(loud clapping)
- Okay, so if there's one key element
of your video creation process that can have a huge impact
on how your videos look and feel like,
it's your lighting setup.
The unfortunate part is that most creators
who are just starting out
will tend to index a lot more on getting a better camera
even though the lighting in their video will have
a much bigger impact,
'cause here's a fun fact,
your videos can look super cinematic
even if you're shooting with a smartphone,
if you have the right lighting setup.
But on the other hand, if you have bad lighting,
you may have the best camera in the world
but your video may still suck, big time.
So, in this video, we'll take you through
five lighting basics that you must know
if you've just started creating videos.
Sounds useful? Let's jump right in.
Let's start with the most basic, but the most overlooked,
tip of them all.
Lighting the subject well.
Ensuring that you have enough light on your subject
is the most important step.
Now, you will be amazed at the number of times
we've seen creators not take care of this
because they believe that the camera perceives things
like our eyes do.
So, if we're in a room
and we feel that the room is adequately lit,
it is very easy for us to assume
that this is how the video will look when we shoot it.
However, we both know by now,
this is far from the truth.
One way to tackle this and ensure
that you don't make this mistake is by taking a test shot.
The test shot will ensure that you don't have
any unnecessary shadows or overexposed areas in your frame.
To professionally light up your subject,
you don't necessarily have to invest
in an expensive lighting setup.
You can just ensure that you shoot your subject
right next to a natural source of light, like a window.
Or if you can't plan your shoot in advance,
you can always invest in a basic pair of ring lights
which you can get for as low as $30.
This brings us to tip number two, which is
not to use overhead lighting to light up your shot.
So, one of the biggest mistakes a beginner creator makes
while lighting their shots
is by going with the default overhead lighting of the room.
This might not be something you may want to hear
but you absolutely have to steer clear
of using the overhead lighting for your videos.
The biggest reason being
that it paints the background walls,
other objects, and the subject in the same even tone,
making it super difficult to differentiate the subject
from the background.
Not just that, but the overhead lighting can cast
unattractive shadows on your subject's face,
especially under the eyes,
which can look extremely bad on camera.
So, you definitely want to ditch overhead lighting
for alternatives like adjustable lamps, LED lights,
or ring lights, which can be placed in front of your subject
and can be lit in front of them.
Tip number three is to place your camera
on the opposite side of the light source
to create depth in the frame.
The general thumb rule you may want to follow is that
on whatever side your main light source is
on to your subject, the camera needs to be
on the other side of the subject so that it catches
the dark side of your subject's face,
what this will do is add a lot more depth and character
to your scenes and it will instantly make it look
super cinematic.
This might seem very simple
but you may be amazed at how many people don't do this,
and what this one change can do to your videos.
I challenge you to go look at any iconic movie scene
and you will always see that the camera is set up
on the dark side.
Here are two shots of the same frame,
one with the camera on the same side as the light
and one on the dark side.
And, you can clearly see which has more character and depth.
Our fourth tip on our list is to use the standard
three-point lighting setup for your videos.
This is a standard setup that is used by most creators
and YouTubers, where you need three lights
to light your subject.
You need a key light, which is your main light,
a fill light on the other side to even out any shadows
caused by key light,
and a backlight to help separate the subject's head
from the background.
Imagine that your subject is at the center of a clock
with the camera at six,
the key light is located approximately at four.
It should be the brightest of the three
and provides the bulk of light to your subject.
The fill light is approximately at eight,
which eliminates shadows caused by the key light.
The backlight is located somewhere between one and two,
separating your subject from the background.
This kind of three-point lighting setup
is a standard go-to for a lot of creators
and is really easy to implement in a room of any size.
If you pick up any video from our channel,
you will see the same exact setup in all of them.
There is a key light on the right,
a fill light on the left,
and the backlight that lets you differentiate
between the outline of Theresa's hair and the background.
This brings us to our last step,
which is to avoid lighting from multiple sources
for your videos.
When you use light from multiple sources,
such as a yellow lamp and a natural light,
the lamp will produce a warm tungsten light
while also receiving cooler light from the window,
leading to competing color temperatures
that will result in an odd light combination on your face.
The mixed lighting can be rough on your camera sensors too,
as it's trying to adjust the white balance in your frame.
And, depending on how your sensor manages to do this,
you can end up with either very warm and yellow shots,
or very pale or blue ones.
If your camera is struggling
with different color temperatures,
you may want to turn off the warm lamp lighting
and stick with the natural lighting,
or maybe use the warm light in a closed room,
away from natural lighting.
Also, always remember that more light isn't always better.
If you overexpose your subject with a lot of light,
your video will not be able to capture the details
of the subject and your video will not look crisp and sharp.
And that's a round up of five super easy
but super effective tips that you can use
to instantly make your videos look better
and super cinematic, without having to buy or invest
in a fancy camera or a lighting equipment.
If you've found value in this video,
we'd love for you to give us a big thumbs up
and check out our next video,
in which we'll talk about six video editing tips
that will make you a better video creator.
This is Christine from InVideo
and I will see you in the next one.