This BUDGET lighting gear from Amazon is INSANE!

The first 500 people to click my link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare:
skl.sh/ryankao06241
🔴 Win some of the gear used in this video - comment below and follow me over on Instagram so I can message you!
Mirrors: geni.us/DfLg05
Mounts for mirrors: geni.us/5wh63A
Frost spray: geni.us/ZzgK4
Mirror vinyl: geni.us/3hGAB
Amazing powerful light: geni.us/qLQxhG
If that one is sold out ⬆️: geni.us/xTqg
Smaller budget light: geni.us/5gh2z
Fresnel modifier: geni.us/ezL5DaV
Mini DIY haze machine: geni.us/vWcV5vS
Mini fan: geni.us/hEiSs
Mount for fan: geni.us/7PIlwm
DIY 6x6 overhead frame: geni.us/3tfFfqq
Unbleached muslin fabric: geni.us/kTP0
Black solid fabric: geni.us/HV6sM
Window ND roll: geni.us/5BPPX
Best budget C-stand: geni.us/OUf6
Clamp to mount frame or pole: geni.us/29LBrqS
Cheap stand for fabrics: geni.us/VCcjAHm
📽 My Camera Gear: (Updated Nov 2023)
Primary KZbin Camera - geni.us/FpAb
Stills / B-Camera - geni.us/pv0V
Cinema Camera: geni.us/QoifW8
Main Wide Angle Lens - geni.us/yHAP5Q
Main Lens - geni.us/JEBOLD
Cinema Lenses: geni.us/66pr
Best 7" Monitor: geni.us/jDFPFrL
Best 5" Monitor: geni.us/AK0qJDq
VND Filter: geni.us/btMeAJ
Mattebox: geni.us/DBi9Fl
Favorite Cinema Filters (10% OFF "RYANKAO10") - geni.us/ovr0
Best SD Cards: geni.us/FNEw56s
On Camera Mic - geni.us/twH1
Boom Mic: geni.us/RMKTEy
Audio Recorder: geni.us/rz2uBz
Camera Rig Tool (you need this): geni.us/JfIM
Main Key Light: geni.us/duR87V8
Big Softbox: geni.us/hAEsimu
📍🎬 My filmmaking and video editing classes on Skillshare: geni.us/OZyqjY
🔴 My Sony a7sIII Rig Breakdown:
geni.us/wuC3ICZ
🔴 My RED Komodo Rig Breakdown:
geni.us/bYzTC
► All of my favorite filmmaking gear: geni.us/DqpCu!
► The music I use in my videos: fm.pxf.io/QyPKyM
► Sound effects I use in my videos: geni.us/lmUK
Follow me:
► Instagram: / ryanmkao
► Twitter: / ryan_kao
► Snapchat: @justaskryan
Business Inquires: [e-mail]
Did you actually read the description?

[@RyanKao]

Had a tonnnn of fun with this one. Hoping to do more like this, let me know what other types of gear or setups you’d like to see?

[@abdul-haqqmahama3753]

@@RyanKao I would say carrying case or camera bag.

[@Menosfilms]

@@RyanKao here’s a good one, I want a flexible LED mat for overhead lighting since it makes your life easy. But I have LED panels that don’t weight much. I can hang it overhead but need a way to diffuse it and not letting it spill over the sides. Any ideas?

[@YCImaging]

Mirror and 6x6 frame ideas were genius! Dope video bro

[@RyanKao]

Only slight hiccup with the 6x6 is mounting it lol... couple super clamps does it but looking for some better hardware soon. Love you bro!

[@TheAaronalden]

With all the cheap gear on the market I miss all of the old DIY days. It's good to see DIY is still alive and well! The fan is pretty genius, and the scrim frame is a great option as well!

[@RyanKao]

Couldn't agree more! Thanks!

[@M.A.D.C.J]

Not commenting to win anything, just want to say that I'm glad you are still posting KZbin content, I look up to you so much as a filmmaker.

[@RyanKao]

You're the best and I deeply appreciate your Mikey.

[@petermorris8907]

So true! Keep it going Ryan.

[@sheldonnorton9035]

I found the best way to reproduce Lightbridge/Lightstream/Liteflow panels is to buy aluminum panels and learn how to polish them to various degrees of reflectiveness. You use a car polisher/sander with pads of 400 600 800 and 1000 grit and then aluminum polish for a mirror finish - lesser polishing for diffusion levels. Works very well and then add corner protectors on the sharp corners. For mounting use mini and regular magic arms with camera suction cup mounts to attach the various panels. Saved… I dunno $6K. LOL

[@paulhorn24]

Great idea/suggestion! Thanks a lot! 👍👍👍

[@sheldonnorton9035]

@@paulhorn24 Hit me up if you need help, if you actually start making them.

