Let There Be Light

With the advent of built-in webcams and the easy-to-use Flip camera, it’s very easy to choose speed over quality in shooting videos these days. Who wants to worry about lighting and spend time setting up a shot when all you need to do is fire up your webcam, sit down, and start recording? It doesn’t really matter if you’ve got a week’s accumulation of Mountain Dew cans on the table behind you, does it? If you’re a 14-year-old YouTube star, then no, it doesn’t. But if you’re actually trying to lure a customer into purchasing your product, then it really matters.

Since I know that you all care about quality, I’d like to show you a technique called three-point lighting. It’s a lighting method that is widely used and was the first way to set up lights that I was taught in school. We use this technique to shoot Joel Comm Live and in videos for many of our products. Once you understand it, you’ll see that it is incredibly basic, but produces great results.

All you need to get started is the following: three lights and a camera.

Yep, that’s it. I told you it was simple. And before you start looking at the cost of professional lighting kits, head over to your local home improvement store. If you can find some kind of affordable, directional lighting, then you can save yourself a lot of money. Clip-on reflector lights or shop lights generally work well. In fact, I once filmed a number of interviews in Nigeria using a halogen shop light attached to an I-V pole. The principles of three-point lighting are the same no matter how much your lights cost.

For the purpose of this article, let’s look at lighting a single speaker, who can be seated or standing.

Step 1: Find a location.
This may seem like a no-brainer, but you need to think about your camera angle(s) and how much room you’ll need for all of your equipment before you start setting up. To get the lights spaced adequately, you’ll want a location where you can position your subject in the middle of the room. A desk or couch that are right against a wall will make things difficult when you’re first learning, so try to avoid those situations. If you can find an area that’s at least 10’ by 10’, then you should be okay. If not, then just do the best you can with what you have. Put a chair or marker of some kind where your subject will be and aim your camera at that spot to help you in the next steps. Looking through the camera as you go is a big help.

Step 2: Set your key light.
The first light we want to set up is our key light. This is the one that will provide the majority of illumination on your subject’s face. It should be set up at a 45-degree angle to the person’s face on the left or right. If your subject will be looking directly at the camera, then you can choose either side for the key. If your subject will be looking off to the side of the camera, like in an interview, then the key should be set up and aimed at the side of the person’s face that is turned away from the camera. So, if your interviewee is looking to the right of the camera, set the light on the right side of the person, and vice versa. The height should amount to a 45-degree angle above the subject’s eyes. The light should completely light that one side of the face and spill onto the other. At this point, harsh shadows are okay.

Step 3: Set your fill light.
The fill light does exactly what the name implies – it fills in dark spots with light to make them softer, not eliminate them. Ideally, your fill light should be half as bright as your key light. You can accomplish this by using a lower wattage bulb or a diffusion gel if possible, or you can just pull the light farther away from your subject. The fill should be set up opposite to the key light, using the 45-degree rule to determine placement and height.

Step 4: Set your back light.
Depending on who you ask, the back light is also called a hair light. I distinguish between the two, but you are welcome to call it whatever you want. The purpose of the back light is to provide separation from the background. The back light should ideally be set up directly behind your subject and aimed down at the back of their head. The result will be highlights around the head and shoulders. If your subject is looking directly into the camera, then this can be difficult unless your light and power cord can be clipped onto something and out of the shot. In these cases, it’s usually best to just set the light off to the side. Feel free to add an additional back light if necessary.

Step 5: Adjust your lights.
Now that all the lights are set up, take a look at your subject and make adjustments to improve on the lighting. Don’t feel like you must keep the key or fill at 45-degree angles. I just gave you that as a starting point. No two faces are alike, and you’ll likely have to adjust the lights again if you change subjects.

And there you have it – three lights and a little bit of work later and you now have someone lit with three-point lighting. As with most things in the video world, this takes practice and a dash of finesse to achieve the best results. Once you understand the principles of this method, then it’s easy to start adding or taking away pieces to customize it for your needs.

Next I’ll be exploring how to set up an interview shot and you’ll see how the same lighting principles apply even with multiple subjects. In the mean time, if you have questions, find me on the Top One Network and please join my group, The Video Toolbox.

- Give your videos a professional look.
- Use three-point lighting; it’s simple, yet effective.
- Set your lights up using the proper angles.
- Take your video shoots to the next level!