How To: Light for video to get a filmic look

How to Light for video to get a filmic look

In this video, Tony Reale describes some cinematography tips for video lighting. He focuses mainly on different ways to capture the look of video. The lighting style he's using in this video is a 2-light setup. One light is reflecting off a foam core and is placed at the right side of the room. The second light is acting as background light and is smaller and placed in the back, right corner of the room. This is a very simple setup and, with a cost of $100-$200, it is an inexpensive, effective solution. Tony likes to shoot video with lots of rim-lighting or back-lighting. He feels that background lighting gives a much more professional look. Conversely, he references a DVD called Cinematography Style in which they use a lighting style with a very large soft light and very little background lighting and it also looks great. Tony recommends that you use a large surface area of foam core to maximize the lighting. In this video, he is using a smaller size and wishes he had gone a bit bigger to add more light to the room. He also likes that the main light in this video is coming from the side so that it gives a half-light look which enhances the mood. With lighting, mood is everything and, as a cinematographer, you are in charge of making your audience feel a certain way when they watch your videos. Lighting is the most important factor in that process. Tony finishes up by going into specific detail about the type of video camera, microphone, and computer equipment he uses for this video and how he feels they help him with his various clients.