You’ve got lights but you need a place to put them. Let’s talk stands.
Perhaps the biggest factor of making an image look cinematic is lighting, but before you start throwing them up all over your set, you’re going to need a nice, sturdy, and safe place to mount them. Enter the light stand, one of the most foundational tools of cinematography. However, how do you know if your light stand is any good?
Kevin Anson of Basic Filmmaker goes over a few pros and cons of different quality stands, which will hopefully help you figure out if you want to stick with the flimsy one you got with your lighting kit or if you should splurge and get yourself a herculean C-stand.
Saving money is huge. Most no-budget filmmakers don’t have the means to purchase the best, most high-quality gear, and this can cause a lot of issues down the line when stuff starts breaking or failing, turning your set into a pit of doom for both your crew and equipment.