Hot Film & Photography Lighting How-Tos
How To: Make a dramatic spotlight from a household lamp
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to make a guerilla spotlight using household items. Users will simply need a cardboard cylinder and a light source. Te materials used in this video were a toilet paper roll, piece of aluminum, gaff tape and a lamp. Begin by cutting a couple of 90 degrees slots in the middle of the foil, slide in the tube ad secure it with tape. It should be a bit longer than the tube. Now wrap it around the light source. This video will benefit those viewers who produ...
How To: Light an interior space while filming on a budget
In this video from FiveSprockets we learn how to light an interior space while filming on a budget. For this you need two Chinese lanterns which he found for $2.95 each. You need 2 light bulbs which he found for $3.95 each. Make sure you get extra ones. Then get a couple of pan lights. They are day light and mood light. They were $7 and $5. You also need a multi colored gel pack which is $6.00. He uses C-stands to hold the lights up but he suggests coming up with other ways if you don't have ...
How To: Create an effective candle lit scene in your movie
If you're trying to film a romantic dinner, you'll want the setting to seem dim and candle lit - but you'll still want the lighting quality of the film to be good. Here's how you can shoot an effective dimly lit scene.
How To: Use barn door lighting in your studio
Ben for Mechanical Mashup demonstrates how to build a barn door halogen light system for a studio and how to establish right triangles and parallel lined without a square. It is quiet expensive to buy a barn doors according Ben, so it could be built by us. These barn doors can be adjusted anyway we want to. So the barn doors are to be fixed to a halogen light. First thing done is to unscrew the frame of the halogen light. The glass is removed by just bending the frame. Next thing to do is to ...
How To: Build your own light kit for $25
No light no movie. Indy Mogul teaches you how to create your own basic lighting kit for $25. Also covered are lighting basics, including three-point lighting.
How To: Make cheap lighting & barn doors
Check out this instructional lighting video that explains how to make cheap barn doors for your lights. For this project, you will need a total of 4 hinges, 12 nuts and bults, a screwdriver, cardboard, scissors, and a lighting fixture. This is a simple guerrilla filmmaking tutorial on how to design your own barn doors. A great addition to any low-budget filmmaker's lighting kit.
How To: Set up a low budget lighting system for filming a documentary or interview
Low budger project? NO budget project? Lighting is a key part of any film, so you don't want to skimp on it. This tutorial shows you how to set up some inexpensive lighting systems when you're filming a documentary or interview.
How To: Cast shadows with cookies for your video
Jennifer shows how to spice up the background of your video using cookies (aka cucaloris or cucalorus). Cookies are lighting accessories that are cut out shapes that cast a shadow.
How To: Create infinite white lighting cheaply
Going towards the infinite white light means something totally different these days. When we talk about the infinite white light, we're thinking less spiritual and more aesthetically pleasing. That's because a background consisting of a blurry, infinite white light is one of the most flattering you can use for a human subject.
How To: Use a Light Meter for Correct Film and Video Lighting
Know a little bit about film lighting, but can't quite grasp the concept of using light meters to measure light for proper exposure? You can't rely on your video camera to accurately capture what you see, so you need light meters to properly and accurately capture what you have created on set.
How To: Get the best lighting on your videos with a ring light
Lighting is everything when it comes to creating a good solid video/film. You will see a great example of a ringlight made of 12 lightbulbs arranged in a perfect circle with a cut-out to allow your camera to be in the middle to capture the best light. You will get an idea of just what materials you will need to create your own ring light.
How To: Make an adjustable light stand
Learn how to make an adjustable light stand. This adjustable telescoping light stand is cheap if you have all of the materials already, like a painter's pole, a metal table leg, scrap wood and some screws. This light stand is a good choice for film shoots on a low-budget. Who needs expensive light stands anyways?
