Lights (NV)

Lights! Camera! Action! Your lighting can make or break your production. It takes a great effort setting up your business or studio with all the right props. Your wardrobe is perfect, and make-up is polished. You shoot the video and DANG! You can barely make out your face and shadows are everywhere. Were you shooting a scene for a horror film? I think not. It is imperative to have proper lighting for your project. You can rent lights from a camera shop, or if you hire a videographer for the shoot, he or she will bring appropriate lighting. This is true of audio equipment as well. Some DSLR cameras come with built in lights as well as a “hot shoe” which is a mounting point for portable lighting and external mics.

There are many lights and light kits you can purchase for your in-house studio or video projects. It also includes the ring lights that have become popular in personal recordings. Some light kits come with green screens for customizing the backgrounds during the editing process. First consider the lighting process. Known as three-point lighting.  Just like it sounds there are there lights: key or main light, fill light, and hair light or backlight. Notice in the graphic the alignment is a lopsided triangle.

Three Point Lighting Explained

The key light is your main light directed on your subject creating a nice shadow on the side of the. The fill light is secondary and is physically aligned with your key light and softens the shadows and lines on your subject. Using a softbox or covering helps with this effect. And the hair or backlight provides depth to your subject.

When shooting, your subject should be well lit but not washed out. If you are the subject, there should be sufficient light in front of you. The room itself should have warm ambient light to add color and depth to the room, whether from lamps or even a candle. Just do not sit with your back to the window as it will create a silhouette of you or your subject. There may be times when you are shooting a video at your computer. Be sure you add a light behind the computer, which will be in front of you (shining towards your face). Having a light aligned on the side of that light will add even more balance to your subject, just be careful of the washout. If you are promoting products be sure to have great lighting – think televised shopping program.

When shooting, your subject should be well lit but not washed out. If you are the subject, there should be sufficient light in front of you. The room itself should have warm ambient light to add color and depth to the room, whether from lamps or even a candle. Just do not sit with your back to the window as it will create a silhouette of you or your subject. There may be times when you are shooting a video at your computer. Be sure you add a light behind the computer, which will be in front of you (shining towards your face). Having a light aligned on the side of that light will add even more balance to your subject, just be careful of the washout. If you are promoting products be sure to have great lighting – think televised shopping program.

Just keep your budget and purpose in mind when considering the type of lighting needed for your particular recording.