xFade-L

 

Lighting interviews is the lifeblood for most shooters, including myself. And often times I’m at the mercy of the schedule of the person I’m interviewing and pressed for time. On top of that, I’m challenged with whatever cramped, dingy and sometimes poorly lit location I’m given. Creatively lighting my subjects under these circumstances can present a challenge but it’s my favorite part. Bi-color LEDs have helped me a lot because I can quickly dial to match most environments to make the light look natural and save the time of changing keno bulbs or gelling a tungsten unit. But now, many shooters have taken to using a single quasar xfade tube above camera to wrap their key for a soft light or even using a single tube as the key. Lately, I find myself solving most quick set ups using two quasar xfade tubes in the shape of an upside-down L to light my subjects. The idea isn’t new – with a setup like this, you can walk the light in until it’s just off frame to produce a soft, natural light. The “L” shape is perfect to ride the edge of frame where a 4×4 would be covering the lens already. I took this set-up and made it practical and fast for any size production.

 

To build your own, here’s what you’ll need:

2 x 4′ Quasar Science x-fade tubes

1 x Foldy Shelf Thing

4 x Quasar Mounting Clips

1 x Baby Pin Adapter

1 x Dimmer

I don’t like the dimmer, but I didn’t want to assemble a Lutron, so let me know if you find a better solution. I’m also assuming you have a c-stand and a bag. I use a combo with a triple-header when I’m on my own because I don’t own a c-stand. If you want to protect your lights in transit, I recommend this gun case as it fits this whole kit with room to spare:

1 x Plano Case

To assemble it, I drilled holes in the folding shelf thing and then bolted the clips to it. Make sure to leave room to grab the baby pin from above. Here’s a behind the scenes:

 

This is a gen1 xfade L. I’m sure there are plenty out there who have done it better. If you have a setup like this, or wind up building your own, please comment or hit me up on instagram @Desert.DP. Thanks and happy shooting!

(PS: I didn’t get any money from Quasar or Amazon.)