This has to be the most straightforward explanation of lighting I've seen, hands down. I buckled in to watch some other dude's 3h tutorial and literally fell asleep as he simply demonstrated a bunch of different lights with little discernable difference between them(???). Production quality was high, but he lost me in the weeds. This was succinct, and told me everything I need to know to ACTUALLY START. Omg, thank you so much.
This is probably the best short summary of lighting that I've seen! It also demonstrats that lighting isn't about eliminating shadows. It's about *controlling* shadows so that they are where we want them and with the right amount of darkness (aka contrast). As he said, you reduce the fill light so you don't flatten out the image. This happens because the shadows go away and there is no longer enough contrast. How much or how little you need depends on the effect you are trying to create (which also has to do with the amount and type of background lighting, if any, that you use). In one respect, you could say that this is exactly what the highlight on the shoulders does. It eliminates the shadows from the top of the shoulder and hair so they separate from the background. That it does this by over lighting (highlighting) the edge of your subject, in that sense, is just another tool for creating contrast.
My favorite is the style of Roger Deakins with low key lighting and using one light that truly mimics the real life situation. Blade Runner 2049, Skyfall, 1917 are all great examples
This topic has been covered a million times, but this video is fast and clearly explains the differences and when to use. I’ve been liking the soft top light with rim light in my work.
I generally like doing High Key soft lighting. I put a 300D as key through a huge octagon soft box, 120D as fill through a 2X3 soft box, and a 120D with 2X fresnel as the rim/kicker light.. while using two other lights for ambient, background light. But honestly, my favorite kind of lighting is lighting to the mood of the story or the shot. As you have shown here. I like the ability to adjust my lighting to create different styles, feel and look. And with the remotes that come with Aputure lights, it's easy to do that quickly, by dimming or pressing the off button. Also, it has an adapter that works with all my modifiers..so I can quickly change the soft box for smaller reflector, honeycomb scrims, snoots, or fresnel. So my favorite kind of lighting is the one you can mold. And the clear understanding of 3 point lighting is exactly that. Good job of quickly and clearly showing it here. It usually takes others a lot longer to explain.
I love that you go into all of the variations of 3-point lighting! You’re right, there isn’t a “right way” to do it, but I’ve taken so many classes where they basically say “key-fill-back and you’re done.” I love just having a soft key and a hard hair light. I’ve done so many headshot sessions where those two lights were sufficient and gave a nice dramatic but overall full look. Great content as always, and great job, Matt!
Side lighting is my go-to for horror, drama, and/or pulling off a cinematic effect with fewer lights. I picked up the trick from theater lighting where they use side lighting for dance and physical scenes to accentuate actors' forms. Pull one rim light slightly forward and the opposing one slightly back and you can show off a subjects full form in an interesting and compelling way! And I love that you guys covered it here too!
Lately when shooting outside I’ve been using the sun as a backlight, with just a fill card in front to bring up the subject’s face. Low budget option that works pretty nice 👍
Favorite light combination is normally 2-3 point lighting a light directly in front as key, then fill light on side, and a practical in background with RGB. When doing two point will just have key and a practical.
OMG! I have to start by saying I'm a neophyte of videography. Just starting out and I'm a student of UA-cam. I've watched ALOT of videos on all things filming and never comment. Today I'm reaching out to say THIS video right here...made me understand Lighting like never before. Bro if I could SMASH that Like button a couple of 1000 times for UA-cam to give you props I would. As it stands I have clicked my 1st LIKE also. Keep these coming and I just might become a awesome videographer!!
This video is like a lighting cheat sheet. Almost everything condensed into 4 mins. Super. I'm currently tripping on rim/backlighting. Never realized how imprtant and powerful it is for separation. I think Given the size of the Aputure MC one could just stick it behind a lot of subjects to get some really cool shots.
Oh that would be really cool! That's one thing we didn't try in this video, having the light directly behind the subject. There are so many variations of three point lighting to try
I like backlit with just a fill that was used a lot in Alien Covenant. i love the way Ridley Scott cinematographer used the lighting to create the atmospheric feel to the movies he makes. Loved the tutorial video too.
