Video lighting

Dan7312 · April 16, 2012

I'm doing some more of my instructional video stuff and want the lighting/color to come out better.

The videos are just me in front of a whiteboard, about 10 feet long, doing a chalk talk. So there is no depth, I'm just move back and forth across the whiteboard.

Right now I'm using the natural light in the room but it's not enough and the redwood ceiling seems to make it worse. I've tried using just plain ol' ceiling and table tungsten lamps and, no suprise, the results were really poor. This isn't a studio, just in my house.

I looking at renting these.
http://www.lensprotogo.com/product/lowel-blender-kit/

Will they be bright enough? I like to avoid hot lamps if a could. Is there some kind of rule of thumb to figure out how much light you need?

I'll be using Canon 7D or a 5d III to take the video.

tnx in advance.

Dan7312 · April 16, 2012

This is a clip of what I am ending up with now just using room natural light...

http://www.danalphotos.com/Other/Green-Screen/22142943_dx4M5H#!i=1797340575&k=fR2hXzH

I know the audio if really bad, but I that's something I know how to fix next time on the next recording session.

Dan7312 wrote: »

I'm doing some more of my instructional video stuff and want the lighting/color to come out better.

angevin1 · April 16, 2012

Dan7312 wrote: »

This is a clip of what I am ending up with now just using room natural light...

http://www.danalphotos.com/Other/Green-Screen/22142943_dx4M5H#!i=1797340575&k=fR2hXzH

I know the audio if really bad, but I that's something I know how to fix next time on the next recording session.

Hi Dan!

That light would be bright enough perhaps, but you have to have someone following you with it, or just not move. Looking over the photos of your studio, I'd suggest some cheap-0 ideas.

1. Reflect. Go to your local Lowes/Home Depot and buy a couple of sheets of pressed cardboard backed Shiney White board. It looks like your avg. Sharpie white board, and comes in 4x8 sheets.
Put one down on the floor in front of you, or split it and place the pieces wherever they'll do the most reflecting, and the most good.

2. That lamp sitting next to the presentation screen is a good place to take off the shade and place a 5k CFL in the socket.

3. Since you seem to be a bit close to your BG. I think just as the outside light is coming in from the side, plan on lighting from the side with other lamps. And since you also appear to have your set-up in a fixed environment, why not spring for either a CFL set-up or do a DIY rig.

CFL's I own: from this page
DIY rig I like: I couldn't find it!

The DIY I was going to link to, the cinematographer basically went to lowes purchased 4ft. Florescet fixtures, made some simple metal tubing stands to allow them to stand up vertically and ordered 5K bulbs to place in them. They take up little relevant space and light quite well.

I noticed in your photos EXIF, that you were using 400 ISO. IS that where you usually shoot, 400?

Ought to go to 640. And personally I'd move right on up until I got the light I needed, versus opening up the aperture. You're not really worrying about noise here, and if properly exposed you won't really have any. Yes the DR will be down some, but who cares? I wouldn't be bothered at all to shoot ISO1600 if needed.

Dan7312 · April 16, 2012

Thanks Tom!

I love the lowes 4ft fixture with 5K bulbs DIY.

The room I use has north light... and east and west light too

That clip was from later in the day when the west window was shining on me.

Using the whiteboard as reflectors looks good too. I wonder if 5K bulbs are available for lowes/home depot? I'll probably have to go to a specialty place on line to get them.

I was using auto for the iso on my 7D for that. I hadn't noticed it ended up at 400... My guess is the white board fooled it, I should have thought of that:cry. The light level, at least when I started, was about 6.7EV. I had to fool with level in Premiere get it bright enought to look at least bad, but that was due to the too low iso.

I hope to be doing the real shoot with at 5d III, so I can really crank up the iso.

I am close to the BG because I have to write on the board. I think once I get the 4ft'ers setup my next challege will be shadows, but I think you whiteboard advise will help me fix that.

Thanks again.

angevin1 wrote: »

Hi Dan!

That light would be bright enough perhaps, but you have to have someone following you with it, or just not move. Looking over the photos of your studio, I'd suggest some cheap-0 ideas.

.

