By Derek Price
Editor, The Cullman, Ala., Times

Video lighting equipment on a budget is no problem for The Cullman Times.
We have rigged up some cheap solutions that let us make low-cost TV studio lighting from parts we found at Wal-Mart and the Home Depot. The results aren't quite as good as the pro equipment, but most people won't be able to tell the difference.
Combined with a decent microphone (we recommend the Azden SGM-X for about $110 from Amazon.com), our videos look a lot more polished than the amateur stuff that populates YouTube.

Here's what we use:

1. Halogen work lights from Wal-Mart (about $20)
2. A homemade light diffuser made from PVC and clearance-aisle fabric (see the attached PDF for instructions on how to make it).
3. A clamp-on work light from Wal-Mart (about $5)
4. A piece of reflective foam board from Home Depot (about $15)

These four things let us create customizable three-point lighting, just like in a photo or TV studio, for about $60 total. It's not a big investment in time or money, but the difference it makes for the quality of our video is remarkable. The light diffuser is especially important because it softens the key light, hiding imperfections in the subject's face. If we didn't use a diffuser, the hard light that the halogen work lights produce would put dark shadows on the subject and magnify any imperfections on their skin.