Duvet dampening decision!

[slimbob]

Guys some thing amazing as happened to me!!

Listen to this.

My mate (25 years mates) came around and he use to be in a band years ago and they recorded in a rented lockup (£5 a week). Anyway he said the sound was awful so they needed a budget solution so they bought second hand winter 15 tog duvets from local charity shops and basically enclosed themselves and there equipment in inside compartment made inside the lock up by hanging the duvets from hooks in the ceiling.Plus they put them on the floor and ceiling too.

He said the improvement on playback was much improved for in essence very little outlay.

Wait it gets better!!

No my basement gym /studio will be used for may years in the future for my cat project and other project and I would like to get some music in future videos too. He came in and had a look and said my cellar was a terrible environment even if just used for vocals never mind instruments he said the echo was terrible.

My cellar has no carpet, wallpaper and bare ceiling plus behind the old bar is a 4 foot by 4 foot hole leading under the old conservatory. This extenuates the echo.

Plus it is full of metal!!! Weights. Gym equipment and a 1 tonne fire proof filing cabinet. How did I get a 1 tonne cabinet into the cellar you may be thinking?

Well it involved me & the same friend loads of rope and a transit!
Long story and it was one hell of a day put it that way!
My mate and me go back to primary school and we are both hitting 40 now so I trust this guy!

Anyway back to subject. My mate laughed and said that I could not of picked a worse place audio wise)!!!!

Now I am limited in my house and this is the only room I can use for my studio (love saying that)!!.

Wait it gets better !!

My mate is a ebay trader and he has just bought a job lot of Winter 15 tog king size 7 foot 7 inch by 7 foot 3 inch duvets. They retail for £35 and he will let me have each one for wait for it £4 !!!!!!

No joke!! Because we are mates and he owes me a favour

Plus as we go back 25 plus years as best mates he even said he would take the day off and help me set it up in my studio!!!

He said for less then £35 I could enclose a soft inner compartment in my terrible cellar for filming and recording sound due to all the hard surfaces and metal everywhere.

It gets better!

Midnight mentioned about flagging light to stop light spilling onto my background.
Well I can design this into my flexible duvet dampening system (sounds good) so minimal light will spill on to my background, which will I light separately and keep experimenting with.

Plus as we are attaching hooks onto the ceilings it is not permanent and can be erected in about 10 minutes before I shoot and taken down in 10 minutes after or left up if I have a few continuous days of shooting!

All the duvets can be tied up and stored on top of each other in my small spare room sorted!!

Plus as this is completely portable I can take it with me if I move house.

Sounds like I am a salesman or something here!

Now my mate said it will hardly be a professional sound studio but for less than £40 it could really help improve the acoustics in my studio.

Plus I have had to scrap takes were certain words spoke loudly echo and distort.

He said that acoustic foam is much better but out of my price range.

He said the duvet idea is not his invention and lots of amateur bands use it in their early days.

He also said that duvets especially on the back of me and facing wall would be really helpful and reducing sound reflection. Plus he will help me board up the bar so I will have no hole behind me and instead a solid wood background which will have a winter 15 tog duvet on underneath my curtain background.


I need to let him know by Sat as we will get this baby set up on the weekend as he is off work.

Thought I would post here for feedback about idea?

Basically investment of £35 and a time to do (ie) 1 day.

That must be a good investment surely!

However I am all ears.

Cheers guys

Bob

[Midnight Blue]

Sounds like a good idea to me. so long as you are not too confined by them for the lighting set up etc. I have heard of News reporters going under a duvet in a hotel room to do a voice over piece for a news report, so what's good enough for the pros. must be good enough for us.

I'm glad everything is coming together for you. With the amount of enthusiasm you have, you deserve it.

[Rembrandt Rob]

Duvets are magic. In fact any soft furnishing (old comfy sofa) will help dampen down a "lively" room. Older, thicker duvets are the best.

[slimbob]

Brilliant Midnight !

You are right I must not be confined ......I will make sure of that don't want to smother myself in 15 tog quilts !!

At least I would die in comfort and warmth I suppose but what about the project !!!

Midnight the great thing is this set up will be totally flexible so I can experiment with shapes. (sounds like I am in nursery school or something!)

I will make sure to allow enough space for lighting and equipment plus I can play with "flagging" as you pointed out to me in previous thread I thought flagging was just linked to pavements and patios not light control you live and learn.

I will tell my mate yes.

I will make sure to include footage of my (SDDS) "Specialised Duvet Dampening System" in the video of background and light improvements as soon as humanly possible .

I am off to get some hooks in the ceiling right now ready for the weekend.

I'm on it .

p.s- I am always like this .... enthusiastic I mean ....life is to short so much to do!

Thanks for saying I deserve it.

[slimbob]

Rembrandt Rob!!!!!

I have heard a lot about you (all good) from Tim and Midnight.

Thanks for input about Duvet Dampening system.

Yes I will make sure to use 15-tog winter only £4 for king size!

I have got a good feeling about this set up!!!

Rembrandt Rob I know you are the lighting guru and I posted a thread (I am new hear) called key light based on what I have learned from reading as many of your previous posts as possible on lighting.