In my shooting style, the hair light/backlight is the most important and most overlooked. Being able to pull the subject off the background is what differentiate a normal shot from a cinematic one. It also gives me a chance to play with motivation of other lights in the background, or get creative and add color to the scene in the hairlight without being overpowering. A nice soft booklight to wrap the face as a key light finishes the the shot.
This was my very first time watching content from this channel. Wow!! I learned a ton in almost NO time!! I’ll be using a few of these tips in my next video!!
Sometimes it’s very important to go back to the basics. I love to use a key light with no fill and practicals separating the talent from the background. This is because I’m focused on shooting low key dramatic scenes where I’m shooting on the far side. These types of setups require a lot less light. My 2 300Ds and 2 120Ds help me achieve this. I also think people are making lighting to complicated now. They need to focus on how does this lighting setup aligns with the mood of the story. This is why lessons like these are important!! Thanks
I like what I call cross lighting. One key light + the back light across from the key light. Adds a little bit of fill while still maintaining good shadows to give your character depth.
This was very informative thank you! And since you asked my favorite light combo is key light to the left of subject, no fill light, and rim light opposite key light.
I shoot mostly interview setups, so I do a soft key with a large 3ft source, a warmer 1ft fill, and a cooler 56k back light. Then a bunch of accent lights on the background elements. Usually I key the long side of the face, but sometime the short side looks better. It’s fun to including the client in the process. Big reflectors & modifiers are a must when outside. That sun can be your friend or worst enemy.
Really appreciate the info given in this video! My go-to-light setup for now is main key light, with reflector the other side and background placing a fill light to make it interesting and separate the subject with background!
I’d take the three light set up myself, i enjoy a cinematic feel with shadows not balancing on the wall from the subject. The Rembrandt effects always works for me
My favorite light combination is a key and fill only a few degrees off of the subject and a high backlight. I do mostly live events that need color as accurate as possible, and I find that setup works the best for me.
I LOVE the keylight using Rembrandt lighting with a slight bit of back light on the hair and shoulder. Great video. Nice seeing direct comparisons. Thank you :)
90% of a time I use one light on a side for KEY with bounce panel on other side and second light is from the back ) Thanks for another great 4 min video)
Favourite light combination, which is something I used all the time is a nice soft key light at about 45° and above head height, then a small amount of fill and a small spot hair light. Generally I have the soft key on the same side as the "looking room" for things like interviews. Id love to add an MC to my kit to mix it up a little and add a little bit of colour contrast in the hair/background lights.
My favourite is a key with the Rembrandt triangle and a back light creating an almost halo effect on the subject. Depending on the mood I may also add some color to the back light for a more dramatic look.
Am just getting started but believe, it's all contextual to what story you want to tell. For the reason of not having much of a light gear, I rely on sungod and a reflector :)
I like the key light to the side with barely any fill w/ a backlight - gives the subject more dimension. Although it has to fit the narrative of course. For a typical interview shot, I recently tried bouncing the light off a tilted ceiling with my 120dii and it produced an extremely soft ambient light.
I love the three point lighting setup works. I love the key light on the side and fill light on the other with a back light for seperation of the subject from the background and with some touch of practical lights 👌🏻
Thanks for this! I'm working on learning 3d art and like in film, lighting can make or break a scene. This was very helpful to see what I've been doing intuitively, and what I need to polish. I appreciate your examples and how to the point everything was.
My favorite combination, is to use depron foam in front of a light source with a grid on top of it. Makes for a really soft key light and great to avoid spill for a Low Key look. Then I like to Illuminate my background to get a lot of depth. Btw loats of good Information fast and on point explained. 🙌🏻
I really havent experimented with non-natural lighting mostly due to budget and accessibilty but i love having the sun as a rim/backlight and a reflector as a fill . Creates a beautiful halos while keeping the face fairly and beautifully lit.
Love this series ! Can’t get enough 🙏🏽 My favorite lightning is 2 light ( key and back fill and bounce if needed ) easy for run and gun documentaries 👌🏽
I don’t know if it’s really my favorite, but is the one I use the most because in many of the projects I have worked, we need fast set ups that allow us to move freely in the set. So I use a key light that fills the room, trying to mimic one “natural” source, and sometimes bounce it in the background for separation.
It depends on what I'm trying to convey, but I usually love the look of a soft far side key sometimes with a little bit of fill, or sometimes without any fill at all. Thanks for the video!
