Video Lighting Basics - Three Point Lighting

[digitalbreakthroughs]

Thank you. This is the first time lighting makes sense to this novice. Great job!

[tkmin]

Roughly, what voltages are needed for the 3 lights in an indoor shoot?

[wushumon88]

who needs school we got videomaker

[imrich868]

Great tutorial,This will help me in my video shoots. thank you so much!

[BillGamel]

I here for For fun not to be professional sorry

[Dakota0204]

This is very easy to understand. Thanks!

[abdulwajjid1]

guyz thanks for the grt work ur doing for us

big up man

[videomaker]

@abdulwajjid1 Thanks!

cheers,

The Videomaker Team

[TheLittlebighero]

@videomaker i see you guys don't have any soft boxes? Does that not blind the actor?

[MrTeeson]

im planning to make a professional film choreography where it will be filmed in a dark room (all lights off) and i want of course the dancers to stand out in the film but i dont have money to purchase these lighting equipment.Is there any light that can be helpful ? (home equipment etc or maybe lighting equipment that cost $50 and under)

[JEIndustries]

hey what lights did you use. im looking for good lighting around 100 dollars.

[videomaker]

@JEIndustries Our editorial policy prohibits us from making any equipment recommendations, but you can post your question on the Videomaker forums at Videomaker(dot)com. All comments posted there get reviewed by Videomaker's editorial staff experts and knowledgeable people in the community.

Cheers,

The Videomaker Team

[JEIndustries]

@videomaker ok thanks. so you cant tell what lights you were using? i mean that wouldnt be recommending but rather telling me info.

[videomaker]

We do ship overseas. You can learn more at videomaker(dot)com/subscriptio­n.

Cheers,

The Videomaker Team

[ornitorrinco01]

I would be interested to subscibe to video maker magazine, but do you accept overseas subscibers?

[98684ever]

Thanks so much this really saved my ass for my film shoot today.

[videomaker]

@98684ever Glad it helped!

cheers,

The Videomaker Team

[petenicezz]

where can i buy these lights. thank you

[bigdad06]

Cool video! Thanks for the tips!

[videomaker]

@bigdad06 You're welcome!

Cheers,

The Videomaker Team

[inthecaddy]

I am going to use these tips on my next video in my weekly series. I know lighting is one area I need help on. Hopefully I can get it right now. Thanks

[videomaker]

@inthecaddy Awesome, let us know how it works out!

Cheers,

The Videomaker Team

[BasicGo]

Thanks very much! We'll make use of these tips...

:o)

[videomaker]

@BasicGo Great! :)

Cheers,

The Videomaker Team

[LizziesAnswers]

what camera do you use?

[videomaker]

@LizziesAnswers We use a Canon D mark iv.

[soundbeans]

0:18 FUCKIN AWESOME SONG

[akshathkrao]

good work guys

[randomtricksvideos]

thumbs up if indymogul brought you here

[GammaRayPrimates]

please get rid of that god awful tune at the start 4 future vids

[heatheraaj]

cool! im going to try this. i need all the help i can get bc i am struggling with lighing in all my youtube videos..and the bad lighting is very unflattering. hopefully this will improve my video quality..thanks.

[d1353lp0w3r]

good video but looks like youve still got the ceiling lights on?

[redback3]

This guy is much better than that prick from expertvillage, thanks man!

[Evanpatricksmith]

I went to CHICO STATE!!!! anyway, thanks for the video. And thanks for doing a side by side comparison of each light in use. Videomaker rules!

[BlackTagKo]

This demo would be much more dramatic if the house lights had been turned off first. Remember the standard ratio of key:fill:back is 3:2:3. Of course you can play with this ratio to create different lighting effects.

[ABHI109ful]

this did help..

[videomaker]

@ABHI109ful Glad to hear it! Check out some of our newer videos, too; they're all full of useful advice!

Cheers,

The Videomaker Team

[mary12rose]

I learned something. Thanks

[NorthCentriCity]

wait bro. im confused now because i thought you gotta light the green screen too ????

[bornkool]

Cool

[thlampcompanybaldoc]

great video well done but you should speak to about the lighting

[portaPottiesRule]

240p ftw!

[harrypotterlover465]

i have felt

[algildea]

thanks very helpful

[Darnok1221]

lool this guy is from poland cause his surname is Skowroński :P :DDD

[RATHAHONNI]

What should intensities of the lights be??? At least the key light???? how many watts???

[recshopdan]

thanks man!

[AndrewMcWeatherwax]

thanks!

[JacanaProductions]

Wow, 240p! Where is my Realplayer ...... Very high def chaps! Welcome to the 90s.

[universallogin1290]

@JacanaProductions Hey, this is probably the best 240p I've seen (I thought it was 360p), so lay off a bit!!

