In this video I'm going to show you a
simple lighting technique that will help
make your videos look way more
professional. I've used this technique to
light all kinds of professional videos -
television dramas, documentaries, even animation.
Hey, it's Mike from teachingwithvideo.com.
The place to go to learn
how to use video to engage, persuade, and
educate your audience. And in this video
I'm going to share with you an insider
secret technique for lighting
professional-looking video. And this
technique works no matter what kind of
equipment you have. It even works with
available light. And knowing this
technique will save you a ton of
frustration when trying to figure out
how to light you're on-camera shots.
Let me show you. The pro lighting technique
I'm going to show you is called the
Lighting Triangle. Well, maybe only I call
it that. Here's how it works. At the top
point of the triangle, we have the
on-camera subject. At the bottom right
point of the triangle we have the camera,
which is focused on the subject. And at
the bottom left point of the triangle we
have the main light source, or Key Light,
also aimed at the subject. Here's what
this looks like in real life. This is the
foundation of professional video, film,
and photographic lighting. Why? Because it
makes the subject look three-dimensional,
which is pleasing to the eye. That
three-dimensional impression is created
by the shadows. The shadows formed by the
Key Light give the face form and depth,
and accentuate pleasing facial features.
It also brings the eyes forward, making
them the focus of the shot, which is what
you want to do.
This creation of depth through the use
of light and shadow is called "modeling."
A couple of tips for the placement of your
Key Light. You want to angle your Key
Light so it illuminates the front of the
face and starts to fall off around the
opposite temple area. In terms of the
height of the Key Light, you want it
aimed down at such an angle that it
creates a 45-degree shadow just a bit
off the nose. The shadow opposite the Key
Light can sometimes be dark. Depends on
the amount of ambient light in the scene.
A dark shadow creates a more dramatic
look. If that's not what you're going for,
you can lighten or fill in that shadow
area a bit with a low-intensity light on
the other side of the subject, called the
"Fill Light." Or, you can save some power
and use a piece of white foam core
fastened to a stand, instead. You can get
foam core pretty cheap at your local
craft store. Just angle the foam core to
bounce some of the light from the key
into that shadow area. You don't want to
fill in the shadow area too much, or
you'll lose the modeling effect. And your
image will look flat. A good way to make
sure you're applying the Lighting
Triangle correctly, is to make sure the
on-camera subject is positioned between
the Key Light and the camera, and that
the camera is positioned on the shadow
side of the subject. You can use the
Lighting Triangle principle with
available light, too. Here's my friend,
Kelly Wonderlin in one of her YouTube
videos. Notice how she's positioned
herself at the top of the Lighting
Triangle, with the available light from
the window on the bottom right point of
the triangle, and the camera at the
bottom-left point of the triangle. As you
can see the camera is on the shadow side
of Kelly's face. Makes for a pleasing
shot.
Well, there you have it - the Lighting
Triangle. Take it and use it wisely to
make your on-camera videos look more
professional. But you know, if you want
your on-camera videos to be truly
engaging, you need one other major
ingredient. And that's on-camera delivery.
Being able to deliver information
effectively on camera is such a vital
skill when it comes to making
instructional or educational videos. So,
I've put together a guide to help you.
It's my Top Five Tips For Being
Effective On Camera. And it's based on my
more than 25 years as a professional
television host and actor. You can grab
that guide, right now, by hitting the link
on the screen, or in the description,
below. And if you found this video useful,
please, give it a Like. Share it. And of
course, don't forget to subscribe. Your
support helps me create more useful
content for you. Thanks for watching. And
I'll see you next time.