http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ Videomaker Community Forums » Tag: lighting - Recent Posts en Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:02:34 +0000 http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/studio-lighting-led-vs-tungsten-equivalents#post-74125 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:21:58 +0000 Charles Schultz 74125@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>A good set of HMI lights are not very expensive and run cool. I have both florescent and HMI and I prefer the HMI's Just my two cents.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/studio-lighting-led-vs-tungsten-equivalents#post-74123 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:59:10 +0000 EarlC 74123@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Also, check out Michael Fitzer's article in the same issue at <a href="http://www.videomaker.com/article/15421/">http://www.videomaker.com/article/15421/</a></p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/studio-lighting-led-vs-tungsten-equivalents#post-74122 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:56:29 +0000 EarlC 74122@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Pesi, the February 2012 issue of Videomaker magazine has some good information in its lighting buyer's guide at <a href="http://www.videomaker.com/article/15328/">http://www.videomaker.com/article/15328/</a></p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/studio-lighting-led-vs-tungsten-equivalents#post-74121 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:20:38 +0000 pesi 74121@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>&nbsp;I have a 1000 watt Tungsten halogen light in a softbox which I am looking to upgrade to LED lighting (cooler &amp; cheaper to run) - can anyone give me advice on what LED specs I should be looking for to get a similar output (I have no idea of how many lumens the current light puts out). Any guidance would be most welcome..</p> <p>Thanks,</p> <p>Pesi</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/how-do-i-make-better-videos#post-73860 Sun, 08 Jan 2012 19:00:50 +0000 EarlC 73860@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>OK, the sample you'd like to be more like. Don't. Sorry, but after a minute I wanted to turn it off and comment. At 2:12 I'd had enough ... all I could take. WHY?</p> <p>Centered, straight on angle. Boring. Too much space and the reflective water caused some lighting issues as well with this one. I think the single most effective thing THIS VIDEO and yours could use is multiple shoots, repetitive performances, varying angles and POV, then using the new editing power Elements will provide you, cutting to keep some interest.</p> <p>I'd shoot tighter. Unless the background is a significant and participating point of the focus, it's NOT contributing to, but taking away from, the point of interest. In both cases, the talent. I liked your intro for your first attempt, but when you got into the production you got to it. No lag. The buildup for sample two was too long. Totally boring and nothing like the BIG PICTURE or "larger than life" description you led me to believe I'd perceive.</p> <p>Tight shots, varied angles, avoid backlighting, control the audio and you're going to have something that knocks the socks off your reference sample IMHO. What was cute in the second video was the obvious audio source being set, then placed on the block, but obviously the actual sound was recorded from a closer proximity in post. But nothing else about the second sample appealed to me to the extent your first effort did.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/how-do-i-make-better-videos#post-73859 Sun, 08 Jan 2012 18:57:51 +0000 Moab Man 73859@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>It looks like the wall is in focus and not the two of you during the introduction. The dance part is suffering from bad lighting. It's dark in front of you two girls, very bright behind you, too much activity seen through the window, and overall the light is just washing out your colors. The clothing colors blend too much with the surroundings. Looked at your other video and I would make all the same statements. To put it simply, you're not lighting your subject. The background is what's lit up.</p> <p>The video you like has plenty of lighting and the girl is wearing strong colors that really pop out against the background, although I couldn't stop my eye from being drawn to the completely out of place drink bottle in front of her.</p> <p>Just so you know, for what you're doing it's not a software issue. Windows Movie Maker will do everything you're doing so far. However, I would encourage you to learn the Adobe program so that once you get your lighting correct you can use the color adjustments to improve.</p> <p>What are the setting you're using, there is a lot of interlacing (when you're moving and your arm for example breaks up) showing up?</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/how-do-i-make-better-videos#post-73858 Sun, 08 Jan 2012 18:51:28 +0000 EarlC 73858@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Ally &amp; Sally, for a first attempt the first example you shared in the links above was GREAT. I do understand what you mean when you say you want to be more satisfied with the final results and I think I can see what might help.</p> <p>BACKLIGHT ... your biggest problem with the dance in a diner sequence is the backlight from the window. You could, of course, set your iris to cut the vignetting, or add gels to the windows, but probably your best bet would be to try to find a position that does not include such a large swath of backlight to contend with. I perceive that the location you used might be a bit tight, providing little, if any, choice of positions away from the window. But the backlighting works against you here, instead of perhaps helping create GREAT lighting as a source from front or side.</p> <p>THE WINDOW ... camera POV, while interesting, and in addition to backlighting, also generates bit too much distraction with pedestrian and auto activity outside, taking attention away from your routine.</p> <p>Your music levels and audio levels are good, but you might consider doing the routine to the selection, then close recording (lip syncing). It appears you're using the audio from the on-camera mic. If I'm wrong, you still are too far away from the mic and need to address that for increased clarity.</p> <p>The last thing simply is to shoot more than one take from more than one angle and/or POV, giving you the opportunity to change angles and points of view in the editing and generate a more creative and interesting piece.</p> <p>All-in-all, ladies, you did a GREAT job and I very much enjoyed you sharing your creativity. I hope you'll find some of what I said useful and that you'll share more as you adjust your productions.</p> <p>When I view the video you'd LIKE to be more like. I'll see if I have anything more ton contribute. By all means, don't stop. This is way awesome!</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/how-do-i-make-better-videos#post-73857 Sun, 08 Jan 2012 18:20:53 +0000 Ally & Sally 73857@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Hello! My sister and I have been making simple dance videos for Youtube and and Japanese video community called Nico Nico Douga. We've only made a couple so far, but we're not satisfied with the outcome of our videos. We took some video production classes in high school, but we're using totally different equipment for a totally different end product this time. We were hoping we could get some well needed tips from the community here!</p> <p>Our Youtube channel is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/moetwinstyle">here</a>. They're just simple videos that follow the general formula of one continuos shot while we dance (and sing).</p> <p><a href="http://youtu.be/kTyWCT4HzJ4"><strong>[An example of one of our videos]</strong></a></p> <p>We are using a Canon Vixia HF R20 camera with a tripod. For the videos we've uploaded so far, we've only used Window Movie Maker, but we now have Adobe Premier Elements 10 that we are using to edit our future videos. We hoped to have better lighting/quality and an overall more professional feeling product, but we're falling quite short of what we want. How can we achieve this?</p> <p><a href="http://youtu.be/GrC2OM0kXK0"><strong>[What we'd like to have our videos like]</strong></a></p> <p>We'd like to achieve an end product like the video above. Most of the time we'll be filming outdoors, but we'll be filming indoors from time to time as well. How can we get that "larger than life" feeling that the second video has?</p> <p>Thank you very much!</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/hardwire-led-lighting-to-meet-nyc-building-codes#post-73546 Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:45:49 +0000 sswiller 73546@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I want to hang four 1K IKAN LED lights from the ceiling of an office building in NYC.  I spoke with the electrician about it, and he said that the lights had to be hardwired or they would violate NYC Building Codes.  I searched the Internet and can't find any LED lights that are hardwired.  Wondering if anybody had experience with this.  </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/interview-lighting-resource-with-diagrams#post-73319 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:10:24 +0000 jackwolcott 73319@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Lighting interviews can be a problem: not enough time to set up too much equipment; ugly results, with too much shadow and lots of hot spots. </p> <p>This article (<a href="http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/aadams/story/the_simplest_fastest_interview_lighting_setup--ever/P0/" rel="nofollow">http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/aadams/story/the_simplest_fastest_interview_lighting_setup--ever/P0/</a>) gives a simple, clearly illustrated, step by step approach to solving these problems. </p> <p>Although the light sources mentioned in the article are professional, similar results can be obtained with less expensive equipment. It's the lighting principles illustrated here that are important.</p> <p>Jack</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/overexposed-faces#post-73214 Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:19:54 +0000 Nathan Johnson 73214@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>To the OP, not the hijackers :)...</p> <p>Never underestimate the power of some good translucent powder make-up. Cures most shiny faces! Get a few shades just in case.</p> <p>Using your camera's "zebra stripes" function will alert you to the blown-out areas before you shoot.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/help-lighting-a-subject-green-screen#post-73162 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:28:41 +0000 jackwolcott 73162@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Way, way better! Keep up the good work. This really looks great.</p> <p>Jack</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/help-lighting-a-subject-green-screen#post-73148 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 06:53:59 +0000 Kenkyusha 73148@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>&nbsp;Again, way better- if you continue to improve&nbsp;at this rate, you'll be pulling keys that are indistinguishable from reality in no time!</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/help-lighting-a-subject-green-screen#post-73147 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 06:44:38 +0000 Sylas 73147@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Thanks for the advice Ken!</p> <p>After moving the subject a bit further away, endlessly tweaking the lights and camcorder settings again, this is the result: <a href="http://imgur.com/1vvFr">http://imgur.com/1vvFr</a></p> <p>Can't believe this is the same camera.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/help-lighting-a-subject-green-screen#post-73143 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 06:22:25 +0000 Kenkyusha 73143@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>First off- that's way better than the first example.</p> <p>For the next round of improvements, you are currently getting some green spill.&nbsp; If you have the option of moving the subject further from the screen, that will help.&nbsp; Also CTM (magenta gels) will help moderate your lighting color to cut down on bounce.&nbsp; Finally, you may want to tweak the choke/feather settings of your software.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/help-lighting-a-subject-green-screen#post-73050 Sun, 04 Dec 2011 03:02:55 +0000 Sylas 73050@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Thanks for the helpful responses! I really appreciate them. So I took both your suggestions into consideration and played around with the lights as well as the exposure. I think it's quite an improvement. This is post green screen editing in AE: <a href="http://imgur.com/kiZOk">http://imgur.com/kiZOk</a></p> <p>Thoughts?</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/help-with-lighting-in-room-with-off-white-walls#post-73018 Fri, 02 Dec 2011 13:22:07 +0000 Mike 73018@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Hi I'm back!  Well I went back to home depot and I bought the lights that are recommended for these clamp lights:</p> <p><a href="http://www.citylivingstores.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=122401">http://www.citylivingstores.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=122401</a></p> <p>They are 300 watts and put out 4170 lumens!</p> <p>I have two of these suckers and they light up the room like Yankee stadium!  I put a piece of parchment paper over each of them on the clamp lights, then an extra piece over one of them because it was too much light actually.  I could never get key and fill to work, so I just filled the room with even light and it looks fine now I guess.  I see all these tutorial videos with key and fill and when you actually go to do it, it doesn't work, maybe it's the space I have to work with, can't position lights where they need to go.  So now I have no shadows whatsoever on the talent and that makes the most sense to me, why would I want shadows? This isn't a drama, it's more like watching the news...</p> <p>Oh by the way, you were asking about the background? It's a black cloth, with a banner on it behind the talent.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/help-lighting-a-subject-green-screen#post-73015 Fri, 02 Dec 2011 08:31:34 +0000 Don 73015@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>the reason it looks good zoomed in is because your lens is a variable aperture zoom meaning it lets in less light as you zoom to the telephoto end..</p> <p>also your exposure meter can be fooled by how much (backlit in this case) background is in the frame..</p> <p>solution.. set your exposure manually, once; and don't use the zoom, move the camera...</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/help-lighting-a-subject-green-screen#post-73011 Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:05:28 +0000 jackwolcott 73011@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Way too much light on the subject. Much of the detail is blowing out and you're clipping on his face, especially on our right. Try using different light sources on the talent. </p> <p>We often use a 100watt NRG on camera light with diffusion, mounted on a light stand and placed very close to the talent, for a key and a 200 or 400watt photo flood soft box made out of foam core with a diffuser medium on the front for fill and hair. </p> <p>Pull out as wide as you intend shooting, then look through your viewfinder or at a good monitor while an assistant moves the lights around to see how best to cool things down. What you see with your eye is quite different than what the camera sees.