Lighting is the key to great looking video. In this article we will look at the various features and capabilities you should take into account when choosing a light kit. We will also examine the reflectors and diffusers available on the market and identify their unique features. Video Light Bulb Typ

Reflectors are so versatile, useful and simple that professional videographers deploy them even in high-rent productions. Advanced amateurs may know how to use reflectors for outdoor fill light, but that’s only their most obvious application. So let’s conduct a quick flyover of professi

Shooting video outdoors is often a two-edged sword. On the one hand, you can take advantage of wide open spaces, beautiful locations, and the brightest light source around: the sun. By contrast, however, there is the unpredictability of nature, which can translate into a lack of control over your s

The firelight flickered against the cabin wall, warming the cool blue light of the full moon filtering through the tattered curtains. Suddenly the ominous blue then red flash of police lights filled the small room and Carson knew his game was up. Suddenly the director yells "Cut!" and the

All right, you’ve mastered the basics of lighting talent: key, fill and back lights, and maybe a splash on the background. But this one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t account for Abel the chinless wonder, Bravo who’s way over-nourished, or Charlie whose nickname is Schnozz. To addr

Whether it’s for a high school news program, a corporate promotional video, your church’s quarterly video newsletter or that community calendar show you’d like to do for public access, lighting for news and interviews can be complicated if you don’t know the rules. Fortunat

The next time you go to a movie or rent a video, pay close attention to the way the director uses lighting to help create the mood in a scene. Good lighting designers work very closely with directors to build a lighting scheme that adds to the drama of a scene and intensifies the emotions we often j

In the 1973 movie Day for Night, Francois Trauffaut tells the story of a man who just wants to make movies. This classic film is a must for every aspiring auteur, as it takes the audience behind the scenes of many classic movie tricks including an old favorite, shooting day for night. Shooting da

In the video world, cookies aren’t tasty baked treats to eat with a glass of cold milk. To video pros, cookies are lighting accessories used to cast shadows to decorate a set and create illusions. Whether you wish to create tree leaves, windows, doorways or random patterns of light, a batch o

One of your most important jobs as a videographer is to make your talent look as good as possible. While this may seem like a simple task, it can get pretty complicated. Why? Think of the last five people who appeared in your videos. Were they the same? Did they have the same hair color? (Did they

The ocean in the Caribbean is a beautiful aqua-blue. Its shores are a glistening white. It is a great place to shoot a video, especially during the time of year when all your friends are looking forward to Groundhog Day and hoping for a short winter. Excitedly, you set up your camera, place your ta

You’ve seen it, the glaring spotlight shining into the face of a reporter as he talks about the latest accident or weather phenomenon. You also have seen the shiny little light sitting in your gear bag just begging you to put it on the camera and illuminate the noses of your talent. Retailers

Have you ever watched a movie and marveled at the sunlit scenes and dramatic "natural" light effects? Have you ever wondered how directors achieved the rich warm glow that fills a scene with dramatic serenity? For years, film and videomakers have utilized the sun and its array of light to

There was a time when dramatic lighting and video production were mortal enemies. Early video cameras needed so much light to create a clean picture that it was nearly impossible to create the dramatic lighting effects found in motion picture dramas. That time has passed into a distant memory. Today

Often the difference between a good shot and a great shot is the background. More often than not, videographers pay scant attention to their backgrounds because they’re busy worrying about lighting the person they are shooting. Many times you’ll find that you barely have time to select

For the past few months we have discussed various ways to approach lighting, from using reflectors and three-point scenarios to dramatic lighting techniques. We have talked about the placement of lighting equipment and how to get the best lighting for any given situation. But, what do you do if you

Have you ever looked at your video after you returned from what seemed to be a perfect shoot, only to find your footage is blue and you can’t really see the city skyline as well as you thought? Or what about that beautiful wedding shot in the ski chalet that turned out really orange? One o

In past columns we have explored the many ways to use lighting to enhance video productions. We have discussed three-point lighting and the various elements that make up good lighting. Most of these columns focused on lighting for one talent. However, what do you do if you are lighting a scene with

Oh, the glorious sun. This magnificent ball of burning gas sheds immeasurable power on our world from millions of miles away. It orders our seasons, defines our calendar, lights our days and warms our summers. And, unchecked, it makes for really bad video. That’s right–for all the thing

Camera! Action! Wait. Something’s missing. What happened to the lights? You see, just like the famous "Lights! Camera! Action!" we hear reverberated by directors in studios across the land, your production needs lights to make it complete. Proper lighting can give your images depth