I am a complete novice by the way.

Tim and Midnight have helped so much already and I am indebted to them both but they said when you returned you might be kind enough to give me some expert advice too?

If I posted a question on lighting would you help me out Rembrandt Rob?

I am on a small budget but really want to do the very best I can for my project.

I will give details of my set up and goals now and in the future.

It would mean so much if you could.

At present I am experimenting with clamp lights off ebay and old 100-watt incandescent bulbs.

I will be able to play around with flagging (Midnight told me about it) with my flexible duvet studio system

Cheers

Bob.

[TimStannard]

Thought I would post here for feedback about idea?

Seems a sound idea (pun intended). And it's also useful if a bunch of mates suddenly unexpectedly need a sleepover

[slimbob]

I like it Tim !!!!!

Yes it could act as a base camp too you are absolutely right !

This is getting better and better.,.... All for £35 !!!!

Tim while you are here listen to this!I

I just bought a new genuine Panasonic CGA-DU21 battery off ebay for £8 delivered, I know you have a NVGS400 too so I will make sure to keep a look out on ebay in case any more turn up .It was listed in wrong the category Tim!!!

I will P.M you Tim if I find any more in case you need one (fingers crossed).

Thanks for feed back on (SDDS)

P.S - I hope RB agrees to advise on budget lighting set up.This is one hell of a forum!

[Rembrandt Rob]

Slimbob, we all come on this forum to learn and share what we know, so yes, if I have the time I'll gladly help out if I can. If I don't then it's probably because I'm busy and please, don't take it personally.

But when it comes to practical advice, Tim and Midnight are the topmost guys...

[slimbob]

Thanks very much Rob for answering my call for help/advice.

Yes Tim and Midnight have been so much help and I can't thank them both enough but they both recommended I ask you about my light set up when you return as when it comes to lighting they have learned from you .

Rob I totally understand if you cant answer my question due to time/busy.

I will spend time now to write about my situation and what I am trying to do and keep it as short as possible with facts that might help.

Appreciate you might not respond and this could be a waste of my time but hey its worth a try and potential benefits out weigh the negatives!

I will get on it Rob and post under a thread called Rembrandt Rob lighting question.

even a single sentence response is much appreciated.

Thanks regardless.

Bob

[slimbob]

O.k here is my situation and questions Rembrandt Rob,

Here goes.
Helpful info

Equipment

Panasonic nvgs400 MINI DV camcordrer (SD)
Rode NT3 MIC and stand
Eight 10” inch diameter clamp lights white inside (250 watt capacity)
Variety of incandescent bulbs from (40 w to 100 w)
Studio

Old basement cellar (16 foot long 14 foot wide 7 foot tall)
Duvets used to enclose filming/recording space.
No windows!

Me (Subject)

Rob I am 8 feet away from camera lens sitting down
There is 3 feet between me and my background curtain.

Nobody operating camera (i.e.) filming my self-sitting down talking (comedy/stories)
Can move about dynamically in seat but always-seated in same position.

Make up = cats musical look, colours yellows/oranges and browns.
May have second character black/greys and white.

Current set up (Basic 3 point lighting)

Key light = 5 and half feet away from face approx 45 degrees shining down on me.

5 of my clamp lights with 100-watt Incandescent bulbs in. Experimenting with how many on and different bulbs strengths.

Fill light = 7 feet away from face approx 25/30 degrees shining down on me

2 of my clamp lights with same bulbs as key.(Experimenting)

Backlight = 1 or 2 clamp lights ceiling height same side as fill light shining down.

P.S – Considering up lighting background curtain too with coloured bulb same colour as curtain.

Questions

Rob realise that my set up is very cheap and I think it is good to have goals to aspire to. As a future goal I am aiming to get the set up you recommended in a previous post.

Key - Ianiro DMX ICE (2 55w kiniflo tubes) Tung
Full – Basic light (ie) 250 watt photoflood with umbrella / Chinese lantern
Back = Basic light (incand/halogen 100w)

I think this set up would cost about £500 all in and is the most I would be able to invest in the future.

With regards present situation what bulbs Rob? Photoflood or stick with incandescent.
Midnight made aware of halogen bulbs can shatter and best avoided from safety perspective as no protective glass between my lights and me. I was considering GLS halogen 100watt before I found this out.

Learned from you that Tungsten (3200k) is good for skin tones but I am in makeup?? Yellow/orange/brown is this not an issue for me (no skin exposed)
What best colour temp etc? Incandescent ,halogen???

Have used normal unbalanced CFL (all same brand) but realise these are not the best for me and more importantly the environment!!!!!!

Was considering daylight (CFL) until Tim kindly pointed me to your previous threads!

Any advise with current set up Rob?
Should I scrap clamps as key and use halogen work light (500w) with shower curtain etc?

Should I invest now in budget Photoflex skyline soft box (just abut afford)

Rob this isn’t some whim or phase hobby!!!
I want to do the best I can and realise that lighting is foundational and so important.

I can’t thank you enough for any response/help/advice that you can give a newbee like me Rob .

Cheers and all the best

Bob