That kit isn't bad, but you don't have a whole lot of control, and isnt the strongest light. If all you're doing is interviews, this is a great kit for the price. But if you intend to do anything more its not terribly powerful.

You have to read a bit, but inside the soft boxes are three standard sockets for CFLs. So you can't get much of a hard light if you wanted it.

In terms of a lapel mic, it depends what you're shooting with. I assume DSLR, so this is probably a good, cheap if you don't have an external audio recorder like a zoomH4n. You may also need an 1/8" extension to sit back away from the subject.

http://www.google.com/products/catal...d=0CJcBEPICMAE

You should look into renting the gear you need. Three lights and a lav. mic won't cost too much. Just tell the rental house its for a School/low budget project and they may cut you a deal.

I'm sure I'll want to use it for more than interviews down the road but I simply can't afford to spend much right now. That freelance gig fell through anyways but they do want to work with me down the road. I think I'll just save up a little for a good kit and if I don't have enough by that time I'll see what I can get with a rental. As far as the mic goes, I forgot to mention I'm looking for an xlr lapel. I'll be running the audio through my laptop. Thanks for the halp.