How To : Create cheap outdoor lighting for filming
Issac demonstrates a couple different outdoor lighting techniques and how "good" outdoor lighting can improve your videos.
Issac demonstrates a couple different outdoor lighting techniques and how "good" outdoor lighting can improve your videos.
Installing security lights outside of your home can make for a great addition, but they also create new problems with regards to maintenance and cleaning. Having lights outside exposes them to all of the elements that mother nature can throw at them. This video will show not o ...more
This is a creative idea for a great light effect for any video project. If you're a cinematographer and are open to knew and creative ideas (and cheap!), then this colorful, moving lighting effect is perfect for your film. You'll need three plastic cups, a 5/16-inch metal rod ...more
One of the most simple and cost effective ways to liven up your landscaping is through subtle illumination. Low voltage lighting is simple to install and offers many benefits including ambiance, safety and security. They can be used to illuminate a walkway or to lighten up you ...more
Mike from the SubStream's "Film Lab" has some tips regarding lighting, gripping and gaffing. Mike's soul screams for Rosco's magic Cinefoil wrap (aka Black Wrap, aka shroud-of-death wrap). Made from black holes. Learn what it's used for and how to use it! It's really just thi ...more
This video tutorial belongs to the Film & Theater category which is going to show you how to build a light diffuser to improve your film lighting. Joe Richardson explains how to do this. You will need four pieces of pine wood 1" x 2" x 8 feet long, framing nails, duct tape and ...more
This video covers the basic positions and uses for three point lighting: the hair light, the fill light, and the key light.
This is The Substream's "The Film Lab" series on lighting basics. This episode covers Rembrandt Lighting. Mike and Rajo teach you how to light like an old dead Dutch dude (who was really good at lighting dudes, to be fair). This is a common drama lighting. This is Rembrandt ...more
No matter how desperate they are for work, most actors will not let you crush their heads for your film. The potential for career development afterwards would be limited. This video will teach you how to crush a head with special effects for a film and then how to use three-po ...more
Xander and Calvin give some helpful tips on how to light your films and videos! You can use common household lamps or ones at the hardware store. Remember, safety, get some workgloves.
Continuing on with budget lighting, we explore using Fluorescent and LED lights, along with using available light, bouncing it with a reflector. These setups will work great for interviews, video casting, vlogging, and the likes. These lights use less power and also generate m ...more
One of the most simple and cost effective ways to liven up your landscaping is through subtle illumination. Low voltage lighting is simple to install and offers many benefits including ambiance, safety and security. They can be used to illuminate a walkway or to lighten up you ...more
This is an absolutely fundamental concept and is important to development as a filmmaker. It's a really simple pice of shorthand that cinematographers and gaffers use to keep track of lighting setups across different shooting days. It's called a lighting ratio or a contrast ra ...more
Know a little bit about film lighting, but can't quite grasp the concept of using light meters to measure light for proper exposure? You can't rely on your video camera to accurately capture what you see, so you need light meters to properly and accurately capture what you hav ...more
Lighting techniques for your feature or short film. This video covers three point lighting techniques.
In this episode, Peter and I talk about Lighting. We go over the different types of light and show examples of each.
Mike from the SubStream's "Film Lab" has some tips regarding film lighting. See how to use these super cool (literally and figuratively) lights called Kino lights. These fluorescent Kino Flos are perfect for when you want soft, even light that doesn't draw much power. Get the ...more
Three point lighting is the standard used to illuminate a subject for amateur film, video, and even theater application. The Key light was a 500 Watt halogen shop light, set up at about the 2 o'clock position relative to the woman, just above the height of her head. The Fill ...more
This tutorial shows you a quick rundown of ten different lighting setups for films. Whether you're looking for a silhouette, a documentary or confessional style look or something else entirely, you'll be able to find something useful in this tutorial.
THE FILM LAB - We're back on set with our favourite grip department. This time around they let us in on a trade secret: Lighting Gags.