[@Hahahasanaha]

The fan in front of the fog machine is genius, can't wait to try it. Love from Lebanon!

[@BonifacioIVBorebor]

the came tv light value is actually amazing

[@brendandahlinnolan]

Reminding people where it’s worth spending money and where you can hack your way to solutions is SUCH an important learning! I’m so glad that you’re doing this, as the community seems to need this reminder every few years. The last great one I remember was PotatoJet’s Home Depot lighting run, and I’d put your video up there with his for hacks. Keep up the fantastic work!

[@shaaban_]

Mann the finesse is inspiring. The true spirit of filmmaking

[@PeterDiBussolo]

the fog with the fan idea is genius !

[@thechrishau]

Ryan - this is the first time I've come across your videos! I love your vibe and the way you speak to camera. So so good!

[@RyanKao]

So happy to hear from you Chris! I really appreciate the kind words. Hope life is good on your end!

[@GabrielJThomas]

I love the fact that you continue practicing your craft. Its a never ending pursuit!

[@mofuclarisu]

I feel like mirror, stand, and negative fill are underrated in KZbin video making, so many people focus on the camera and accessory but your video shows that reflection can make a scene beautiful

[@Mark_Boussios]

Great tips! Very cohesive and to the point video that proves there are no budget excuses to make a great image! Thank you very much!

[@adamivy]

Love your content bro. Been a fan for a while. Super helpful and engaging. Keep up the good work.

[@RyanKao]

Thanks for the support dude!

[@TAKUMISEGI]

6x6 idea is geniussss. also love the amazon came-tv light. looks super promising

[@RyanKao]

It honestly works great! Little weak compared to a proper 1" frame, but can absolutely handle most needs

[@goldpiecefilms2431]

I really appreciate a lot of the setups that you have shown. It has made me rethink how I focus on setups with lighting. Thank you.

[@RyanKao]

My pleasure!!!

[@tlukasiewicz6433]

Appreciate the good explanations and the insights shared, which have already sparked new ideas for my work. Thank you

[@samthomas7131]

Wedding frame was dope

[@bkid19]

I love the sun film on the window effect. I suggested this once and it worked wonders for our budget and I ended up getting a fair tip in the payment my client gave me at the end for saving them some money. loved the entire video!! Specially the fog machine. Going to save up to get that. Thanks!

[@baxslatton]

I love the overhead scrim idea! I saw a similar build for that but out of PVC from Lowe’s

[@simonbrooks8501]

I'm always amazed at the quality of some of the chinese "knock off" lighting and video kit. Some of it is incredible.

[@TheJ_G]

Someone finally covered that cheap cob light. I’m not surprised it’s sold out now. I’ve had one in my cart for months, amazed that it never sold out of the 2-3 it claimed to have left. Oh well. I always held off because I was worried the color accuracy would be pretty subpar. But always kept it in my cart for in a pinch kind of purchase.

[@ngowanjun]

As filmmakers who work with a limited budget and first starting out, these are actually some quite creative ideas to work things around, its always nice to see people solving problems rather than complaining I dont have this piece of gear thats why I can't create this💯

[@_iLLWills]

Been coming back regularly, always insightful and helps keep me motivated to get it done by any means necessary

[@RyanKao]

Thanks for your support!!

[@olacrau]

Always nice to see videos with cheaper solutions for filmmaking! Thanks man! 😌

[@ImagenStudios]

Great content, I have been struggling with lighting on my shoots. Lighting is much more important than people think. keep creating.

[@interconnectedbeing]

I absolutely LOVE to light a scene. As a one-man-band it can be tough and time consuming but so rewarding :)

[@RyanKao]

It really is!

[@GeorgeLoch]

Good tips. Big fan of diffusion of natural sources. Overheads outside look so nice.

[@RobertoDomeArt]

What a great video and tips. Going to try some of that for my channel 🙂Thanks for sharing.

[@bySeneca]

Love the 6x6 frame idea!

[@MarkThompsonJr.007]

Freaking awesome, just starting off in videography and this information will Help a ton, thanks my guy

[@MichaeliFox]

Great video, appreciate your ingenuity in finding budget options to get a similar effect with pro gear.

[@pseudomalandro]

Usually when I watch videos about budget gear, something that throws me off is how sometimes they say things like "this light is just 200 dollars" and simply show the gear. Here, I think you did an amazing job. Even though some of these are not as cheap as I would like, I just love the way you try to show us how good these are for the price, and also show how to take advantage on them. I even added some of these to my wishlist 😂 Props to you, bro!

[@ChesterBunglay]

I always come back to your channel when I feel uninspired! Great video bro!

[@RyanKao]

This is amazing to hear. Appreciate it Chester.

