Basic lighting setups and concepts explained for indie filmmakers and video content creators.
Ring lights are one of the most common lighting choices for YouTubers. A ring light creates good lighting for video content with a flattering result and is easy to set up and capture high-quality video. Ring lights come in a variety of sizes. So, what size ring light do YouTubers use? The most common size …
One of the most important things to consider in filmmaking is how you will light your scene. Different lighting styles can dramatically change the tone of a project, and understanding how to control light properly is integral to conveying the right emotion. In many instances, the best lighting style will be high-key lighting. But what …
YouTubers use a variety of lighting equipment to achieve better-looking videos. The most common lighting options include ring lights and LED light panels. Some YouTubers take their lighting a step further and use professional lighting equipment, including light stands and large light fixtures. Here is a closer look at the best lighting for producing professional-looking …
How to film at night is a task every video content creator will face at some point. The challenge is that the camera sensor needs a lot of light to get good images. This is true whether you use an iPhone, a GoPro, a DSLR, a mirrorless camera, or a cinema camera. Cameras need light! …
Looking to improve your homemade video content? It doesn’t take long for most to get the hang of vlogging and take it to the next level. In fact, a lot of people are taking up vlogging either just for the fun of it, as a part of a marketing strategy for their blog, or with the hope …
I’ve always been a huge fan of cinematographer Roger Deakins. His work is always of extremely high standards, and the way he captures images and communicates with lights, shadows, and effects is simply extraordinary. And how he can adapt to vastly different genres and still maintain that high-level quality is astounding; there sure is a …
Okay, I know I’m late to the game, but today I finally got to see Joker starring Joaquin Phoenix. If you haven’t seen Joker, you can watch it here on Amazon Prime. I’ve been obsessed with the colors and the cinematography ever since, I saw the trailer: From the moment I saw the trailer, I’ve …
If you’ve been following the first two parts of my comprehensive look at lights and lighting in film and video production, you’ve definitely come across the terms watts, lumens, and lux. And while I’ve written at length about topics permeated with watts, lumens, and the like, I haven’t yet sat down and bothered to explain …
Alright. Color temperature. I can already hear your question: What do these two unrelated words have to do with each other and why are they important? Put simply, color temperature is a measurement of the hue of the light sources influencing your shot. Color temperature is measured in degrees Kelvin. The lower the Kelvin setting …
Let’s face it, when your dream of becoming a filmmaker first germinated in your mind, you were probably picturing fancy sets, big, imposing cameras, director’s chairs, your name up in lights… yes, gigantic, glowing, sun-bright lights. Well, this article is, in fact, the first in a series about lights and lighting, just not those with …