Lighting And Sound (play)

[Three Wolves In Snow]

Hi.

I know this is videography, and lighting and sound do play a big part in that, otherwise your video will be worthless. Regardless, I don't know if this is the right place to ask this....and I hope that if it's not, the mods will be kind enough to place it appropriately.

For someone who wants to start making higher quality videos, but is on a shoestring budget, what would you suggest for a good mic and lighting?

I'm aware that lighting needs to be white light, and I'm sure there are ways to create your own, "studio" lighting without spending a fortune, I'm just looking for some ideas. I've seen some homemade lighting but it required a bit of an electrician's skill and...yah, I'm no electrician. So for those of us who are not electricians and cannot wire things up, are there any suggestions for how to create good lighting, have a good diffuser, without spending a ton of money? (I understand natural light is the best but for videoing indoors....you need quality light without it being too harsh.)

Also, microphones. My DSLR has a mic, but that's not good when trying to make quality videos. I've read that some of the inexpensive mics (ie: $50 range or so), are just as good as those that are $200 and up. I'm asking if anyone has experience with some of these less expensive mics, and how they do with background noise. Does anyone out there use an inexpensive mic that they consider just as good as the top name brands?

Thanks.