How To: Make and use your own ring lights for music videos
This tutorial shows you one important lighting fixture for filming music videos - the ring light. Make your own ring light, and then learn how you can use it to greatest effect when you're filming your next music vidoe or indie project.
How To: Create cheap outdoor lighting for filming
Issac demonstrates a couple different outdoor lighting techniques and how "good" outdoor lighting can improve your videos.
How To: Use film diffusion gels to change light beam shape
This video is geared toward filmmakers, specifically cinematographers and gaffers, on what diffusion gels are and when to use them on a film set. This is a part of The SubStream's "Film Lab".
How To: Execute a basic 3 point lighting setup
One popular way to use light in photography is with a three point lighting setup. In this tutorial, learn how to set up three point lights in portrait photography and get the most flattering shot of your subject. There is an art to making people look good and proper lighting is very important. So, if you have your equipment and are ready to start assembling it all, have a look at this instructional clip and follow the step by step to get started.
How To: Use lighting ratios for film and video shoots
This is an absolutely fundamental concept and is important to development as a filmmaker. It's a really simple pice of shorthand that cinematographers and gaffers use to keep track of lighting setups across different shooting days. It's called a lighting ratio or a contrast ratio.
How To: Use black wrap for film lighting equipment
Mike from the SubStream's "Film Lab" has some tips regarding lighting, gripping and gaffing. Mike's soul screams for Rosco's magic Cinefoil wrap (aka Black Wrap, aka shroud-of-death wrap). Made from black holes. Learn what it's used for and how to use it! It's really just thick black aluminum foil with heat protection. The easiest and cheapest lighting accessory.
How To: Use a Light Meter in the television studio
This short video is of Steve Brunsberg, producer at SPNN, showing us how to use a light meter for video and television.
How To: Best light your webcam video
Anthony and Ian of Smosh, and Logitech, provide you with some simple tips on how to best light your webcam video shoot. Just don't get caught with your pants down...
How To: Shoot day for night and night for day for movie making
The sun can change positions during a shoot. It's pretty annoying. But don't worry, you can shoot at night and make it look like daylight, as well as shoot during the day and making it look like night. Here are some helpful tips.
How To: Light a two-person interview
Learn how to frame and block an over-the-shoulder shot as Matt, the Shirtless Apprentice, demonstrates the use of cutters to block lens flair.
How To: Set up video interview lighting for multiple cameras
Interviewing lighting basic training tutorial provides easy to follow instruction in this step by step video. Set up the interview area to allow the best camera angles. Place your lights in key, fill, and backlight positions. Use back lighting spillover to fill subject area without camera spillover. Check your setup with the subjects and make any necessary adjustments to your camera or lighting angles. Place your crew and your ready for your interview. This scenario using key, fill, and back-...
How To: Solve outdoor lighting problems
Installing security lights outside of your home can make for a great addition, but they also create new problems with regards to maintenance and cleaning. Having lights outside exposes them to all of the elements that mother nature can throw at them. This video will show not only how to install security lights, it will also show the proper measures to take so they will keep working with minimal maintenance and care.
How To: Use a light meter to properly light a digital film
A light meter can prove to be an invaluable tool on any film set, allowing you to quickly and efficiently set lights and know the correct exposure values of those lights. Light meters were initially designed for still photographers and cinematographers can easily calibrate them to a given film stock speed for shooting film. But what about today’s digital cinematographer? I’m glad you asked. In this video tutorial you'll see how you can use a light meter to quickly and efficiently light a scen...
How To: Create dramatic lighting effects
Matt, the Shirtless Apprentice, demonstrates how to create dramatic lighting effects on a budget. This episode will help you to develop control of your audiences attention.
How To: Use a sun gun when shooting a film
In this episode, The Shirtless Apprentice gives us some tips and information on how to use one of the most versatile and under appreciated tools in a videographer"s arsenal, the sungun! Matt compares two types of sunguns, incandescent and L.E.D., and weighs the benefits of each.
