

And the completed lamp:

Barry Huckstepp

On behalf of Valley Films