From your description, it sounds as if you will be shooting Night Exteriors. Is that correct?

Without knowing your script or having been on a location scout, it is impossible to tell you what you should have exactly. There isn't a "one light kit fits all" scenario out there as every location and every "scene" is unique.

I could suggest some random lights and light kits and other tools that professionals use, but honestly, they may or may not be what you SHOULD have.

Having said that, since this is the aspect of movie-making that "scares" you the most, I would suggest that instead of making an expensive purchase for lights and all the support you need for them to really do it all correctly, you should consider finding someone near you who already knows how to light correctly and well. It's not just about plugging some lights in and letting those photons fly all over the place. That's called "illumination" and anyone can do that. You are telling a story and that means you are creating some specific reality to capture on camera so you must choose the correct lighting instrument for every SHOT and know how to control that light to achieve the desired affect.

If you can't find someone experienced in your area to help you with your movie, then I'd highly suggest that you practice A LOT on your own before you make your movie. Get some random cheap lights that are around the house, like table lamps, shop lamps, flashlights, etc and play with them while shooting the tests. Move them around, mix them, See what happens when you move a light farther away or closer or when you block some of the light from the top, bottom, or the sides. Lighting is less scary if you've already done it a lot to see what happens in terms of control, not just of direction, but of QUANTITY, which affects your exposures. And that leads to the next part which is just as important --- how your lighting affects cameras settings, like aperture, and what THAT does to affect the pictures you are recording (depth of field, etc).

Making a movie can be as simple as grabbing any lights you have laying around and getting "the best camera you can afford." But when you're serious about actually creating a product that you have control over that will look and sound the way you want it to (without it being an accident), then having experienced PEOPLE to accomplish the necessary tasks becomes more important. And if you can't find any willing or able people near you to help, then it is up to you to either move to where they are, or to learn how to do those tasks yourself and someone do those jobs while directing.

In any case, if you can write back here with more details about your scenes and the locations, I should have a better idea of what specific lighting tools (not just the lights themselves) you should have available.

Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com
http://www.realfilmcareer.com