How To: Light a green screen properly for podcasting
Matt, the Shirtless Apprentice, advises viewers on the proper procedure for lighting a green screen. The successfully implemented chroma key technique can significantly raise the production value of any video podcast. He gives specific advice on how to separate the light that falls on the subject from the light on the greenscreen, a traditionally tricky technique.
How To: Get a great shot on black background with Canon EOS 7D
It is possible to get a beautiful shot on a simple black backdrop, and in this tutorial you will learn how to arrange your lighting to do just that. Using a Canon EOS 7D, you will be able to shoot a wonderfully poetic moment on black if you follow these simple techniques.
How To: Apply four styles of lighting
This video tutorial will show you how to apply four styles of lighting. This video teaches you how to apply four styles of lighting, namely Rembrandt, Beauty, Cameo and filling in from the Key Side. You will learn about high contrast lighting schemes, dealing with the amount of contrast used to highlight a person's face, as well as spotlight effects, and how these tend to draw the viewer into the scene. You will be shown how the Rembrandt Lighting setup contains three steps, namely taking a K...
How To: Properly light a green screen and create the illusion
Ever wonder how to create movie magic right in your own home? This video shows you step by step everything you need to know and do to create the green screen effect, from properly setting up your green screen, to lighting it, as well as your subjects for a successful effect. Filled with tips and instructions this is a great video to watch for filmmakers, and special effects artist of all kinds.
How To: Use Kino Flo lighting systems on a film set
Mike from the SubStream's "Film Lab" has some tips regarding film lighting. See how to use these super cool (literally and figuratively) lights called Kino lights. These fluorescent Kino Flos are perfect for when you want soft, even light that doesn't draw much power. Get the details on how to set them up!
How To: Use 3 point lighting
This lighting tutorial video explains the basics of lighting a scene using the 3 point lighting scheme with a Lowell light kit and various essential equipment. Using the back light, the fill and key light, three point lighting will produce a properly lit subject. This video is great for lighting designers and cinematographers alike.
How To: Create better lighting for your film project
Xander and Calvin give some helpful tips on how to light your films and videos! You can use common household lamps or ones at the hardware store. Remember, safety, get some workgloves.
How To: Use Apple Color's secondary color correction to adjust skin tones
Secondary color correction is used mostly to adjust the skin tones of people in your film. This tutorial show you how Apple Color lets you quickly and easily adjust the skin tones of the actors and actresses in your film project.
How To: Use lighting for video
Videomaker Associate Editor Tom Skowronski explains how four basic steps can be used to improve the lighting effects for a video and give it a more professional look.
How To: Use bright set lights without hurting anybody's eyes
Mike and Rajo from the SubStream's "Film Lab" have some tips regarding production. Set Safety: 'Striking!' Don't burn a dude or dudette's eyes out of their head, man. Say 'striking!' or 'sparking!' when you turn on a lamp! Workplace safety is important because you could get killed or injure somebody else of a film set. Use bright set lights without hurting anybody's eyes.
How To: Setup Rembrandt lighting for a film shoot
This is The Substream's "The Film Lab" series on lighting basics. This episode covers Rembrandt Lighting.
How To: Make a folding reflector from cardboard and foil
Learn how to make a folding reflector from cardboard and foil. This is essentially free if you have all of the materials already, like cardboard, golden aluminum foil, tape and scissors. This foldable light reflector is a good choice for outdoor film shoots on a low-budget. When you can't bring lights to your film shoot outdoors, let the light come to you!
How To: Make a 400-watt video light for film or photography
Bring a little life to your films, or maybe a little "light". Watch this video to see how to make your own 400-watt video light for film or photography. You can make this video light with mere parts from the local hardware store, such as plastic paneling (which is cheap, easy to cut and non-conductive), zip ties, 4 plastic bulb sockets, lamp cord (like Romex), a cheap plug, and good and cheap diffusion. With all of these materials, you'll have your own homemade light for any film or photo pro...
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