David Esp Video Technical Blog

• Single person:
  • Basic three-point lighting:
    • MediaCollege
      • http://www.mediacollege.com/lighting/
      • Interactive (Flash-based) “experimenter”: http://www.mediacollege.com/lighting/three-point/simulator.html
  • Advanced “Interviewer in Teleprompter” Method for Talk-To-Lens:
    • http://bigpicturesmedia.com/in-the-field/shooting-true-first-person-interviews/
    • http://www.errolmorris.com/content/eyecontact/interrotron.html
• Two-people interview:
  • Overall Impressions:
    • No single method – various schools of thought.
    • Basic idea is crossed-beams from soft-lights, possibly augmented by reflectors on the far (non-camera) side and/or back-lights, possibly supplemented by a wall-projection light, maybe with a colouful gel and patterned/textured gobo.
    • However, camera placement varies – can single or multi, and the Over-Shoulder cams can each be placed to the right, underneath or behind its neighbouring soft-light unit.
  • Tutorials:
    • Tutorial (written & illustrated) by Mike Cohen of cine-med.com: http://library.creativecow.net/cohen_mike/Shooting-Interviews/1
    • Great simple setup with plan-view: http://film-lighting.wonderhowto.com/how-to/set-up-video-interview-lighting-for-multiple-cameras-292686/
    • Video Tutorial (by “Shirtless Apprentice”) featuring use of “Cutters” (light-beam blicking flags) to avoid opposing key-lights (soft) from impacting on cameras.
• Romantic (low-light) restaurant meal: http://film-lighting.wonderhowto.com/how-to/create-effective-candle-lit-scene-your-movie-416140/
  • Basically a 500W 1-metre soft-box to one side of camera, augmented by rear/side (out-of-shot) 65W flourescent to provide blue (implying night-time) hair highlights on female principal (facing camera) and also a rear floor-mounted 100W light to lift just the back-wall of restaurant.
• Further Links
  • http://tag.wonderhowto.com/diy-video-lighting/
    • Wonderful assortment of video tutorials
  • http://library.creativecow.net/tutorials/lightingdesignpros
    • Lighting with Shadows: http://magazine.creativecow.net/article/lighting-with-shadows
    • http://library.creativecow.net/articles/harvey_jim/light_and_shoot.php
  • http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/photon-management/123358-low-cost-yet-effective-lighting-arrangement.html
    • Generic advice (from 2008) on inexpensive basic lighting kit.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 21st, 2012 at 12:11 and is filed under lighting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.