Cinematic Lighting: Cinematography for Drama

Name: Cinematic Lighting: Cinematography for Drama
Rating: 4.7 (421 reviews)

Learn how to block, light and shoot like a professional Director of Photography

Created byNeil Oseman

Last updated 3/2024

English

What you'll learn

How to block scenes for the maximum depth and production value
How to choose camera angles and design camera movement
Where to put your key light for the most cinematic look
How to use LED, tungsten lighting and practical lamps
How to use a light meter and false colours to correctly expose your image
How to shoot in common locations like houses and restaurants

Course content

5 sections • 31 lectures • 5h 6m total length

Introduction9:30
Outline of course content
The importance of depth
The principle of dark-to-light depth
Creating a mood by controlling natural light
Introduction to practicals
Introduction to lighting directions
The Principle of Short Key15:54
The principle of short key lighting
Demonstration of short key
Demonstration of the opposite: broad key
Use of short and broad key in film, TV and art
Achieving a short key with natural light
Blocking19:11
Watching a rehearsal of the kitchen scene
Introduction to full-frame cameras
Blocking the scene for the best depth
Choosing a camera angle and movement
Some alternative set-ups
Lighting and Shooting the Slider Shot19:13
Setting up a slider shot
Choosing the right lens
Negative fill
Adding hard light through a window
Using a light meter
Selecting the right exposure
Shooting the slider shot
Shooting the Punch-in4:00
Last-minute tweaks to the slider shot
How to find and eliminate stray light
Punching in for a closer shot
The Finished Scene0:41
The finished kitchen scene - edited, graded and mixed

Blocking the Actors and Finding Angles11:32
Adding actor movement to a static scene
Using a viewfinder app to choose angles and lenses
"Oners" versus coverage
Using a wide lens for exaggerated perspective
Complementing the blocking with a camera move
Lighting Part 1: Practicals and a Streetlight12:18
How to make collaborative decisions about practical lights
Bulbs and dimmers for practicals
Enhancing character through colour choices
Using a 2K tungsten fresnel as a key
Flagging the key light
Lighting Part 2: Ambience and Exposure17:34
How to create source-less ambience for a nighttime scene
A no-budget alternative for source-less ambience
Using an incident meter and a spot reflectance meter
How to correctly expose a dark scene
A camera rehearsal on a gimbal
Shooting the Master2:56
Using haze
Using a 5-in-1 reflector
Shooting the master shot
Setting up the Reverse3:07
Checking how the lighting looks from the new angle
Identifying lights that need tweaking
Shooting the Reverse4:25
How the lights have been tweaked to work for the reverse
Shooting the reverse
Summary of this section
The Finished Scene0:51
The finished bedroom scene - edited, graded and mixed

Creating Depth with Blocking17:40
Introduction to this section
How to get the best out of a location
How to maximise depth with blocking
How to increase your production values with limited supporting artists
Designing a slider shot
Setting up the scene to make the best use of natural light
Lighting Part 1: The Broad Strokes14:20
Lighting through a window
Determining the sun path and planning accordingly
Simulating direct sunlight
Cross-backlighting
Using LED panels, egg-crates and polecats
Lighting Part 2: The Details13:20
How to expose correctly when a window is in shot
Using false colours
Using an incident meter to measure the key light
Adding practical lights for background interest
Using an LED spotlight as a “special”
Rehearsing the wide shot
Shooting the Wide9:33
Using haze
Shooting the first take of the wide
Adjusting blocking and camera movement
Shooting the second take of the wide
Matt's Single13:14
How to compose an over-the-shoulder shot
Wide and tight eye-lines
Clean and dirty singles
Matching and unmatched singles
Shooting two takes of Matt’s single
Kate's Single8:35
More choices you can make with over-the-shoulder shots
Tweaking the lighting
Shooting the first take of Kate’s single
The importance of camera rehearsals!
Adjusting the blocking
Shooting the second take of Kate’s single
The Reverse5:58
Composing the reverse shot
Tweaking the lighting
Layering light to create depth
Shooting the reverse
Summary of this section
The Finished Scene0:43
The finished restaurant scene - edited, graded and mixed

Blocking15:35
Timing out the distance covered in the walk-and-talk
Blocking the scene with the cast
Trying out different camera angles including a wide, a following shot, a leading shot, “John Fording”, and a long-lens shot
Planning the Lighting13:42
The importance of scouting at night
Identifying existing light sources
Discussing options with the gaffer’
Making a plan for the lighting
Trying out an Aputure 600D as a backlight
Checking the Lighting8:37
Lighting the deep background
Creating pools of light
Simulating a security floodlight
Metering the lighting
Rehearsing to observe the effect of the lighting
Rehearsing with the Gimbal9:46
Working with gimbals
A camera rehearsal of the leading shot
Identifying problems with the blocking and lighting
Finding the correct exposure
Using a phone as a practical light source
Tracking the actor with a soft fill light
Shooting the Leading Shot11:29
Adjusting the white balance
Adjusting the blocking to improve contrast
Rehearsing to iron out problems in the blocking
Shooting the first take of the leading shot
Reviewing the first take and identifying possible improvements
Shooting the second take of the leading shot
The Side-on Tracking Shot3:39
Last-minute changes to the leading shot
Rehearsing the side-on tracking shot
Using parallax to enhance moving shots
Shooting the side-on tracking shot
The Following Shot12:07
Flipping the backlight
Tweaking the key light
Rehearsing the following shot
Dealing with problems in the blocking
When to let things go and fix them in the grade
Shooting the following shot
Summary of this section
The Finished Scene0:52
The finished bar scene - edited, graded and mixed

Requirements

Students should have a grasp of basic cinematography concepts like white balance, depth of field, f-stops/T-stops and the 180 degree rule.

Description

This course explains the role of a Director of Photography (aka DP, DOP, Cinematographer) on set, from collaborating with the director in blocking the cast and choosing the camera angles, to lighting the scene with depth and mood.

Across the four modules of the course, watch experienced DP Neil Oseman set up and shoot scenes in common contemporary locations: domestic banter in a sunny kitchen, a monologue in a dark bedroom, an awkward first date in a restaurant, and a walk-and-talk in an outdoor bar. Watch him try out different blocking and camera angles to get the most depth and interest in the frame, create movement using a slider and a gimbal, and work out the coverage needed to complete the scene. Then learn the secrets of cinematic lighting as he sets up LED, tungsten and practical lights to create a look. Witness the camera rehearsals through to the final take, then sit back and watch the final edited scene. 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.

This is a follow-up to Neil's best-selling Udemy course "Cinematic Lighting", but it's accessible to anyone with a grasp of the basic concepts of cinematography.

Who this course is for:

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
Directors looking to learn more about cinematography

Cinematic Lighting: Cinematography for Drama

What you'll learn

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Course content

Int. Kitchen - Day6 lectures • 1hr 8min

Int. Bedroom - Night7 lectures • 53min

Int. Restaurant - Day8 lectures • 1hr 23min

Ext. Bar - Night8 lectures • 1hr 16min

Appendix2 lectures • 26min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: