Thread: Best Lighting for FCG

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I have a FCG on order: http://www.ghostbuilders.com./christine.html, and would be interested in input on lighting it. It's about 70", so it's pretty big. I'm going to put it outside, so it appears to be floating outside the 2nd floor windows, above my garage. I can light it from below, behind, or the sides. What I'm thinking is getting a 48" either single or dual blacklight florescent like this: http://blacklight.com/items/BLACK48BLB.

Is that overkill? Will it just light the entire area including the rig which I want to hide?

I also have a single 60w blacklight spot. I assume that will be too small.

I have no experience with this, please advise!

Hope this helps some, just some random thoughts here. I wouldn't worry about overkill with UV (blacklight) unless you intentionally want to dim your subject. It's always been the brighter, the better for me. Keep in mind that only material with "florescents" in them react to UV light. I doubt anything on the side of your house or your FCG rigging will be illuminated by it. In your case, I would get 2-48" fluorescent shop lights with back reflectors and 48" UV tubes (both from your local mega hardware supply store). Spray glue tinfoil to the inside of the reflectors and mount them on your garage roof as close as possible to the FCG directed upwards from about 45 degree angles. If the distance from the light source is too great, you might want to consider mounting the whole UV lamp inside of the FCG and let it ride along with her. But by all means......spray her down with Ritz whitening dye mixed per package instructions or Tide mixed with water through a spray bottle. Here is a short of my old gal. She is inside with a 48"UV on each side of her. I spray her down each year before hanging. Hope this helps some.http://picasaweb.google.com/VinceMac...47637011563010

something to keep in mind.

the light in your link is a 40watt t8 (t8 being the smaller diameter light)

some of the cheaper units only run 20watt bulbs.
def. stick with the 40 watters.

Good feedback, thanks. Due to time constraints, I just went to the local Halloween City and got a 48" florescent. I don't think that's optimal, it's a small bulb and may only be 20w. I'll have to look closely on the bulb, it doesn't say on the box. Halloween City, I'm learning, sells alot of "no brand name" stuff. So for this year I'll get buy, for next year I saw some very reasonably priced Chavet dual 48" lights that would almost certainly be better.

Vince, great video on your FCG, thanks! It's so helpful to see what you've done and hear how you did it. What I learned was that two 48" mounted close are not too much. She has a nice glow that is visible from far away I'm sure.

I might try mounting the light right behind the FCG, but I would think shining thru would be less effective than if I could get the light out in front and illuminating the surface facing the street. But both are worth a try!

Good point icyuod2.
rxnb90, I think you'll have to spend some time experimenting at night with your UV light source and FCG distances on the ground. You positively have to spray her with whitener for maximum effect. I've got a feeling you'll be disappointed if the light source is more than 6-8 ft away. Bear with me here for a minute......we're going to have to get your light closer to the lady. With some 1x2's spray painted flat black and a spool of 150 lb fishing mono filament, we can set you up with a temp, sturdy and effective prop. Post a cell phone pic here of the window from the front of your house and I'll have you a design by tonight that's not as obtrusive as you might think. It will cost you under $20 with no holes in the garage roof.
Good luck with whatever you decide.

An 18" black lite tied to a fan, as the fan turns to on side the light will illuminate it, as the fan turns the opposite direction, the FCG will "vanish" & reappear when the lite swings back,..... gives an eerie ghosting effect from the distance !

Vince -thanks very much for the offer! Below is a link to the area I'm thinking of. Outside, above the garage, between the two upper floor windows.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/55071152@N07/?saved=1

Keep in mind the FCG will be probably 3' - 4' out from the house, I've not mounted it yet, it just arrived in the mail today. What I'm thinking right now not having yet carried it out there, is that the roof over the garage is the best place to put the blacklight. Just lay it right down there below and in front of the ghost. Add a 6" piece of cardboard painted black to hide the light from the street view at night. But I'm changing my plans moment by moment as I try to dial this in. Open to all suggestion!

Dark Lord -The fan would be a good option if I mount the ghost inside. That's my fallback plan. It might be too big to fit well in the window, but as I get it out of the box and running I might change my mind. -thx!

Good idea Dark lord, ya got me thinking.
Thanks for the pics rx, a pic is worth a thousand words. Not at all what I pictured but actually makes the project simpler. It will take me a few hours to do some graphics and post so check back in the morning. Nice looking old gal you got there, can't wait to see the final project.

Originally Posted by rxnb90

Dark Lord -The fan would be a good option if I mount the ghost inside. That's my fallback plan. It might be too big to fit well in the window, but as I get it out of the box and running I might change my mind. -thx!

Could still do-able outside, use a few gravestones in front of fan to hide it.......

I mounted it inside because it was quick. And it would probably be better to keep it there early in the week, we have wind and rain coming in. But by Halloween I hope it will be clear and I can move it outside for maximum effect. As you can see, when it's inside I get great effect from the blacklight, but the downside is that only 1/2 of it is visible. The bottom 1/2 is obstructed. If I could have it ouside *AND* good blacklight illumination, that would be the absolute best!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/5507115...7625102502629/