Absolutely love this explanation, genuinely been looking for this explanation for years; (mostly found how to place lamps in rooms, LOL) Lighting Tips XD
what I've been really into lately is shooting near windows using the natural overcast sunlight hit my talent and give a back kicker to pop them out. one its really easy to achieve a very cinematic look. and two anyone can do it on a budget. and if. its a night scene i love to use a blue gel on my 120d and shine it overhead and use a kicker light, and fill light. it really give it a contrast-y look. and conveys the sense of nighttime
I love one light. Usually, I soften it up a lot or bounce it off something. I love Deakins's light placed low and bouncing it off some muslin wrapped on the wall.
My favourite light combination is a key light with a soft box at an angle and a reflector on the opposite to bounce back the light. i hv only one light so i try to make most out of it. in the future i will try to use a 3 point lighting. Thanks for the tips 👍🏻
I noticed after watching this video that I really like low key lighting with a rim light to shape the character's face. Definitely moody, but something fun about it. Cheers!
My favorite combination tends to be a strong backlight with just a little fill (or low key). I don't use it often, but I always like the effect when the scene calls for it.
My favorite lightening is using a key light with a good soft box and a backlight. Sometimes an additional reflector as a fill light for less contrasty image, it depends of the scene and project.
Backlight and fill bounce from front with a bounce board or a silver surface and a subtle kicker, also a negative fill from the other side of the face so that the kicker wont illuminate that side.
A someone who went into this video knowing literally nothing about lighting, this was enormously helpful. Thank you!
This has to be the most straightforward explanation of lighting I've seen, hands down. I buckled in to watch some other dude's 3h tutorial and literally fell asleep as he simply demonstrated a bunch of different lights with little discernable difference between them(???). Production quality was high, but he lost me in the weeds. This was succinct, and told me everything I need to know to ACTUALLY START. Omg, thank you so much.
This is probably the best short summary of lighting that I've seen! It also demonstrats that lighting isn't about eliminating shadows. It's about *controlling* shadows so that they are where we want them and with the right amount of darkness (aka contrast). As he said, you reduce the fill light so you don't flatten out the image. This happens because the shadows go away and there is no longer enough contrast. How much or how little you need depends on the effect you are trying to create (which also has to do with the amount and type of background lighting, if any, that you use). In one respect, you could say that this is exactly what the highlight on the shoulders does. It eliminates the shadows from the top of the shoulder and hair so they separate from the background. That it does this by over lighting (highlighting) the edge of your subject, in that sense, is just another tool for creating contrast.
My favorite is the style of Roger Deakins with low key lighting and using one light that truly mimics the real life situation. Blade Runner 2049, Skyfall, 1917 are all great examples
I think ALL mentioned will become my favorite, due to the fact that it will help me achieve that cinematic feel ALL directors search for.
This topic has been covered a million times, but this video is fast and clearly explains the differences and when to use. I’ve been liking the soft top light with rim light in my work.
Thanks so much for the feedback! We appreciate you watching the show
I doubt you still have those MC's but my favorite light is the backlight. The creative possibilities are truly endless
I generally like doing High Key soft lighting. I put a 300D as key through a huge octagon soft box, 120D as fill through a 2X3 soft box, and a 120D with 2X fresnel as the rim/kicker light.. while using two other lights for ambient, background light. But honestly, my favorite kind of lighting is lighting to the mood of the story or the shot. As you have shown here. I like the ability to adjust my lighting to create different styles, feel and look. And with the remotes that come with Aputure lights, it's easy to do that quickly, by dimming or pressing the off button. Also, it has an adapter that works with all my modifiers..so I can quickly change the soft box for smaller reflector, honeycomb scrims, snoots, or fresnel. So my favorite kind of lighting is the one you can mold. And the clear understanding of 3 point lighting is exactly that. Good job of quickly and clearly showing it here. It usually takes others a lot longer to explain.
I love that you go into all of the variations of 3-point lighting! You’re right, there isn’t a “right way” to do it, but I’ve taken so many classes where they basically say “key-fill-back and you’re done.” I love just having a soft key and a hard hair light. I’ve done so many headshot sessions where those two lights were sufficient and gave a nice dramatic but overall full look. Great content as always, and great job, Matt!
