How to Light Video in Any Situation
February 26th, 2010 Filed under: Uncategorized — Movie Critic
Lighting your video without a professional kit can be difficult. How much is enough, without being too much? Without understanding proper lighting techniques you run the risk of ruining your footage.
If you are reporting something outside, use the sun to your advantage. You do not need superficial light in every situation. The thing you need to worry about outside is that the sun is too bright, and the contrast too stark, for video recorders to handle. If your shot is too bright, the video will come out either too light or too dark (details will become blurred in either scenario.) When possible, it’s best to shoot in controlled environments. Too much light creates ugly shadows.
Regardless of where you are making your video, be sure to white balance the camera. This is necessary also when you switch locations, as the type and quantity of light both affect the heat of a room, and therefore the colors.
Overhead lights, especially those found in public buildings, often cast a greenish shadow on people, making them look sickly. To eliminate this, shine a light into the subjects face. It may not be comfortable for the subject, but it’s how the professionals do it and it will seriously reduce shadows. Even a flashlight from behind the camera could help, or a correctly placed desk lamp….any light will do if you are on a budget.
The easiest tip to follow is to close windows! Contrasting light supplies always confuse cameras, and the sun’s glare will cause the iris to close up. What does this mean for you? It means more shadows. Instead of toying around with half a dozen lights to make the shot only a bit better, just shut the window. Low light is better in this case.
And if you find yourself in an incredibly low light position, try using the night mode option on your camera.