</p> <p>If you balance the lighting for the long shot the CU should work o.k. If it doesn't, re-light for the CUs.</p> <p>Good luck,</p> <p>Jack</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/help-lighting-a-subject-green-screen#post-73008 Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:08:20 +0000 Sylas 73008@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Hi all</p> <p>I'm using a green screen setup with two fluorescent(5.5K) soft-boxes lighting a human subject and another two lighting the screen. I'm using a Sony C150X Handycam on a tripod with daylight white balance settings.</p> <p>The screen is working pretty well but I'm having trouble achieving the desired effect with the subject. When I zoom in close to the subject's face, he looks very natural, however when zoomed out further, he looks washed out and too bright. </p> <p>Here is a picture demonstrating the different the different effects at different zoom levels: <a href="http://i.imgur.com/3WQeM.png" rel="nofollow">http://i.imgur.com/3WQeM.png</a></p> <p>Why does this happen and how can I make the subject look like he does on the left while getting more of his body in the shot.</p> <p> </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/help-with-lighting-in-room-with-off-white-walls#post-72917 Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:21:35 +0000 jackwolcott 72917@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>You've got enough light here to cook meat! Don't paint, don't deaden, don't green screen. At least not for a while. Instead, set up your camera and begin looking through the view finder to see how your talent looks. </p> <p>Wayne said it all, above. Remember three point lighting, for a start. As suggested, try bouncing light from the scoop reflector -- I'd use a 200w or 400w photo flood, the kind used for portrait work -- off a piece of foam core; maybe even off the gold colored wall you have now. Odds are that that will provide soft key light, with the bounce off the opposite wall providing fill. </p> <p>Get some black wrap -- it's like aluminum foil, only black -- and make a tube to mask down the flood from your second scoop. Use that, very subtle here, as highlight on hair and shoulders. </p> <p>Think of the lighting as highlight side, shadow side and rim around the shoulders. </p> <p>The key to this, though, is what you see in the view finder. That's where you compose the light and determine how much you need. Less is better. Today's cameras don't require a great deal of light to produce a very pleasing image. </p> <p>Use your camera's iris, too. Experiment with it to get the most pleasing balance of light and shadow. You should be able to see detail in the blacks, with no clipping (over exposure, white patches with no detail) in the whites. Move your lights around to get the best results.</p> <p>And be absolutely sure to white balance before you begin shooting.</p> <p>Good luck.</p> <p>Jack</p> <p> </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/help-with-lighting-in-room-with-off-white-walls#post-72908 Mon, 28 Nov 2011 21:16:39 +0000 papayamon 72908@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>what i'm ending up doing is covering the inside of my entire studio ( with ceiling tile which will be painted over with a light coat of flat black paint to kill the vast majority of reflected light, then i can create what i want. </p> <p>if i need a colored wall section, i'll build one and put it on rollers.  otherwise, i'll green screen it.  </p> <p>but i think i'm ahead of the game if what i start with is total dead space... dead to light and sound.   it's very exciting to be working on finishing :).</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/help-with-lighting-in-room-with-off-white-walls#post-72904 Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:20:36 +0000 composite1 72904@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Mike,</p> <p>Yeah, those are Halogen work lights. They aren't rated for video/film work so you'll have to make some in-camera manual picture adjustments (if you're able) and do an accurate whitebalance to get a good balance of color and tone in your scene. They are workhorses for the indie (i.e. don't have the cash for real lights) filmmakers however, so they can be used. </p> <p>First off, Diffusion Material and wooden clothespins. Go to your local crafts store and get white, cream and gold vellum paper (like they use in wedding invites.) Halogen lamps get really hot and the vellum unlike other paper won't burst into flame. Use wooden clothespins to secure the vellum over the front of the lamp (for God's sake, leave the protective screen on!) The vellum will cut down on the harshness of the light and spare your talent the glare and much of the heat. The more sheets you use, the softer the light will be.