Side lighting is my go-to for horror, drama, and/or pulling off a cinematic effect with fewer lights. I picked up the trick from theater lighting where they use side lighting for dance and physical scenes to accentuate actors' forms. Pull one rim light slightly forward and the opposing one slightly back and you can show off a subjects full form in an interesting and compelling way! And I love that you guys covered it here too!
My all time favorite is the split lighting, I love the dramatic vibe you get from it.
Split lighting is awesome! Really nice go-to setup
This was the best video about lighting I have seen yet! Covered many scenarios.
Lately when shooting outside I’ve been using the sun as a backlight, with just a fill card in front to bring up the subject’s face. Low budget option that works pretty nice 👍
Awesome Solution
Hah probably first choice after you buy 5 in 1 ....sure it works 😉.
Ondrej Jánoška haha yep I do like the 5in1. But for faces I try to use foamcore or ultrabounce, more natural/ flattering bounces light imo!
like i always say the sun is free why not use it.
excellent use of natural light.
I am mostly using a key and a back/hair light. I've j started using lighting in the last couple of months
My favorite light combination... I like placing lights behind a window blind, it creates a very interesting shadow on the subject's face.
the best of lighting video I watched so far, straight to the point with good examples, respect
Favorite light combination is normally 2-3 point lighting a light directly in front as key, then fill light on side, and a practical in background with RGB. When doing two point will just have key and a practical.
OMG! I have to start by saying I'm a neophyte of videography. Just starting out and I'm a student of UA-cam. I've watched ALOT of videos on all things filming and never comment. Today I'm reaching out to say THIS video right here...made me understand Lighting like never before. Bro if I could SMASH that Like button a couple of 1000 times for UA-cam to give you props I would. As it stands I have clicked my 1st LIKE also. Keep these coming and I just might become a awesome videographer!!
Gotta love that rim light, instantly makes most scenes look more cinematic!
This video is like a lighting cheat sheet. Almost everything condensed into 4 mins. Super. I'm currently tripping on rim/backlighting. Never realized how imprtant and powerful it is for separation. I think Given the size of the Aputure MC one could just stick it behind a lot of subjects to get some really cool shots.
Oh that would be really cool! That's one thing we didn't try in this video, having the light directly behind the subject. There are so many variations of three point lighting to try
Key light+ no fill with back light. I just love that look!
This is a great crash course on lighting. Studio work has a beauty of its own.
I like backlit with just a fill that was used a lot in Alien Covenant. i love the way Ridley Scott cinematographer used the lighting to create the atmospheric feel to the movies he makes. Loved the tutorial video too.
In my shooting style, the hair light/backlight is the most important and most overlooked. Being able to pull the subject off the background is what differentiate a normal shot from a cinematic one. It also gives me a chance to play with motivation of other lights in the background, or get creative and add color to the scene in the hairlight without being overpowering. A nice soft booklight to wrap the face as a key light finishes the the shot.
This was my very first time watching content from this channel. Wow!! I learned a ton in almost NO time!! I’ll be using a few of these tips in my next video!!
Sometimes it’s very important to go back to the basics. I love to use a key light with no fill and practicals separating the talent from the background. This is because I’m focused on shooting low key dramatic scenes where I’m shooting on the far side. These types of setups require a lot less light. My 2 300Ds and 2 120Ds help me achieve this.
I also think people are making lighting to complicated now. They need to focus on how does this lighting setup aligns with the mood of the story. This is why lessons like these are important!! Thanks
Jesus... This video is actually the best on explaining basic lighting.. Thank you
I really like top and back lighting directly behind my subject and below, creating an eerie outline and mysterious look.
I like what I call cross lighting. One key light + the back light across from the key light. Adds a little bit of fill while still maintaining good shadows to give your character depth.
I've been using 3 point lighting lately. using that back light really allows my subject to pop out from the background!
This was very informative thank you! And since you asked my favorite light combo is key light to the left of subject, no fill light, and rim light opposite key light.
I shoot mostly interview setups, so I do a soft key with a large 3ft source, a warmer 1ft fill, and a cooler 56k back light. Then a bunch of accent lights on the background elements. Usually I key the long side of the face, but sometime the short side looks better. It’s fun to including the client in the process. Big reflectors & modifiers are a must when outside. That sun can be your friend or worst enemy.
