Those big, expensive, professional lighting setups do look awesome and absolutely scream, "Hey, a movie is being made over here," but the days of needing all of those lighting units for your low-budget film is pretty much over. With today's super sensitive cameras, you can actually get a lot of use out of a cheap LED that is no bigger than a smartphone, and in this video from Aputure, you can learn just how versatile one of these pocket-sized lights can be on a film shoot.

Here are all the ways you can put a pocket-sized LED to work on your film:

  • Eye light
  • Car light/car dash
  • Subtle key
  • Space light
  • Accent light
  • Cell phone screen
  • Fridge light
  • Closet light
  • Computer screen
  • Tarantino effect

The light used in the video is the Aputure AL-M9 Amaran LED light, which is a pretty damn good unit for the price ($45). However, there are a ton of other great LEDs you can get for $50 or less that have a small form factor like the AL-M9, like the Bestlight 176, the Gigalumi 228, and the Yongnuo YN300 Air (all of which are cheaper). Keep in mind, though, that there is no such thing as the best pocket-sized LED light. Each one has different features and qualities that may or may not be important to you, from battery life to bi-color options, but if I had to choose, I'd say CRI, brightness, and dimmers would be my top three must-haves.

Whichever pocket LED you go with, there's no doubt that these little babies are insanely useful on set, because they not only make easy work of lighting in small spaces but they also let you get creative with your lighting design.

What are some other clever ways you can use a small LED on a film set? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: Aputure

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