Cinematic Lighting
- 4.5 hours on-demand video
- 2 articles
- Full lifetime access
- Access on mobile and TV
- Certificate of Completion
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Try Udemy for Business- How to create depth and contrast in your shots
- How to light for both the master shot and the coverage
- How and when to use HMI, fluorescent, LED and traditional tungsten lighting
- How to use natural light to your advantage, and how to mould it
- How to use a light meter and false colours to correctly expose your image
- How to use smoke or haze to create atmosphere
- How to simulate sunlight, moonlight and firelight
- Students should have a grasp of basic cinematography concepts like white balance and depth of field.
- A familiarity with the principle of three-point lighting will be useful, but not essential.
This course is an advanced and in-depth guide to arguably the most important part of a Director of Photography's job: designing the lighting.
Rather than demonstrating techniques in isolation in a studio, this course takes place entirely on location. The intent is to show the realities of creating beautiful lighting while dealing with the usual challenges of real independent film production, like time, weather and equipment, as well as meeting the requirements of the script.
The course consists of four modules: Day Exterior, Day Interior, Night Interior and Night Exterior. Each module follows the blocking, lighting and shooting of a short scripted scene (inspired by the fantasy web series Ren: The Girl with the Mark) with two actors in full costume. Watch experienced Director of Photography Neil Oseman and his team set up all the fixtures, control the light with flags and rags, and make adjustments when the camera moves around for the coverage. Every step of the way, Neil explains what he's doing and why, as well as the alternatives you could consider for your own films. Each module concludes with the final edited scene so that you can see the end result.
- Cinematography students
- Camera operators looking to move up to Director of Photography
- Corporate/industrial filmmakers looking to move into drama
- Indie filmmakers looking to increase their production values
What to look for on a recce/scout
How to predict the sun path using apps or a compass
How to block action relative to the sun
Three-point lighting
When to shoot in cross-light vs. backlight
How to get rippling reflections off water
Why light meters are still important
Dynamic range and log recording
How to use an incident meter and a spot reflectance meter
The f-stop series
How to use false colours
How to arrive at the right exposure from all this information
How to select the appropriate ND (neutral density) filter
Shooting the wide shot
Identifying light sources in the room
Using apps or a compass to predict how sun will enter through the windows
The principle of dark-to-light depth
Using curtains to modify interior light
Introduction to some common lighting instruments: Dedolights, Kino Flos, an HMI and a Rayzr MC LED panel
Observing the blocking with actors Kate and Ivan
Direct lighting using an HMI
Controlling contrast with black-out
Diffusing the light with a trace frame
Bouncing the light off poly/bead-board
Bouncing the light off parts of the set
Use of a light meter and false colours to set the correct exposure
Use of viewfinder apps to find a frame and select a lens
Challenges of front-light
Adjusting the window light to highlight certain areas
Demonstrating a "window wrap" using a Kino Flo
Using light readings and ND filters to arrive at the correct exposure
Shooting the reverse
Summary
The final edited scene
Checking the blocking for the first single
Filling in shadows using additional unbleached muslin
Flagging the top-light to control the background
Adjusting the external light to maintain colour contrast
Shooting Kate’s single
Adjusting the fireplace effect to work for a close-up
Shooting Ivan’s single
Summary
The final edited scene
Use of a practical fire source
Reinforcing a practical fire with an LED fixture
Colour contrast
Using a Kino Flo as an additional soft source
Tackling a difficult shadow
Reading and adjusting lighting ratios using an incident meter
Working with smoke/atmos outdoors
Shooting the master shot