When teaching lighting techniques, I explain to my students that, to understand where and why a light is positioned in a given way, we must start at the beginning. Classical art, paintings in particular, hold the majority of the clues we need to begin lighting our characters. The aesthetics of light

The reason you would bring a van full of stuff is to be prepared for anything. So, the main reason the lighting in your video might not be not so good is you were not prepared. Maybe you didn’t spend enough time considering the existing lighting, maybe you didn’t bring enough fill light, maybe you f

Cinematography is all about light, but filmmakers soon learn that all light is not created equal. The human eye is immensely versatile at adapting between different light sources — if you follow someone wearing a white t-shirt from daylight into a house lit with tungsten bulbs, their shirt still app

Ansel Adams, Alfred Hitchcock, and Orson Welles. What do these three have in common? Well, besides being famous, they all shot their masterpieces in black and white. Perhaps because of their exceptional work, shooting in black and white has since evolved into a way to transform a film from one of me

The clean, professional look of an infinite white set is much more than just an aesthetic. Whether you are going for stylish and trendy or just looking for clarity, this video lighting setup is the best foundation for a permanent small home studio setup. The simplicity gives the look great flexibili

Throughout the decades of filmmaking, there have been countless advances in technology, some of which have been revolutionary and some of which have been subtle. Some technologies have been adapted to filmmaking from other industries and some advances were specifically pioneered for the film industr

The best way to venture into the dark is with dramatic light because without light there really can be no dark and the first term that comes to mind when one balances dark and light is “film noir,” a classic style of lighting that gained popularity in the 1940s and continued to its domin

Light is so important to video that there are well paid people who spend their lives doing nothing but figuring out what light to put where in order to create a mood in an image. Doing this can be so complicated that it’s all too easy for an independent video producer doing everything themselv

Light 'em Up Lighting is one of the three basic pillars of good video. Good shooting equipment (camera, tripod, stabilizer, slider, etc.). Good audio. Good lighting. Under each pillar are about 190,000 other variables that factor into making video look and sound decent. While it’s possibl

You have your fancy on-camera expert, your fancy DSLR that does 60 frames per second at a million megapixels, and some very fancy lighting equipment in the form of those awesome LED panels, but all anybody can think of when they look at your video is why are all those dirty dishes on the table behi

Achieving correct lighting is an art form in itself and requires the right mix of knowledge, experience and equipment. Whether you confine your work to the studio or run-n-gun in the wild, there’s a lighting solution that’s just right for you. In this buyer’s guide we’ll expl

Ready for some good news? There’s a whole class of lighting equipment you can buy with great confidence knowing that it really doesn’t matter which kind of lights you end up buying! We're talking about lighting accessories such as reflectors, diffusers, and color correcting gels. Th

If you think about it, your camera is basically color blind, which is sad because the outdoor videography world is full of wonderful textures, vibrant colors and beautiful light. Too bad your camera doesn’t see all this beauty. It’s inherently flawed because all it sees is “mushy grey.” Well it does

The fun thing about lighting for video and photography is that you get to be creative in how you approach your projects and you’re only limited by your imagination. Think about it, you are exposing the pixels on your camera sensor to light, which is plentiful and easy to access, and you get instant

The best equipment in the world isn’t any good if it’s too big or heavy to take with you. It is with this in mind that we are going to learn about a location kit that includes enough equipment to shoot a full blown production but that can separate into component groups that allow you to

What’s more fun than scaring the heck out of your friends. You know, sneaking up behind them and dangling a squiggly rubber worm on a shoulder or blasting out of a closet just to see them nearly jump out of their shoes. It never gets old does it? Well neither does classic horror film lighting

While some shooters are occasionally blessed with having all the lighting equipment they need when they need it, most of us have to make due with what’s within arm’s reach. That’s why being able to control and manipulate the natural lighting that’s already in your scene is on

Many video producers want to get a great low light scene captured for their project. And while it may seem like you can just walk into a dimly lit room and start shooting, lighting a scene to look good when you shoot it with your camera takes a few tricks up your sleeve. Location, Location, Locatio

You wouldn’t paint every fine art piece with a roller and broom, so why light all your scenes with 1000-watt tungstens or 4-foot florescent panels? Sometimes your scene requires a little finesse along with a gentle touch. Just as a master artist uses fine oils applied with natural brushes, a g

As Old Man Winter lowers his cold frosty mantle upon the earth, creating dark chilly nights and crisp wintry days, many video producers think of hanging up their gear until Spring returns. But from shots exploiting winter's lovely light reflection to the striking colors of the magic hour, the d