Your videos have helped me a lot on making my music videos, I use domestic LED bulbs though.
Im currently a film student and was having a hard time with lighting, this has helped me immensely!
Hair and a rim light hitting the side of the face are my favorite combo.
This is so helpful ! I’m just new to this and started making short videos. I’ve learned a lot from this
Really appreciate the info given in this video! My go-to-light setup for now is main key light, with reflector the other side and background placing a fill light to make it interesting and separate the subject with background!
2 lights and fill light with reflector is my most common to use
My favorite lighting is very low key light with a bright rim or backlight. Creates such a dreamlike effect.
As I am just starting out my favourite lighting is using the sunlight and a bounce on the talent. Simple but affective.
do you bounce above or below the subject ?
I love using a book light as the key with a hard back light on the top of the head and China ball as a super soft fill!
I’d take the three light set up myself, i enjoy a cinematic feel with shadows not balancing on the wall from the subject. The Rembrandt effects always works for me
Great video and welcome Matt!
My favorite light combination is a key and fill only a few degrees off of the subject and a high backlight. I do mostly live events that need color as accurate as possible, and I find that setup works the best for me.
I LOVE the keylight using Rembrandt lighting with a slight bit of back light on the hair and shoulder. Great video. Nice seeing direct comparisons. Thank you :)
90% of a time I use one light on a side for KEY with bounce panel on other side and second light is from the back ) Thanks for another great 4 min video)
Rembrandt made it look fantastic in the 1600 with his paintings, and that technique is still amazing to this date;)
Favourite light combination, which is something I used all the time is a nice soft key light at about 45° and above head height, then a small amount of fill and a small spot hair light. Generally I have the soft key on the same side as the "looking room" for things like interviews. Id love to add an MC to my kit to mix it up a little and add a little bit of colour contrast in the hair/background lights.
My Favorite is Rembrandt lighting. Awesome that it was mentioned in the video!
My favourite is a key with the Rembrandt triangle and a back light creating an almost halo effect on the subject. Depending on the mood I may also add some color to the back light for a more dramatic look.
i always love having that back-light to add that dreamy/glowy feeling
Thank you for this tutorial! Very helpful. My favorite lighting for a talking head is key+fill+back light. If I only have one light, I use key light.
I love a 45 degree key w/a very low amount of fill and a nice harsh rim light for that dramatic noir vibe.
Am just getting started but believe, it's all contextual to what story you want to tell. For the reason of not having much of a light gear, I rely on sungod and a reflector :)
I like the key light to the side with barely any fill w/ a backlight - gives the subject more dimension. Although it has to fit the narrative of course. For a typical interview shot, I recently tried bouncing the light off a tilted ceiling with my 120dii and it produced an extremely soft ambient light.
I'm a big fan of one key light only or key light + reflector. Simple and still great!
I think a harsh lone backlight to create a silhouette of the subject is my favorite. Very dramatic. I want in!
Yes! A silhouette can say so much about a character while showing very little
MY fav is the keylight, reflector, and rim light combo!
Backlighting with the sun and filling up the shadows with a reflector works great :)
Such a great option! Stay tuned for a future episode where we do exactly that!
I love the three point lighting setup works. I love the key light on the side and fill light on the other with a back light for seperation of the subject from the background and with some touch of practical lights 👌🏻
The more dramatic key light to the side and rim back lightning is definitely my favorite
Thanks for this! I'm working on learning 3d art and like in film, lighting can make or break a scene. This was very helpful to see what I've been doing intuitively, and what I need to polish. I appreciate your examples and how to the point everything was.
My favorite is the back light accents the subject from behind!
amazing video. Fast and to the point. thumbs up
Glad you liked it!
My favorite combination, is to use depron foam in front of a light source with a grid on top of it. Makes for a really soft key light and great to avoid spill for a Low Key look. Then I like to Illuminate my background to get a lot of depth. Btw loats of good Information fast and on point explained. 🙌🏻
My personal favourite setup is Key LIght + Back Light to create depth and separation from the background to create that "Cinematic Look".