Is it your life goal to direct and produce a science fiction saga so tremendous and fantastic that people will be saying, "George Lucas who?" after they witness it? Then you need to begin your journey to geek stardom by learning the basics. Take a gander at this video to lear ...more
Ian Beckman of Azerothian Super Villains fame introduces the third installment of How 2 Machinima. This series of tutorials is aimed to introduce both the fundamentals and advanced techniques of WoW machinima-making. Use Adobe Premiere to model machinima and create proper mach ...more
Learn how to make a folding reflector from cardboard and foil. This is essentially free if you have all of the materials already, like cardboard, golden aluminum foil, tape and scissors. This foldable light reflector is a good choice for outdoor film shoots on a low-budget. Wh ...more
This video tutorial will show you how to apply four styles of lighting. This video teaches you how to apply four styles of lighting, namely Rembrandt, Beauty, Cameo and filling in from the Key Side. You will learn about high contrast lighting schemes, dealing with the amount o ...more
Day for Night courtesy of Videomaker.com Those 3 Words We Love to Hear, Day for Night (DFN). What better three words could a director ask to hear? No huge generators, no freezing temperatures, no vampire-style living... what's not to love? Are you perplexed? Well, long ago, ...more
Advancements in technology have made it perfectly possible to make a short film or even an entire movie with your iPhone or Android — as long as you've got the right gear. Lenses, stabilizers, tripods, lighting, microphones, chargers, and cases can make the difference between ...more
You've got a camera, you've got some shooting know-how, and your audio is sounding sweet. Now, what about lighting? This video shows you three options for lighting your film.
Christmas decorations aren't cheap. From outdoor lighting to fir trees, decorating for the holidays can break the bank. That's where ingenuity comes into play, like hacking battery-operated Christmas lights, modifying lighting patterns and building Christmas tree ornaments fro ...more
How does taking photographs outside differ from taking photos inside? Well, unlike indoor photography, which boast easily adjustable artificial lighting and lighting effects, with outdoor photography the light you get is the light you use. Watch this video to learn how to pho ...more
In this Ovation TV original special, acclaimed photographer Gregory Crewdson shares with us his insight into his photographic techniques. Like a film, he uses a lot of production, a lot of lighting, a lot of set design. He is an American photographer best known for elaborately ...more
Lighting is everything when it comes to creating a good solid video/film. You will see a great example of a ringlight made of 12 lightbulbs arranged in a perfect circle with a cut-out to allow your camera to be in the middle to capture the best light. You will get an idea of j ...more
A green screen lets you add any sort of background to your movie in post-production. Part of a successful green screen shot is properly lighting your set so you can easily add the special effects later. Teach your camera crew these tips for your next film!
Some film makers fall into a few pitfalls when working with a green screen. This video lists a few common problems, such as having your talent wear costumes in similar color keys or using uneven lighting, and how to avoid them completely.
In this tutorial, Broadcast Designer Jason Brown will show you how to knock out a vector logo from Adobe Illustrator into a 3D logo in Maxons Cinema 4D. The tutorial also touches on basic texturing, lighting and animation. Creative Cow is a support community for digital video ...more
Low budger project? NO budget project? Lighting is a key part of any film, so you don't want to skimp on it. This tutorial shows you how to set up some inexpensive lighting systems when you're filming a documentary or interview.
In this video, we learn how to hang outdoor Christmas lights from the experts at Home Depot. First, you want to start out the planning process, and figure out where you want lights to be hung out. Then, decide how many lights you need and what kind you want to use. Then, go an ...more
This Home & Garden how to video is a DIY basic about accentuating outdoor living space with solar lighting. Watch and learn all about strategic placing of solar powered lighting to enhance the look and feel of your front yard. Always start with a plan before setting up and ins ...more
You will see a great way to light and set up a blue/green screen for your next video. There are a lot of tips that will come in handy if you want to film on a blue/green screen and don't want to pay outrageous fees to do so. The key in setting up is to block out all outside so ...more
Set Lighting Technician's Handbook, Third Edition: Film Lighting Equipment, Practice, and Electrical Distribution by Harry Box Train Your Gaze: A Practical and Theoretical Introduction to Portrait Photography by Roswell Angier Cinematography: Theory and Practice: Image Makin ...more
Outdoor lighting is an important part of your landscape. It's serves multiple purposes, but wouldn't you want to make sure you're getting the right lights, for both daytime and nighttime use? Lowe's has the answers to help you plan and install outdoor lighting in your yard. F ...more
If you're trying to film a romantic dinner, you'll want the setting to seem dim and candle lit - but you'll still want the lighting quality of the film to be good. Here's how you can shoot an effective dimly lit scene.