[@RobertGossCreator]

Great tips Ryan thanks so much for sharing

[@maximilliankoopman]

This was super helpful 🔥 I was pretty overwhelmed trying to find a light for my business I am trying to start up

[@RyanKao]

So glad this helped! Hopefully you can find something that works for you. Here if you have if any questions!

[@ericamurphy7074]

Love this! I am a student right now in photography and could use this!

[@GUTTYWOMACK]

Thank you for the pointers bro, I’ll be buying and using some of these soon 🙏🏾

[@AyannaCriswell]

Super helpful. Thanks for uploading!

[@RadeenChoudhury]

You're such an inspiration and your authenticity is really appreciated

[@RyanKao]

Thank you so much Radeen. Appreciate your comment

[@craigozancin]

The mirror idea is nice, I would use plywood or heavy card stock with aluminum foil over it instead. You could attach the mount to it using screws. It would be much more durable and lighter, getting you close to the same thing. I have used this trick when shooting food,

[@Cinematografun]

Nice tips, I added some of those lights to my set up. Thank you

[@JeffCorcelius]

Loving finding cheap or affordable hacks and gear. Neat trick with the fog machine.

[@JSPDL]

i needed this video fr fr, I was looking for a video that showed real life budget gear thats usable in the field, thank you!

[@RyanKao]

Absolutely!

[@DarioCalvo2]

I was looking for a content to find new ways to improve as a beginner filmmaker and this video its the perfect example to me to learn and find new stuffs. Thanks.

[@RyanKao]

Awesome, thank you Dario!!

[@reggimentmedia6105]

The mirrors with the frosted coat are a great idea!!

[@NeilHadynNicholson]

Great video. I am just starting out learning to do film making. I don't have a lot of equipment but I plan on adding a video to this channel soon. The frame idea definitely gives me ideas. I'm just waiting to purchase a wide angle lens and a decent key light to start. I love the look/color grading reminds me of I do with photos.

[@KnittedRagsOG]

Your methods have inspired me a lot! ❤ Hoping to improve further in my journey 😃 Specially that ZV-E10 video was such a motivational one! Thanks Man! 😊

[@hanfpeter4190]

bro your production level is so high!

[@OrenArieli]

Another frugal tip is to get charcoal/black fiberglass screen door material as a scrim. It will give you about 1.5 stops as a single, but you'll want to keep it out of focus, or you might get moire patterns. Makes no noise, unlike window film that isn't being applied to the glass.

[@bissscience8689]

Great texture! I like your overall look. So much cinematic.

[@RyanKao]

Thank you so much!

[@tadikovideo]

Nice vid. Big fan of balling on a budget ngl. Some folks are so bent out of shape about specs when all they need is a good output and good color rendition.

[@noathecrip]

Always fun when a video like this gets made. Especially with everything being work-work-work; It helps re-inspire me to get back into the fun that IS storytelling/filmmaking. Dunno if the giveaway is still going on, but would be dope to add this light to a setup for YT and for productions! 🙌🏽

[@jmsmusic]

good stuff. very helpful and lovin that small smallrig light!

[@Oscariver]

Amazing tips, mate! 🙌🏻

[@MarcosRomero]

This video is so sick. I feel so encouraged. Playing with light is the current thing I'm working on, I just bought my first powerful light and cant wait to build my kit with more lights and flags and gaffing gear.

[@RyanKao]

Go for it man! Thanks for the watch!

[@stage5_]

I own a few of the came tv lights. I’m actually shocked that more ppl aren’t talking about them. Powerful light. Built like a tank besides the plastic knob. App controlled. I would say it’s as good or better than every budget option from neewer, gvm and other companies in the lower tier. Especially considering the price.

[@randalalansmith9883]

The most evident thing I've learned from film school people on youtube is that the standard for "the cinematic look" now required 87% shadow in the frame, even if you have to go 1.5 to 2.0 stops under. Then just add smoke.

[@Menosfilms]

This couldn’t have came at a more perfect time. I have been looking for scrims and just been trying to find ways around spending that money. Thanks man!

[@RyanKao]

No problem 👍

[@Zero-is-infinite]

The mini fan in front of the fog machine was clutch. I’d like to get into product photography to get funds for more gear, and there’s a ton of smoke shops with very little to no branding or content, that tip will be super helpful.

[@angelbarclay7109]

Super sick video Ryan! Definitely keep it up with the Amazon finds !

[@RyanKao]

Yessirr! More to come

[@phillpine]

Great video with so many practical solutions for lighting a scene. Thanks for this amazing content!

[@RyanKao]

My pleasure man!!

[@luckyscamera]

Great suggestions and reminders

[@juancastro8145]

Great video showing us what can be done with a budget!

