From the course: 1 Person Crew Video Productions: 1 Up and Running

Working with LED lights

From the course: 1 Person Crew Video Productions: 1 Up and Running

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Working with LED lights

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- Besides the food, what is the biggest difference between a fast food restaurant and a Japanese restaurant? Lighting, of course. And where do you feel better? Which one feels more elegant? Lighting is not just about achieving a proper exposure. Proper lighting creates an imaginary world where the actors and viewers can immerse. Cinematic lighting is about creating depth and separation. Adding contrast guide the viewer's attention, obscure or reveal details within the frame, and overall create a mood. Even for the simplest interview setup, the subject is going to feel very different if you're pointing a very bright light on camera to his or her face as opposed to a professional-looking set. I have worked with pretty much every imaginable lighting fixture available and I find that the newest LED lights offer the best value and features when working as a one-person crew. When it comes to choosing an LED light, my requirements are simple. I want a powerful but portable light that is bi-color, which means that it's daylight and tungsten, and that it can use batteries if needed. In addition to the three tools I mentioned on the previous video, I would add three more. A white shower curtain that you can get for under $5 and that I use to diffuse LED lights or window light under all kinds of situations. A second one would be cinefoil, which is essentially aluminum foil but black and I use to put on top of bulbs or practical lamps so the light doesn't hit the ceiling or walls. And the third one would be compact but well-built light stands. And here are some additional lighting tips. Develop and follow a lighting recipe that works for most situations. Play with different ratios between the background, foreground, and subject. Put diffusers as far away from the camera and as close as possible from the subject to get a soft light. Of course, it is impossible to cover the topic of lighting in two videos or even two chapters. So if you want to learn more in depth, consider watching my lighting courses on LinkedIn Learning.

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