Why buy lanterns for your backyard when you can recycle empty jars into beautiful ones? This video will show you how to make lanterns out of old jars. Step 1. Wash and dry Wash glass jars in hot, soapy water and let them air dry. Step 2. Make templates Cut templates out of ...more
Some tips on how to do professional lighting on the cheap. This video provides low-price lighting tips for students and amateur film-makers alike.
Both on and off the set, the Gaffer or Chief Lighting Technician is one of the most important positions around. Though the average movie goer most likely has no idea the job even exists, they probably don't know what 99% of the other crew is/does either. From the time a DP ...more
In this tutorial, we learn how to improve cinematography lighting. The first style is used in music videos and some film. The second is a very naturalistic lighting that is showing real world lighting. The last type is minimal, where you are using natural light only. Turning o ...more
If you're trying to film on a budget, this tutorial is perfect for you. Instead of spending money on expensive professional lighting equipment, you can use these inexpensive alternatives (like using tin foil as a reflector or a shower curtain as a diffuser).
The visual style of this trailer looks like not only the amalgamation, but also the perfection, of all the great visual pieces that have been popping up on Vimeo lately. Handheld, dynamic natural lighting, you name it; ironically, this film makes Terrence Malick look self-refl ...more
Exterior lighting can add to the beauty of your home. Watch this how to video and wire exterior lighting yourself following these guidelines and safety tips. Before beginning any outdoor wiring project make sure to check with local utility companies and follow outdoor wiring c ...more
A cyclorama shot is a 360 degree panoramic, photographic view of a scene. It's set on a cylindrical platform and is designed to make the viewer feel like he is standing in the middle of it all. A cyclorama shot is a really cool thing to embark on in photography or film. Check ...more
Thinking fast on his feet is second nature to lighting rod tennis coach Fabián Nuñez Seixa. In this film he rockets you through the baseline rally and really improves your tennis game. Baseline rally in tennis. Click through to watch this video on videojug.com
Sometimes, we need to record outdoors for our film making. Perhaps we need an audio clip of a babbling brook, or perhaps just ambient noise. This instructional filmmaking video covers some tips for capturing good sound when shooting outdoors.
First thing you should do is invest in a reliable good quality digital camera. No, you do not have to spend big bucks on one. Kodak, Sony and Nikon make inexpensive digital cameras that are ready to be bought everyday. Make sure you find a camera that fits your needs. If you ...more
Watch shader writer, Mario Marengo, explain spectral wavelength and how to utilize it within Houdini. This presentation was recorded at a Toronto Technical Evening hosted by Side Effects Software. Shaders generally work in RGB color space. This is limiting when trying to repli ...more
This short film was shot entirely on the Canon EOS 5D Mark II DSLR. It's called The Last 3 Minutes and was directed by Po Chan, and shot by cinematographer Shane Hurlbut, ASC. The main character is a janitor, whose life is kind of mundane. At least, that's what it seems like, ...more
Making an animated film? This short and easy animation tutorial provides beginners the bare minimum to begin creating a claymation or stop motion animation film. This instructional video shows how to move claymation characters, how to control the lighting, and how to create a ...more
Shooting home video is fun, and is a great way to get started on the path to a film career. But one thing that can kill your video is poor lighting. Not everyone is rich enough to a professional light kit, so what do you do to compensate? In this video you will get some great ...more
If you're a digital 3D modeler or animator, you should check out this 3ds Max video tutorial to see how to use real world lighting calculations to get soft, beautiful lighting in your scene with radiosity. Autodesk's 3D Studio Max is a customizable and scalable 3D modeling an ...more
Mike from the SubStream's "Film Lab" has some tips regarding grip gear. Century Stands, more commonly referred to as C-stands or grip stands, are the most commonly used film equipment and can be seen on virtually every film set. C-stands are a grips best friend! And their not ...more
Update: New Trailer (7/9/10) In July of 2008, Fawaz Al-Matrouk, director of "To Rest In Peace", brought me on to shoot his USC graduate thesis film. Two years, 3 cameras, and over 15,000 miles later, the film is in its last week of post, having completed our final color correc ...more
This is a video of a lecture, and shows any photographer the best way to set up night shots, starting with equipment (lighting is especially important, for obvious reasons) and then moving on to tips and strategies for framing good night shots.