[@hopfanpensacola7132]

Great video, just getting started so thanks for all the helpful tips

[@RyanKao]

Glad to help!!

[@vinsonknight6742]

This was great thank you❤ I learned a lot

[@bhgemini]

Loving the tips. That fog/fan idea was so good.

[@RyanKao]

Glad you liked it!

[@Spikiz]

Fire tips as always !!

[@unseenraven]

Commenting hust to thank you for putting the information out there. That budget stuff aren’t always bad.

[@2020Viision]

Very good video, very descriptive and good use of props. I’m trying to learn video and filmmaking myself and it’s tough! I’ve been looking at some out of my budget lighting recently so thought why not try this

[@RyanKao]

Glad it was helpful! Best of luck to you

[@devohnhenry5828]

Brother this is amazing, thank you so much!!

[@postproductionmentor1081]

this is my fav video, taking cheep lighting and use it to create amazing results

[@RyanKao]

So glad you enjoyed it!!!

[@aaronghdesign]

Light would come in handy, trying to improve my lighting gear for my vlogs and branching into wedding videography. Also love your quality content 🫶🏽

[@ricardorodriguez2607]

Awesome video brother. Appreciate all the info!

[@UmairSharif-j5t]

Don’t stop posting such content ❤

[@bexiexz]

NEED THIS LIGHT

[@kevin.creates4941]

This is a very expensive industry to be in but I love every bit of it. Thanks a million for showing us these more inexpensive options… i bought the Ulanzi fog machine and i love it..great idea by adding the fan. I’m not saying you’re a genius but you are making some genius moves lol

[@CX3Productions]

The audio on this video is so immersive and beautiful sounding 😎

[@dpixvid]

Like the mirrors and the diy haze fan on mount ... nice

[@KenDavis-uo8kq]

Little grip trick for NDing windows - bucket of soapy water and a squeegee 😉. Works great. Hard gels are another matter and a pain in the cranium. Oh, and Rosco is another go to. 👍

[@patrickcasella]

this saved me on a shoot recently. excellent trick!

[@KenDavis-uo8kq]

@@patrickcasella checked out your channel, pretty cool. 😎 If you’re ever working on a film in LA and wanna free hand, I like working on indie stuff when my schedule permits.

[@patrickcasella]

@@KenDavis-uo8kq absolutely, do you have an instagram or email where I can reach out to you?

[@RyanKao]

Ahh this is so good. Thanks for stopping by man

[@IvenChaqueco]

Mirror idea is a must try! Awesome video!

[@mk-gf9kg]

It is always nice to try out new lighting techniques at home. The homemade mirror reflector looks really good!

[@RyanKao]

Yes! Thank you!!

[@SiThuVisuals]

Been thinking to get one light for all around and this video pop up. Helpful video as always. Thanks 🤩

[@RyanKao]

Glad it was helpful! 👍

[@catoarce]

Working with light is frustrating and inspiring at the same time. I like it when I find the way to do more with less. Still. it is always good to have the right equipment, so no to have any excuses to procrastinate. Thank you for the tutorial.

[@RyanKao]

It can absolutely be both! But it's such a great tool in every way despite initial reservations. You're more than welcome. Thanks for the watch.

[@aumer-amr]

This is so cool, thank you for sharing!

this is amazing thanks so much for the upload!

[@javiercabrera4244]

Thanks for posting Ryan!

[@RyanKao]

You bet Javier!!

[@luissalazar2021]

Great job team! Thanks for sharing

[@ronmayo4041]

I have Nanlight FC500 and Same Fresnel. Loving this video, great work.

[@RyanKao]

Thanks for watching!

[@BenPatrik]

Gotta try the mirrors!

[@stefansup]

i've been looking for a good light for some time now, this is actually a great idea!!

[@RyanKao]

Glad you like it!!!

[@hermansweddings]

Greeeat inspiration and practical tips , thanks mate! :)

[@supakul.4487]

So inspiring for everybody on a budget!

[@BYJAMESDAVIS]

SUCH A FIRE VIDEO MAN!!!

[@RyanKao]

Thank youuuu

[@Theropeway]

Ryan i would love to see more recreational shots from movies and personally that was my fav video of your channel ( practicing cinematography in cheapest camera one that you made previously ) and really helpful video btw ❤🤝

[@RyanKao]

Great to hear. I have a lot of fun making them, so it's definitely something I'll continue to pursue here on the channel!!

[@gm5155]

Your video is a gateway to get into cinematic lighting

[@elfilmslike]

making lemonade out of lemons, love it!

[@Daniel.K.Crandall]

Fantastic video - this is so helpful. Thank you!!!

[@romanfernandez5349]

Great video for people getting started

[@RyanKao]

Thank you Roman!