diagram: inexpensive youtube setup
With this YouTube inspired setup, I wanted to hit 3 goals:
1. Use the cheapest lights in my kit
2. Achieve the YouTube creator vibe
3. Have a fully saturated back wall
summary
In order to accomplish this, I used only 3 tube lights and an amaran mat light to keep the entire cost below $1500 (and you could go even cheaper for sure).
The Amaran F22c works as a perfect key light, coming with a magic cloth diffusion and grid to keep those costs down. By feathering the light to spill towards the camera, the grid also helps keep the key from spilling on the backdrop and reducing the color saturation.
2x Aputure MT Pros serve to wash the backdrop in orange and blue tones. I could have gridded these lights to reduce their overlap but I preferred the swirly combination of purplish hues that resulted from letting the colors play together.
Lastly a third tube was boomed in just out of frame as a hair light to help with separating me from the backdrop!