Our favorite film and video lighting tutorials from the last year cover just about everything — from the basics to the blimps.
The new year is upon us, and the future’s looking bright — thanks to this round-up of 2019’s most helpful lighting tutorials! If you’re a filmmaker or videographer, you’ll find something interesting in this collection of clips, no matter your experience and regardless of your budget.
1. Cinematography Tips: 10 Things Beginners Need to Know About Lighting
Whether you’re a beginner filmmaker or you’re simply looking for a refresher course in the basics of lighting, this video tutorial from Shutterstock’s Todd Blankenship is a fantastic source of helpful lighting tips and techniques.
2. Using Tungsten Lighting in a Daylight-Balanced Scene
Online content creators are increasingly turning to low-priced, high-performing daylight-balanced LEDs — and leaving tungsten Fresnels on the shelf.
Nonetheless, while online content now relies primarily on daylight-balanced lights, you can still make good use of tungsten light in a daylight-balanced scene. This video tutorial from the prolific Lewis McGregor shows you how.
3.How to Build a Super-Bright DIY LED Balloon Light
Airstar balloon lights — they just make so much sense. You usually don’t need to use stands, they’re bright, and they provide amazingly soft, pretty light. Unfortunately, there’s a lot that goes into using one, like hiring an on-set Airstar tech, acquiring a giant helium tank, and securing a sizable budget.
With these constraints in mind, Shutterstock’s Todd Blankenship set out to build something similar. You can see his results in the video tutorial above.
4. How to Get Cinematic Lighting in Small Spaces
When it comes to lighting, more space is always better. You have room for stands, modifiers, and the fixtures themselves. However, any filmmaker will tell you that more space isn’t always an option.
Good news — with a few tricks up your sleeve, you can get cinematic shots out of anything from a phone booth to a bathtub. The video above will get you started.
5. How to Light a Car Scene Using the Poor Man’s Process
Car scenes are fun to shoot, no doubt. But they can also be difficult, dangerous, and expensive, which leads many filmmakers to seek alternatives. One of the most popular is a technique called the “Poor Man’s Process,” and it’s the best way for low-budget filmmakers to record driving scenes.
You can pull off the Poor Man’s Process by using a green screen and moving light fixtures or projector screens. In this video tutorial, the Shutterstock video crew tries all three.
6. How to Properly Film Windows for Daytime Interior Scenes
Balancing windows in interior locations can be extremely difficult. In this video tutorial, PremiumBeat’s Rubidium Wu explains how to get the right exposure by adding or reducing light.
7. Lighting CINEMATIC Images with Only ONE LIGHT
Don’t let a lack of gear prevent you from creating your masterpiece. Follow along as Spenser Sakurai shows you how to create eye-catching big-screen looks using only the Aputure 120D MKII and the Blackmagic Pocket 4K.
8. Budget Filmmaking: Light Your Scene with Invisible Lights
Cinematography at night can be tough. In the video tutorial above, the Film Riot gang offers tips for lighting your dark scenes with minimal lights.
If you find yourself working with only one light in a nighttime setting, don’t panic — this compositing method might be the key to nailing your shot.
9. Ten-ish Cinematic Lighting Setups… ONLY ONE LIGHT
Join Potato Jet for a series of lighting experiments loaded with tips, tricks, and hacks designed to help you get the most out of a single LED. You’ll learn ten individual lighting setups that just might make the difference on your next shoot.
10. Indy Mogul’s “Cinematography of” Series
Indy Mogul’s YouTube channel is an educational goldmine for filmmakers and videographers. Their cinematography breakdowns are in-depth, thoughtful, and loaded with actionable info you can use to grow your skills.
This video content is as entertaining as it is helpful — you’ll find setup diagrams, solid answers to common process questions, and up-close looks at on-set mistakes (and the steps you can take to avoid them).
Top image via Fedorovekb.
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