Lighting is an important part of your filmmaking process, and can make a movie look spectacular. The gear needed for this is minimal. Six simple things can help make your movie look great.
Light Stands
Lightstands are reasonably inexpensive but are a vital part to your lighting situation. They help angle your light source away from the camera, and also support flash heads, the next part of this guide.
Flash Heads
Flash heads are your lighting. Without them, your lighting will not work. These usually come in a kit of two, and one flash can be triggered by another, so your camera only has to be connected to one.
Umbrella (Brolly)
A umbrella, or brolly, is the most standard form of lighting accessory. The flash is directed into the brolly and then reflected back to the subject. They are available in different reflective surfaces, and are usually white, silver or gold.
Softbox
Softboxes are technically more slightly sophisticated brollies, that create a softer and generally more flattering light, with a more even illumination. These are very useful.
Snoot/Honeycomb
Snoots are a tool that help concentrate or 'focus' the light. They can help isolate a part of a scene and be used as backlights to light up the scene that extra bit.
Reflector
A simple reflector can be extremely useful in a filming location. If you're missing natural light, this will reflect your flash heads and light up your actors to fill in any shadowy areas.