Lighting Basics for Video Production

synopsis by: Talat Z.

We all know that a picture is really nothing but light. How it reflects and shines inside your camera is what your audience will see. So what makes sense is that the better your lighting the better your overall video production.

Let’s start with the two basic kinds of light; they are the “directional” and “diffused”.  Think about the Sun, ultimate light source.  On a bright sunny day the light is harsh, shadows are deep and dark. That is directional lighting. Blurring down on you from one direction.  Now think about a cloudy day, the clouds act like a diffusion filter and bounce the harsh sun light everywhere creating a soft even shadow less appearance. Diffused light is usually the best kind of light use for video production. Professional video crews often rejoice when they can shot outside on a bright but very cloudy day. How do you get diffused light? Bounce it or filter it.  Unless you go in for some kind of dramatic effect, this diffused light is probably exactly what you want.

Using cheap shop lights is the easy low budget way to do it. Clip them on to whatever is handy, point them on towards the ceiling and you will get your diffused light. If you want to go with the professional light kit, there are many of these gadgets exists to help you diffuse the light to one degree or another. Reflective umbrellas give you a mortar level of diffusion. For even a softer look, try using a soft box. It give an absolutely gorgeous, very high level of diffusion.

Now if you want the easiest way to light your video productions, take the advantage of natural light. Work light exists already, that way you don’t have to setup any lights at all. Brighten up the room, open windows and curtain, open doors, turn on the lamps. Then place your subject so that the existing light best flatters their face. That usually means that your subject should be at three quarter angle from the brighter source of light. This is very important, you do not want your interview to be salivate. Even though that can be used , for some outdoor beautiful effects. You should know from what direction is the light coming from that’s very important. You don’t want light coming from behind the cameras and falling onto your subject. For more video production tips visit www.VideoProductionTips.com

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This great synopsis on lighting basics for video production, has been brought to you by Janis Digital Media, the premier video production company in the Philadelphia area