I recommend taking some time to plan out your lighting prior to your video shoot. Lighting is crucial in the film industry. It helps to guide the eye of the viewer to a specific area, person or thing within the frame.
Where do I begin on learning how to provide the best lighting for my music video? First, I think it is important to cover a basic lighting technique such as three-point lighting. I feel like this is a great place to start. Three-point lighting is when you have lighting on the front, back and side of your subject. There is a key light, fill lights and a backlight. The key light will be the brightest light which is located in the front of your frame. The fill lights are lights that are used to fill a shadow. The backlight is usually aiming down, at an angle from above. The purpose of lighting is to highlight the important component within the frame. There are many lighting techniques out there, but I am keeping this simple.
Lighting can be super expensive. What are some budget-friendly lighting options to create a music video? Natural Light comes to mind. You can also ask friends and family if they have any good lights hidden in the depths of their garage that they are willing to give to you for the cause. I have also had many friends get good deals on great equipment on sites like e-bay. Let’s stick with the idea of the three-point lighting technique as an example. Windows are good for fill lights. You can come up with creative ideas to lessen the brightness of your fill lights such as hanging a white sheet or shower curtain over the window. Maybe you leave another Window completely open as your key light. Your back light needs to be enough light to lighten the background of the frame so that the main component of the frame stands out. Happy Lighting!
Share your lighting techniques in the comments section below. Where was the best deal on lighting equipment?
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