Today I’m going to talk about something I think is very important, and that’s lighting. Lighting is one of the most important parts of facilitating a narrative. It helps your audience determine the time of day, and the mood you are trying to portray. Lighting also helps give your frame depth. Now in the earlier clips, for example I used lighting to help create the atmosphere of waking up in the morning. I also used lighting to parody a stereotype with gels. In the last clip I used lighting outside at night to help amplify the aesthetic of what it might realistically look like having somebody stand where the model stood during the time of day he was standing there. First I want to talk briefly about lighting inside. So when lighting Indoors I try to imagine where lights might be placed in the real world and how the gradient of that light might fall. Second, I try and dramatize that light. Use of practicals like lamps or candles help create that depth, especially if you don’t have a ton of artificial lighting to work with. I’ve also used flash lights with gels taped to them or construction lights from Home Depot in a pinch. Now lets talk about gels. Gels are a great way to recreate a visual. I might not be a fan of the typical YouTube lighting, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have it’s place. I personally try and light with gels the same way I light everything else, and that’s deliberately. A good example of this is a shoot I did a while back outside at night. The model was in a truck and I wanted to replicate what it might look like in the real world with them maybe parked or stopped at a red light, then amplify that light to help dramatize it. So I added some a light with blue gel, and I added a light with a red gel coming from a different angle. This gave me the look I wanted. In the last clip, I tried to recreate and then dramatize what it might look like standing outside of that building at night. Part of what you have to consider when looking for a location at night is, how well lit is it already. That could make the difference between no lights, one light, or 5 lights. So this location was already decently lit. All I did when lighting it was try and follow the path of light that was already there. I used a magnum reflector to amplify the light coming out, and then I made sure to bounce it off of the white wall. This diffused the light and created more of a gradient of light to shadow. The last thing I want to talk about is angling light. Lighting is not as simple as putting a flash on your camera and going. Depending on the angle of the light and the spill of the light, your going to create a different mood. Shooting straight on with an on camera flash creates a harsh bright light with no shadows on the face. This doesn’t necessarily look organic. If you were to take that flash off camera, and aim it at a 45 degree angle at the subject, you’re going to create some shadows, and harsh ones at that. Think of it as being outside on a bright and sunny day. This usually is associated with a more dramatic aesthetic. Now if you add some sort of diffuser onto that light, it’s going to help even the spill of light so there is more of a gradient of light to shadow. That is a more natural look and is associated more for example with something like an overcast day outside. So to summarize, going forward, ask yourself, what is the aesthetic I am going for, what story am I trying to tell and how can light help facilitate that story.
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