Dan7312 · April 16, 2012

I've got some 4ft 5500K tubes on order.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=KILKF554C6&N=0&InitialSearch=yes

Now to rummage around in the basement and see if I have some 4ft flouresent brackets floating around, then figure out what else I will have to pickup.

Do you remember if the DIY article ran the brackets bare or with the reflectors attached? I don't know if the "white" used on flourescent reflectors is really white... but I'm pretty sure that whatever they might do the the light it will be better than what I have now!:D

angevin1 wrote: »

DIY rig I like: I couldn't find it!

The DIY I was going to link

angevin1 · April 16, 2012

Dan7312 wrote: »

I've got some 4ft 5500K tubes on order.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=KILKF554C6&N=0&InitialSearch=yes

Now to rummage around in the basement and see if I have some 4ft flouresent brackets floating around, then figure out what else I will have to pickup.

Do you remember if the DIY article ran the brackets bare or with the reflectors attached? I don't know if the "white" used on flourescent reflectors is really white... but I'm pretty sure that whatever they might do the the light it will be better than what I have now!:D

No man. He used the entire fixture. Welded some or just cut and bolted some electrical conduit, say 1 inch and it was Baad! as in good baad! He even hauled them on location and all. I was impressed. had the bookmark but re-installed recently.

On my Video Werke page I have a Monologue shot at ISO 800 (the Myrna-Monologue).

And this photo below is shot at ISO 5000 it's a screen/video grab as you can tell.

Do not be afraid to try out your 5Dmk2 on high ISO.

I'm still in search-of on the article/thread~

Dan7312 · April 16, 2012

I don't do welding, not that I wouldn't like to learn how... but I'm pretty clever at rigging up stuff using other forms of attachment...

Thanks for keeping on looking for the page! BTW it will be a III, not a II

angevin1 wrote: »

Do not be afraid to try out your 5Dmk2 on high ISO.

I'm still in search-of on the article/thread~

angevin1 · April 16, 2012

Dan7312 wrote: »

I don't do welding, not that I wouldn't like to learn how... but I'm pretty clever at rigging up stuff using other forms of attachment...

Thanks for keeping on looking for the page! BTW it will be a III, not a II

I read that and should have offered congratulations! But, the II is fine!

Dan7312 · April 16, 2012

tnx

angevin1 wrote: »

I read that and should have offered congratulations! But, the II is fine!

angevin1 · April 17, 2012

Dan7312 wrote: »

I've got some 4ft 5500K tubes on order.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=KILKF554C6&N=0&InitialSearch=yes

Now to rummage around in the basement and see if I have some 4ft flouresent brackets floating around, then figure out what else I will have to pickup.

Do you remember if the DIY article ran the brackets bare or with the reflectors attached? I don't know if the "white" used on flourescent reflectors is really white... but I'm pretty sure that whatever they might do the the light it will be better than what I have now!:D

Hey Dan, Make certain to let me know how this all works out. I may want to take the time to follow you on building a set of these for myself. and thanks for the bulb link!

Dan7312 · April 17, 2012

Will do. Bulbs are supposed to arrive today (B&H never fails to amaze me at how fast they get things out the door

) and I hope to have some time later this week to make a first pass at my light rigging.

angevin1 wrote: »

Hey Dan, Make certain to let me know how this all works out. I may want to take the time to follow you on building a set of these for myself. and thanks for the bulb link!

angevin1 · April 17, 2012

Dan7312 wrote: »

Will do. Bulbs are supposed to arrive today (B&H never fails to amaze me at how fast they get things out the door) and I hope to have some time later this week to make a first pass at my light rigging.

Cool~ I love B&H for that very reason. Amazingly fast.

You don't have to have a portable studio, so you ought to really be in the 'light' with this set up. I had refrained from even considering these for so long simply because I didn't think there was much light to be had in them. But I'll be taking another long look now. Thanks~

Rob Pauza · April 18, 2012

Hi Dan,

Sounds like you guys have the lighting figured out. One thought I may add... That writing board looks really shiny. You may want to try a polarizing filter to get rid of some of the glare and/or consider bouncing the main light off the ceiling. That should also help with your shadow being cast on the board.

Best wishes,
-Rob

Video lighting

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