FilmmakerIQ.com » Lighting

How to Light Metal Objects

John P. Hess — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:44:33 +0000

These two tutorials by Jeff Shaffer demonstrate some techniques and terms for shooting polished metal objects in still life photography.

DIY Light Board with Christmas Lights

John P. Hess — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:53:00 +0000

The Oregon Filmmaker, Tim Cash, demonstrates how to make a light board to spice up your backgrounds using a peg board and those Christmas Lights you’ve hopefully taken down off the house by now…

Via: The Oregon Filmmaker

3 Simple Tips for Filming Indoors without Lights

John P. Hess — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:45:16 +0000

In a follow-up to 3 Rules for Shooting Outdoors, Chris Weaver gives 3 Simple Tips for shooting better footage when the action moves inside.

When shooting interiors with available light whenever possible WORK WITH THE LIGHT.

It’s actually a rule you should use whenever and where-ever you’re filming, not just inside without lights, but it comes into its own indoors. Don’t fight the light (hmm… could make a good album name!), use whatever light there is in the environment to your advantage and don’t make things hard for yourself. I like to split this rule up into 3 “sub-rules” (no not sub-rolls!). These include:

Controlling the light by closing/opening blinds and curtains.

Utilising whatever electric lights are in situ (table lamps, overhead lighting, monitors/tv screens).

Standing your subject facing a source of light (a window for example) to illuminate him/her on screen – Avoiding shooting against bright backgrounds and having to battle with your exposure.

— Through the Lens | Read the Full Article

3 Simple Rules for Shooting Exteriors with Available Light

John P. Hess — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:00:45 +0000

Call them guidelines if you want, Chris Weaver sets up three practical tips for shooting outside with available light.

The first thing I want to talk about is shooting using Available Light. Available light is the ambient light that is exists in any given situation. In other words shooting in available light is when you don’t add any of your own film lights. (“Pretty obvious” I hear you say, “Thanks for that great pearl of wisdom there Chris!“).

So, if there’s enough light around without needing to rig any of your own lights, it should be pretty simple, just pick camera up and start filming right?!… Wrong!

— Film Camera Course | Read The Full Article

DSLR Lighting and Music Video Technique

John P. Hess — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:54:55 +0000

Tim Cash, the Oregon Filmmaker, demonstrates how he lights a small space for a music video look and shows off the double speed music video technique.

Eve Hazelton Lighting and Greenscreen Tutorials

John P. Hess — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 09:10:46 +0000

The Cinematographer for our favorite Underwater Short Film and Blog (the Underwater Realm), Eve Hazelton, put together three basic lighting tips and tutorials for PhilipBloom.net to illuminate a few basic concepts:

1. In this tutorial created for philipbloom.net, Eve talks you through simple to advanced lighting setups that are easy to achieve and produce beautiful results. She explains simply, how to get the most from your existing lights and some quick tips to create a really impressive shot.

2. Learn how to use Christmas lights, builder’s worklights and even your iPhone to add a little something special to your flm and video work!

3.In the last of three lighting tutorials created for philipbloom.net Eve takes us through the three steps of greenscreen work: How to analyse you background plate to ensure a convincing key, How to light your screen and subject to match the background plate and How to take the foreground and background elements and combine them in Adobe After Effects

For more like this, grab yourself a copy of Eve’s lighting guide DVD on their kickstarter page:

How to make Work Lights slightly less crappy

John P. Hess — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 09:00:44 +0000

LoweRuno Productions shares some modifications he made to his construction work lights to re-purpose the for video use. The results aren’t spectacular but if you absolutely have to use these abominations (as opposed to bare bulbs which are readily available), these modifications can come in handy.

DIY Kino Flo Style Light for $100 in 3 hours

Dennis — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 08:31:16 +0000

Realm Pictures shows you how to build a kino-flo style fluorescent soft light with parts from your local DIY store for under $100 and in under three hours!

Lighting Tip – Gels and Diffusion

Dennis — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 07:07:04 +0000

Scott Spears of Framelines TV goes over the use of Gels and Diffusion for lighting in this Tech Tip for beginning filmmakers and cinematographers.

From Lighting 8 City Blocks to DIY Clamp Lights

John P. Hess — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 10:04:48 +0000

Master Director of Photography Shane Hurlbut, ASC talks about how the current crop of digital cameras have allowed DPs to build a basic lighting kit using commonly available household lighting fixtures. He demonstrates this first by illustrating how he lit 8 blocks in Puerto Rico (with medium sized professional lights) and then discussing the fixtures of his traveling lighting kit:

The exciting thing about the Arri Alexa, F-3 and the new wave of DSLR’s is their high ISO range to minimum noise ratio. This has opened up a whole new way to light as a cinematographer. Whether it be daylight interior or exterior, dawn, dusk, night exterior or interiors the option now exist to use available light in new ways, as well as working with less. The films that I shot prior to Act of Valor, our lighting package fit into a 48’ semi truck along with multiple 10-ton truck drop loads to expose film. We are in very exciting times and they are being shaken again with Canon’s November 3rd announcement . Using available light is one thing, but shaping the available is what cinematography is all about. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

— Hurlbut Visuals| Read The Full Article

Note: if you’ve been following us for a while, you know I hate Halogen Worklights and I’ve gotten a lot of flack over it – please note the complete absence of worklights from Mr. Hurlbut’s kit. They’re dirty, dangerous, and hot… avoid using them unless you’re shooting a CSI scene.