[JacanaProductions]

@universallogin1290 That's like saying "this is the best ever VHS quality video on YouTube I've see". Come on now, we can all do better than that. I use to encode video that once encoded looked like this quality 1999 - long live the realplayer.

[michaelpoczynek]

Really good tips. Thanks. Now I can try to use my lights for the first time.

[rubikbg]

thanks, great explanation, straight to the point.

[denicebennafleck]

very good (except the music)

but how do you avoid shadows off the two front lights on the background?

[anybizfinder]

@supergame87 the camera has nothing do with it. poor lighting is poor lighting. and HD camera would only make it even more noticeable.

[MrBradlycooper]

you are a sweetheart guy

[GrahamTVdotNet]

Good Info

[TheChengman]

can i use lamps inside my house for 3 point lighting? 

[25GARCE]

How do you control the intensity of the differents lights

[AandDProductions1000]

this is great! thanks

[realjuvelive]

What about the kind of lights ? really we have lots of choices ! halogen lights or soft boxes

[311peaceout]

Where did you get your lights? :D please reply

[LifeBloodMarketing]

@311peaceout tubetape.com they have great deals on ebay.

[311peaceout]

@LifeBloodMarketing

I actually bought my greenscreen there! I didnt know they had lights! thanks so much :)

[LifeBloodMarketing]

@311peaceout Nope Problem. I would recommend going with the variable lights. I have the basic turn on and off. They are Bright!

[fahmohammed]

thumbs for the hottie subject

[LouisDiBianco]

Great tutorial. Crystal clear instructions. Thanks.

[CorinthianosItatiba]

Someone could tell me where to find these soft lights that appear in video to purchase and what the power in watts cada.Fico awaiting and I thank you

[555KnotFan666]

Good video. For some reason, watching this made me feel like a 90's porno.

[GuitarraConAndres]

@555KnotFan666 It's the music.

[bpbduncan]

@555KnotFan666 It's the music! Eeeery.

[mizar1313]

great video!!!!

[Reelworld2009]

Great vid. NOW I understand. Thanks!

[marknnate]

i go to a film school, and this video has taught me so much more in 5 min than one of my 4 hour classes did

[joanfeugelis]

good and easy, thanks!

[virtualstudioset]

excellent information on lighting for green screen. Thanks for putting it out there.

[mlwebco]

Thanks, great tips.

[Testosteroso]

This was the most helpfull, to the point video on lighting. Thanks!!!

[tony609]

very helpful !! thanks you every much !!!!

[TheBrandoChannel]

very helpful thank you!

[Ilikelimpbizkit]

Personally, I go the Stanley Kubrick route and say fuck the actor. I think it's more important to make sure the area is well lit.

[elielconceic]

wow thanks that was very helpful

[tpolson53]

Thank you. Very clear and easy to follow.

[Coreywilson10]

Wow!! Thanks for the light tutorial.... This video helped me alot :)

[kardarphotographer]

good work kept it up very informative thanks video maker

[kiran274611]

i hav been lookin for sumthin lik dis..thanx alot..

[vargstrande]

Haha, love the 80's-styled music

[sonne5]

How do you get away from the infamous "soap opera look" when lighting? Especially for making short films?

[jrtanne]

This is a great "how to" video.

[kuunami]

Good tutorial. It gives good basic idea of this lighting technique. And the girl in the video is really cute too.

[anybizfinder]

Actually this video isn't very good. They understand the concept but not quite how to execute it.

[Slobodan488]

its basics lol

[anybizfinder]

@Slobodan488 yeah but they don't get the basics right either. all the info and concept is correct, they just dont do it correctly.

[Slobodan488]

how would you do it?

Im in high school and i got to make a movie set for video class.

So i guess you might know this.

Do they always use 3 point lighting in movies? or cn there be only key and fill light?

[anybizfinder]

Movies are a whole different ball game, its depends on what you're trying to accomplish, are you lighting a scene to set a mood and mimic being in a restaurant during the daytime while shooting in a studio? Ask yourself what you're trying to acocmplish first. But for TV, Interviews, yes 3 point is the bread and butter set up that you should learn and learn very well. Yes I've used only two lights before in cramped or various other situations (windows, light breaks). Each situation is different

[elcelatruena]

Do you know if for movies or music videos they also use lighting if they shoot outdoors during daylight?

The question may be dumb but yes... I´m new to this.

[anybizfinder]

@elcelatruena Yeah, if not lighting then something to control the light whether its reflectors or diffusion, something to control the light as much as possible and make your subjects look great and help separate them from the background. But yes lights are often used in daylight as well.

[elcelatruena]

Very interesting, thanks.

[MathiasBruno]

They use that when they want to simulate sun effect brighting people.

[LaMansionDelIngles]

@anybizfinder Don't be an arse. The video is great,. If you think there's something to add, make a video and post it.

[SuperGamer87]

@anybizfinder Seems to me they're not really using the right kind of camera--it's not very high-def. There's just demonstrating the concept, not a final high-quality example.