</p> <p>Second, get a 36x24" white foamcore board. Paint one side flat black. When you use your lamp covered with the diffusion material, you can use your foamcore board as a bounce card (white side) to fill in the shadows on the talents face or use the black side to block unwanted reflected light. </p> <p>Third, move your talent far from the walls as you can. So even if you don't have a backdrop, you won't throw hard shadows of your talent or get unwanted reflections and hotspots on those white walls. Also You may want to forgo a mediu-wide shot to establish your scene and start with a medium shot then stick with MCU's or close-ups when your talent is speaking. That will help take emphasis off those walls. Having your talent farther way from the walls will also give you opportunities to purposely use shadows to add depth to the background.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/help-with-lighting-in-room-with-off-white-walls#post-72862 Sun, 27 Nov 2011 12:32:55 +0000 Don 72862@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p><img height="512" width="340" src="http://gallery.me.com/lightexpressions/101127/-C2-A95857521mb-20inc-20018/web.jpg?ver=13224257210001" /></p> <p>this image (still shot, but the lighting is the same for video) was shot in a white studio...</p> <p>with careful lighting white can be any color and any tone...</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/help-with-lighting-in-room-with-off-white-walls#post-72860 Sun, 27 Nov 2011 10:56:37 +0000 Don 72860@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>depends on how you light and the size of the space... I have a small space in my basement painted black, and it works great especially with the low ceiling... I only get light where I put it.. Then I have a bigger space in my garage that is white.. again, I have to use gobo's or flags and other light modifiers to get the light where I want it but it works...</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/help-with-lighting-in-room-with-off-white-walls#post-72858 Sun, 27 Nov 2011 09:50:48 +0000 papayamon 72858@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>any value to painting the walls black, so you eliminate reflected light?</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/help-with-lighting-in-room-with-off-white-walls#post-72855 Sun, 27 Nov 2011 07:37:35 +0000 mfish653 72855@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Have you considered using a green screen? You can buy the material for cheap and the results - if properly lit - are professional quality. Not only can you then make the background whatever color you like, you can layer your titles in a way that would look like it was produced by an expensive company.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/help-with-lighting-in-room-with-off-white-walls#post-72854 Sun, 27 Nov 2011 07:34:47 +0000 Wayne 72854@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> With that many lights at your disposal, the normal setup is to use a "key" or main light on the subject, just offset to one side...a "Fill" light  on the opposite side and a "Back" light  usually behind and above, pointed down at the subject to help seperatde them from the background and give the back of their head some highlights.  However, in a room that size, you can probably get away with bouncing the main lights off the ceiling and/or walls, but still use the back light as per above. My main concern with off-white walls would be the background.  I like to place a plant in a corner or some art work/posters on the walls, perhaps a prop that pertains to the subject being discussed.  You can also "paint" the background with coloured light or shadow/pattern light to give some detail.  I always try to do something to prevent having just a plain white wall as a background.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/help-with-lighting-in-room-with-off-white-walls#post-72848 Sat, 26 Nov 2011 16:11:56 +0000 Mike 72848@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Oops, I think I posted this topic in the wrong forum.. Can a moderator move this for me?</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/help-with-lighting-in-room-with-off-white-walls#post-72847 Sat, 26 Nov 2011 16:07:41 +0000 Mike 72847@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Beginner here so go easy on me.  I have a 12'x12.5' room and will be using it to shoot basically talking head for instructional videos for online viewing, or on the computer, but not DVD.  The walls in the room are not white, they're kind of a creamish color. I took a photo of the wall with a piece of white paper against it so you can see:</p> <p><img src="http://i40.tinypic.com/296g461.jpg" /></p> <p>As for lights, I have two of these (although I'm not sure of the wattage)<br /><a href="http://www.dpciwholesale.com/250W-Work-Lamp-with-Clamp.html">http://www.dpciwholesale.com/250W-Work-Lamp-with-Clamp.html</a></p> <p>and two of these:<br /><a href="http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100664505/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&amp;storeId=10051&amp;catalogId=10053">http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100664505/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&amp;storeId=10051&amp;catalogId=10053</a></p> <p>I also have an 8.5" clamp light like above, with a halogen bulb, and dimmer for a back light.</p> <p>What would be the best way to utilize what I have in this room in order to light the subject for talking head instructional video?  Or, what should I GET in order to properly light the subject (what kind of bulbs, wattage, etc?) and how to deal with the not-white colored walls/ceiling?</p>