Been loving the 1 high key light and hair light look lately for in studio setups 😃💡
I love 2-point lighting: very soft key light and a rim light. Sometimes might use a reflector to cover the darker side of the face
I am a fan of two-point lighting. Side light from a large soft source for key and then a back light for separation :)
I really havent experimented with non-natural lighting mostly due to budget and accessibilty but i love having the sun as a rim/backlight and a reflector as a fill . Creates a beautiful halos while keeping the face fairly and beautifully lit.
Yes! Keep experimenting
Thanks for your video. I particularly appreciate the diagrams with suggested angles.
Love this series ! Can’t get enough 🙏🏽
My favorite lightning is 2 light ( key and back fill and bounce if needed ) easy for run and gun documentaries 👌🏽
I don’t know if it’s really my favorite, but is the one I use the most because in many of the projects I have worked, we need fast set ups that allow us to move freely in the set. So I use a key light that fills the room, trying to mimic one “natural” source, and sometimes bounce it in the background for separation.
It depends on what I'm trying to convey, but I usually love the look of a soft far side key sometimes with a little bit of fill, or sometimes without any fill at all.
Thanks for the video!
Absolutely love this explanation, genuinely been looking for this explanation for years; (mostly found how to place lamps in rooms, LOL) Lighting Tips XD
what I've been really into lately is shooting near windows using the natural overcast sunlight hit my talent and give a back kicker to pop them out. one its really easy to achieve a very cinematic look. and two anyone can do it on a budget. and if. its a night scene i love to use a blue gel on my 120d and shine it overhead and use a kicker light, and fill light. it really give it a contrast-y look. and conveys the sense of nighttime
Sounds really cool! Great idea using the window as a light source
My setup of choice is a 45° up-and-over key light and a rim light roughly 180° opposite, sometimes with a reflector for fill.
Wow ! Really well done. A must for anyone starting to learn how to paint with light.
Thanks for the support!
My current favorite light combo is using a natural light source like a window as the key with a bounce to fill. Very nice with all natural light!
I love one light. Usually, I soften it up a lot or bounce it off something. I love Deakins's light placed low and bouncing it off some muslin wrapped on the wall.
A soft key light is often all you need!
My favourite light combination is a key light with a soft box at an angle and a reflector on the opposite to bounce back the light.
i hv only one light so i try to make most out of it. in the future i will try to use a 3 point lighting.
Thanks for the tips 👍🏻
Wow, great video. Really digging the Rembrandt lighting
Thanks we appreciate the feedback!
I like the interview style lighting (1 key at 45 plus a side light on the opposite side). It creates a nice depth to the interviewee in gym/studios 👍🏾
Such an easy go-to for interviews!
my go to lighting is a high key with a bounce for a fill and nice strong back light.
I noticed after watching this video that I really like low key lighting with a rim light to shape the character's face. Definitely moody, but something fun about it. Cheers!
Thank you for all your help James Gunn
My favorite lighting Setup is a key from the side, no fill and two backlights one as a hairlight and another as a rim light
The Rembrandt lighting is my favorite setup!
My favorite combination tends to be a strong backlight with just a little fill (or low key). I don't use it often, but I always like the effect when the scene calls for it.
I love blasting a light from behind to get the hard silhouette look.
Love you Matt!
Sometimes I don't control the comments...but love you too Phil!!!
Thanks for providing a very clear and detailed explanation.
Thanks we appreciate the feedback!
i love high contrast lighting with little to no fill and a back light in a different colour tone.
My personal favourite is Rembrandt with some slight hair light and the black tones fill with blue.
I haven't been using a back light in my videos, just bought the Amaran COB 60D for that purpose.
Favorite Lighting is using natural light and shaping it with reflectors and diffusers...Since I don't really have light...lol
My favorite lightening is using a key light with a good soft box and a backlight. Sometimes an additional reflector as a fill light for less contrasty image, it depends of the scene and project.
Backlight and fill bounce from front with a bounce board or a silver surface and a subtle kicker,
also a negative fill from the other side of the face so that the kicker wont illuminate that side.
My favorite is the Key and the back light. I'll probably use that MC for a back light.
favorite light combo is unsing the key light, practical and backlight to create extreme drama.
My setup is Aputure 120D II as key light, and 2 AL-MX for fill and key lights.