[CrashOcean]

@anybizfinder it showed you exactly what to do.

[anybizfinder]

@anybizfinder eh kinda, didn't quite have the angles right and didn't quite execute 3 point lighting the correct way. The worst example is at the beginning when the 'host' is explaining 3 point lighting. Its not even good two point or studio lighting. While the most basic bare bones concept is explained ok...its not executed well at all.

[videomaker]

@anybizfinder We were mainly just trying to explain the idea, but that's no excuse for poor execution. This is one of our older videos, so hopefully we've learned a little more since then in getting things spot on!

cheers,

The Videomaker Team

[anybizfinder]

@videomaker my comment was a bit harsh I could have made the same pint without saying it the way I did. I applaud anyone making videos and focusing on the techniques that separate good quality video and average video. The amount of attention to the smaller details that make a huge impact, make all the difference in the world when it comes to visual mediums. Keep it up.

[videomaker]

@anybizfinder Thanks for the support! We're always trying to improve, so these older videos don't always measure up to our more recent work... At least, we hope so XD

Cheers,

The Videomaker Team

[berzack]

Wow you guys don't respond any message, do you? No worries, I figure it out on my own. Thx for the vid though.

[ronch182]

If we want to use gels which one should we use on?

[berzack]

what are the intensity of the lights?

[AuditionBetter]

Extremely good presentation, illustration, and organization of the material. This is the best instructional video I have found explaining the 3-light setup for a video shoot. I am subscribing! Thanks, Videomaker! - Elizabeth

[lmusho]

What if i'm shooting from a few different angles of the same scene?

[dylanmmc]

Every time you change camera angles, you have to change your light set up.

[robertfschmidt]

I found this video to be very helpful and am happy to inform you I am now one of your subscribers.

Thanks for the tips,

Rob

[donleonshi]

Thank you. Great!

[REDSUSHANTSINGH]

cool

[abrock6215]

I thought the tutorial was great for what it was, a simple explanation of 3 point lighting.

By the way, I have been using this amazing Green Screen Wizard Software and it's fantastic. Check it out, also if you are in San Diego, check out what the do at the Green Screen Wizard Studio, located in Miramar, CA

[Fraber26]

This has been a huge help with an assignment i'm doing, thanks heaps...

[MoreRockin]

Best lighting tutorial of all time. Excellent job folks

[jcdiedericks]

Don't mess-up the color temperature with a gel if it isn't intended. The gel shown 2:24 changed the color temp. Use Spun or LTF (Light Tough Frost).

[mlydick]

Great video. This is what youtube is for!!!

[thatgaybloke]

Nicely explained.

[JohanCLont]

The instructor probably meant simply: "The intensity of the lighting decreases progressively with the distance."

[CyberCrusoe]

JohanCLont: no, he meant "exponentially". If you double the distance, you reduce the intensity to 1/4.

[JohanCLont]

We agree that doubling the distance causes the intensity to reduce to 1/4. It's just that in math class, I learned a different definition for "exponential".

It doesn't matter; there's no confusion about the message in the video, and I like it. I have been playing with a digital camera since 1.5 years, and I am learning a lot here.

[CyberCrusoe]

JohanCLont: Videomaker is great for starting out, but you'll quickly find as you outgrow their advice that they make a lot of little mistakes (like using "exponentially").

[JohanCLont]

I noticed a small error in the text. The instructor said "The intensity of light is exponential." As such, that makes no sense, because you would need to know exponential in respect to WHAT. Like, exponential to distance. However, that would imply, the lighting becomes more intense as the distance increases! Inversely exponential is more like it, but still incorrect. Simple physics show that the lighting intensity (I) is the inverse of the square of the distance (D). I=1/(D*D)

[JohanCLont]

I have a question. What was the subject in this video laughing about all the time? Was telling a joke? Are was she just laughing with nothing to laugh about?

[MandeepGadgetBoy]

Very informative!

[avilesvic]

Very nice video!  and very informative!

[cecisota12]

this is ok if you're trying to make an unoriginal, not unique, VERY boring movie. otherwise, look elsewhere!

[cecisota12]

by this I mean the character is going to look very plain and simple. if you want to establish a different mood, or change the feel of the movie, change the lighting!

watch the godfather. there isn't much 3point lighting on the mysterious, ominous Al Pacino or Marlon Brando!

Beginning of the Killers: Excellent film noir, use of shadows and lights!

[fkd247]

Godfather really does have great cinematography. Apocalypse Now is one of the best too. I don't think they were trying to demonstrate how to get advanced, dramatic or film noir looks here. It's good for a simple interview. Hopefully they will do a more advanced tutorial later which will follow this one "Video Lighting Basics"

[cecisota12]

you have a point there... :)

[REEZproductions]

Good vid but yall guys music is anoying.

[pilopi123]

very good video

[R3APER24]

nice video