See, I don't have time...
... to answer all those questions.
I do--I just don't ever... 'cause it's hard for me to think like a beginner.
So I have HeyFranHey here asking questions on how certain things are the way they are.
FRAN: We need help from the Shameless One because I am tech clueless.
MAYA: Okay, so the first question was what?
FRAN: The first question was, when I'm filming my YouTube videos, where should the lighting be? Should it be lighting the camera, or should it be lighting me?
MAYA: The answer to that is it should light your subject. So right now it's daylight--look at this space!
Girl, you should never be filming with a ring light, unless you HAVE to.
Unless you're like, 'shoot, I passed this deadline.'
FRAN: No, now I'm so going to be filming in the morning.
After the way that looks, are you kidding? I'm not using my ring light!
MAYA: I be breaking it down for her! I be breaking it down with that Canon T3i.
So you light the subject, and it could be like, okay...
Maybe we should set up those umbrella lights.
So, okay, just pretend it wasn't bright...
Okay, so now we've got the lights there, boom. Boom.
FRAN: So I'm in the middle, and the lights should kind of be ahead of me?
MAYA: It depends on how bright your light bulb is, like, how many watts.
How many watts are these? These are probably not even that strong.
FRAN: Those are the ones that came with it.
MAYA: These are the 45-watts, yes, so they're not that strong. So you want to bring them as close as you can, depending on the light.
Like, say there was no natural light. As close as you can to the subject without it being in the shot.
So you're lighting the subject, not the camera.
That's what it looks like outside of frame, but if I go in... you know, I could crop it out like that.
The lights aren't on, you guys, because it's really bright out. So you don't need it.
FRAN: But that's about the spacing... so this is like, good spacing?
MAYA: Yeah, you would want it as close to the subject--I would say for me, I mean there's no right or wrong.
But depending on how strong the bulb is--those are 45-watts--they're not the strongest. That's like, what comes with the kit.
I have a double-headed lightbulb thing. Because that way I can plug in 2 lights onto one stand.
So this is...
FRAN: And then the double-headed one... are they each 45?
MAYA: You can put in 45, but I also bought, like...
FRAN: Well what do you use in your videos?
MAYA: I think it's like... I don't even really use these umbrellas.
That's like a lot of work for me. I'm so--
FRAN: But you do the daylight?
MAYA: I try to if I can. I don't have as much daylight as you, though.
I've got buildings across the street from me. So I sometimes have to use like, the daylight with one other bulb.
Not an umbrella. I'll use like, the... I don't know if you saw that. I'll insert it here, but I use this light.
It's like, $20-$30.
FRAN: The little box light?
MAYA: The little box light, yeah. And that one doesn't have any cords, doesn't need to be plugged in or anything,
and I just would put it like right there, on that thing. Get my face all glittery.
So yeah. Just try to put it as close to the subject as you can without it being in the shot.
See that? Just say it's like, 'no I need this exact frame', then it's like, okay. Then you've got to move that one out, and you've got to move that one out.
And if it's too dark, then you've got to change the settings on your camera, or get a stronger lightbulb.
Again, you can tilt it up, or you can tilt it down.
If you raise this up too high, though... you want it to be eye-level.
Because what this is going to do, it's going to create, like, shadows. Your eyebrow bone is going to cast shadows.
So like, this would be darker. Right now the light is coming in like that.
What you want to try, for me at least, you want to try to keep it like that. Unless this is not lighting a person, it's lighting a background.
And you can either face it like this, or face it like this.
FRAN: Oh, that's... so many questions!
MAYA: You always have to look at the shot.
FRAN: To see if it's--to see which one is most flattering.
MAYA: Yeah. For me it's all about playing, so whatever works.
So this, if you're lighting the subject, which is a person, you kind of want it like that. As close to eye-level as possible.
If you're lighting the background, because for whatever reason you're trying to get fancy...
...and you want light to be back here, then you would like, light however you want. You can bring it up high.
When I used to do real estate photograhy, you would have a bunch of lights all over the place.
So at that point you would do something like that.
But you're not trying to do all of that.
FRAN: No, I just want to know for when I sit and talk.
MAYA: So for the most part, you guys are watching this because you're making a YouTube video where you're talking direct to camera. When you talk direct to camera, you
are trying to look your fiercest, I say do that. But play around.
FRAN: So it should be a little above you but more eye-level than above.
MAYA: If you can, yeah. And then you also don't want to go too low because then it looks like a horror film.
Like Blair Witch Project with the flashlight underneath you.
Sometimes it might work. But this is on the side, too. It's a totally different story when it's in front of you.
There's so many things--so I , for me, the best type of learning is, not through rules and stuff, but through trial and error.
