Ok, a bit of background for you: there are these things called "baby pins" that your smaller film lights go on. You find these pins on light stands, offset arms, mafer clamps, C-clamps, scissor clips....lots of places (bigger lights use junior pins).

I have found that there are limited opions if one wishes to light from a low vantage point. You can always put your light on a wall plate and hold it up with a sandbag (putting it on the ground in a horizontal position, you realize) but you run out of those and it's a waste of sandbags that could be keeping people safe somewhere else. Plus jury-rigs are never as good as grip equipment made for the purpose.

A pin attached to a lead plate would do nicely for inside and studio applications.

But for outside, on-location applications, the easiest, most efficient thing would be a simple stake about two feet long with a baby pin on it. You hammer the stake into the ground with a mallet, put on the light, and voila, dramatic under-lighting for Lumberjack Dracula.

These could be useful for outdoor concerts and theater performances as well.
-- Eugene, Mar 03 2004

Type 4811 http://extranet.mol...backpage/4811-L.gif
From Mole-Richardson
15 1/4" lowest height [thumbwax, Oct 04 2004]

la411.com http://www.la411.co...gory-1007-1114.html
Grip & Lighting Equipment Index [thumbwax, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004]

Is the technical film talk off-putting, or what?
-- Eugene, Mar 03 2004


Assuming you'd drive the 2' stake a good 1' into the ground, you're right - the lowest low lightstand I've seen has been just a bit over a foot tall - would *need* to be on a lower elevation to get the desired effect. Link provided is a .gif with specs from Mole-Richardson - seen early and often around my neck'o'the concrete jungle. For happy Googling - KinoFlo, Cinemills, Arri and Strand are other providers of lighting equip. that spring to mind.

You a grip or an indy flicker?
-- thumbwax, Mar 04 2004


I'm a film student. Grip is my preferred crew position though. Lately I've been leaning towards Art Department, but that's off-subject.

One could imagine a stake shorter than two feet, for Mini-Moles and Peppers. In fact one foot or less would probably the best size, because you could move it easier. My Grip/Electric instructor asked me what one would do if one wanted to move a light on a two-foot stake a couple of inches to the side and immidietely confounded my brilliance. Bad spelling aside.
-- Eugene, Mar 26 2004



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