Presenting like this is a big part of our videos. Now we've experimented with different lighting setups and there's a few that we really like so we thought we'd share with you how we create these setups.
We don't like to shoot on green screens when we're presenting, firstly our studio isn't big enough to light it correctly and secondly we've got some pretty cool things on the walls so why not use them.
We have 5 main setups here at the film look The Film Look, The Film Look standard, The Film Look standard blue, window setup, sit down high key and sit down low key.
We have gaf tapes T positions on the floor so we know exactly where to stand for each setup. Let's start off with The Film Look standard setup this one here.
It wasn't the first set that we had but once we tried it out we liked it so much that it became our standard Tuesday presenting setup.
So this is how it's done. Firstly the background Rob's collage of Instagram photos gives the shot a blast of colour, our shelving unit has a bunch of cameras we've collected or retired and it splits the frame in half. To get the moody look we block out the window and start lighting from scratch. We use a soft box filled with a set of five 115 watt bulbs placed behind a frosted shower curtain to create a really soft skin balance light. This is set to 5500 K watching the colour temperature saying on the camera.
For some colour difference we used a diffused car light above our heads using a warm household bulb set at 2700 K. This is used as a hair light as well as a background light. The main thing to remember with this setup is to soften the light as much as it can, with the light being so close it needs to wrap around the subject spotlighting it doesn't look so great.
Next we have the film looks standard blue.
We altered The Film Look standard setup to add a blue accents to the shot. This is to match the colour design of our series coming out soon called the indie film sound guide. In replace of the soft box and shower curtain we use a china Lantern fitted with a single 115 watt bulb and the colour temperature of the camera is set to 5500K. The can light up in the corner is gifted a blue gel to really sell the blue accent. The household bulb has also been swapped with 115 watt bulb. Since this set up is more stylistic we placed a DIY anamorphic adapter in front of the lens which creates some nice soft lens flares and changes the shape of the bokeh from circular – oval.
To complement the blue light we use a 160 LED, kitted with an orange gel positioned down below and facing forward. This gives us blue and orange lens flares on either side of the frame. Finally we use a reflector in front of the subject angled up from the floor to fill in some light under the chin.
Next we have the window setup.
We've got this nine foot Victorian window which is great for presenting because it lets loads of light in and it's got these really nice symmetrical frames.
Because of the vast amount of light coming in we have to stop down the exposure with an ND filter to keep the sky from blowing out. As this severely under exposes the subject we have two soft boxes on either fitted with 5 115 watt bulbs each we've position as close as possible to the subject without getting in frame. We also used a reflector in front of the subject angled up from the floor to fill in some of the light under the chin.
Finally we have the sit down setup.
This set up is used more for our Sunday show The Film Look vlogs and is pretty straight forward. Two soft boxes fitted with 5, 115 watt bulbs each. One in front, one in the back. Both are angled at 45 degrees to create some nice shadows some fill and edge highlighting.
For low key version we get rid of the soft boxes and instead place desk lamps on the table behind this is the setup. We used this for an episode of story in the car with me and Rob both in shot. The lamps have been diffused using grease proof paper and that’s it.
DISCLAIMERS:
Some of these links are affiliate links, if you purchase gear via these links The Film Look will receive a small commission, but there will be no additional cost to you. Thank you!