FRAN: Right, actually just watching the changes--
MAYA: Yeah, you film it, and you see if it works. And if it works, it works, if it doesn't then you switch it up.
But for the most part, in terms of what I do, I don't even like umbrellas. I hate lights. I try to avoid it.
FRAN: Really? I thought that--I guess you seem synonymous with lighting.
MAYA: It's because I don't have time. I'm literally like, I'm trying to run off somewhere.
I just hate opening the umbrellas...
FRAN: For me it's the setup part. I told you that's what kills me when I want to film and I get the itch to film, it's the setup that gets me out of it.
MAYA: That's why you don't even bother with lights. If you can avoid it, use daylight. That's the solution.
FRAN: Now my life is changed.
Because now I can film when I'm inspired to, I don't have to do as much setup.
MAYA: The only thing that sucks with daylight sometimes, you know, like, it's changing. Sometimes there would be clouds are passing and will change your shot
and would make your light dark. So there's always pros and cons for everything.
But you work with what you can.
At the end of this video there's going to be links to a playlist, because I have videos on lighting and how to use your camera,
and even a video on audio--the most popular video on my channel.
Look at her... twat. That twat Jackie.
Oh, and then in terms of like, sound... it's called the iPhone 4.
Honestly, this is like the best thing to use for sound.
Audio--you go to... there, that's what it is.
So crazy! You can get... Rodeo mic has... that same company.
FRAN: So that's an app?
MAYA: No this is built in. Voice memo.
And then you would put this somewhere out of frame, but it would face you.
Like that.
But the distance... as close to you as you could without it being in the frame.
FRAN: Okay, so where would I put it with this setup?
MAYA: With this setup... see, look. It's projected up.
FRAN: Oh, I see. And this distance is fine?
MAYA: That's fine. I mean, the closer the better.
She's got a coaster! These are pretty lightweight; let me use the whole thing.
Move the book in closer... This is literally what I do!
FRAN: That is hysterical! So we just made a poetry book-coaster mic holder.
MAYA: And then that's how... so it's on an angle because the trajectory... see there, this is like the perfect example.
It's going to catch your vocals. So when you talk, you want to be mindful that the microphone is there. And then the camera... would be here.
So don't rely on the sound from your camera when it's this far. Look how far am I away from you.
2 meters. But that is close to you. If possible, that could actually be higher. Or getting a mic clip into your...
FRAN: Into my shirt?
MAYA: Your shirt. That's next level if you have the money for that.
FRAN: So here's--can I ask my second question that has to do with the mic?
So, okay, now that we recorded it and we figured out the spacing, how do I get the vocals from the phone--
MAYA: To your computer. Use iTunes, right? You sync your music in your iTunes? You can sync your voice memos.
FRAN: Got it.
MAYA: So you can either plug it in, or you can email.
Done. You know, call it--I don't have time to type--so save that. And I would save it as the name of the movie file,
so I remember, or just give it a name like, you know, 'Tech with HeyFranHey.'
Then I go to... and you can email that.
FRAN: Oh, direct to email.
So now you have it and you're on your computer. Then you just drag it underneath--or whatever on the timeline--and then you sync it?
MAYA: That one, I do have a video.
FRAN: Okay, my question! When you're uploading your video, how do you minimize... how do you call it so that it's--
because I know that it changes the quality when you upload. Are there any tricks to not lose the quality, the high quality that you've edited the video in?
MAYA: I'll show you that on the expot settings.
You're going to go to Share > Export Using QuickTime > Options > Size.
You can actually change this. You want HD, go to 1280 x 720. OK, and Settings. You want to make sure that H.264 is checked off.
OK. I'm not going to export that. Then in Final Cut, same deal.
Go to File > Share > Master File. And then go to Settings, make sure that's checked off. Make sure it's QuickTime... QuickTime... next!
FRAN: Good!
MAYA: That's so out of... I mean, that's not a lot, but that's enough. That's to get you started.
Google and YouTube is your best friend.
You just type those words in. Type what you know. Go to the geek channels.
FRAN: Or, I got lucky and called Shameless Maya because she lives a couple blocks away.
MAYA: You better like this video! If this was helpful, subscribe!
You guys have questions about techie stuff--
FRAN: I'm sure you guys have more basic questions.
MAYA: Check her channel out! And you can harrass her and ask her to upload a video.
Say 'Maya sent me'! Say 'The Shameless one sent me!'
That's it guys! Remember to do you, be you and stay true.
FRAN: Bye guys!
MAYA: Be shameless!
That's good! Now Fran can post more videos! This was really just a ploy for me to smack her up so she can upload more.
FRAN: Now I'm going to do once a week for sure!
MAYA: I did the dirty work, guys. You can thank me later. You can like this video.