One of the things I like to do other than building things is to make films. In fact, if you haven't seen our pilot episode for the New Nerdy Workshop show then you should check it out. We set out initially to make a series of build episodes of some of our projects, but it just hasn't panned out yet. Maybe in the future?

Anyway, if you are into filming, or just want to get started then there are a lot things to consider. Writing, locations, actors, and sound just to name a few. Lighting is what it's all about in this quick little build. It's the down and dirty on rigging yourself a DIY light kit. There's a lot more to lighting than just a DIY kit. I try my best to blog about these things over on the HYSEY Films website. Also, there are some really cool ideas on these things from places like the forums at IndyMogul.com and the Frugal Film Maker.

For now, let's get dirty and start making a simple solution to improve upon the clamp lights everyone is so in love with.

Let's start off with the materials I used in this build:

1. 1 large plastic bowl from the dollar store. Actual retail cost was $1.15 those lying pricks.
2. 3 light bulb sockets from the hardware store. These would be replacements for a lamp. Ask someone, they can help you find them. I went for the cheapest ones they had that still had hook up wires already on it.
3. A plug and cord replacement. Get one that has as long a tail as you think you might need on set. This is another part you you can scrounge from an old extension cord that isn't used anymore.
4. A length of 3/4" steel conduit pipe. I went with this because of the strength of the material. This stuff will take some punishment over time and I want it to last. Most people like to use PVC, but it doesn't have as much strength. The choice is yours so really an 3/4" diameter pole will do.
5. Scrap wood. I have a large supply of scrap material around my garage and I used an old scrap of 4x4 and a piece of plywood. These would become the base.
6. Tin foil. Yup. Tin foil.
7. Spray Glue.
8. Light bulbs.

Get them downloads!

Start off by outlining where you would like the holes for the sockets to be. I just placed them on the bowl and used a utility knife to cut through the plastic. Then I wedged them in there. I used an epoxy compound to seal them in, but really you can use anything you have. These things won't be under any real weight load so it doesn't have to be super strong.

Once they are in and sealed in place it's time to start wiring. It's super easy. Splice all the black wires together (including your plug), and splice all the white wires together (including your plug). This will link the lights in parallel, which is what we want. Parallel will have the same amount of voltage across each bulb so they shine as bright as possible.

Line the inside of the bowl with some spray glue, but not into your sockets. Then start to lay the foil in. It doesn't matter if the foil wrinkles, we just need it to be reflective. Just poke holes to let the sockets through. Don't stress about complete coverage. As much as you can get is fine.

Use a 3/4" mounting bracket to hold it to the pole. You'll need some kind of bolt and nut to hold it in place. A little adhesive doesn't hurt either.

I originally cut just my pole to 7', but that's way too big once attached to the stand. I'm going to trim it down to about a 6' overall height.

For the base I simply screwed about a 1' section of 4x4 into the plywood square. On the exposed end of the 4x4 I drilled a hole wide enough to fit the pipe in.

The ultimate test of course is to see how well these things compare to clamp lights, the ultimate in cheap-o film making. The answer: Pretty darn well. the clamp lights only light a small section of the subject, while these home brews give a wide coverage area. They are also great for lighting the background to differentiate your subject from the foreground. Play around with different color temperature bulbs and you can really create some depth with just your lighting.

More ghetto rigs to come so stay tuned!