DIY lights for How-To Video

(January 5, 2018) – The intern video idea for the Fall/Winter is a How-To Series about DIY video shoots.

We broke it into two videos: one that focuses on lighting, and one that focuses on audio.

We did all the research necessary for the video creation. Our shoot would take place at a suburban house to give it a good home vibe for DIY. The chosen location was the the living room in front of a fireplace. With a few christmas decoration in the background,he audience is able to see when the video was shot it helps take away from some of the white background.

Finding the correct lights for the video shoot meant searching the house. Narrowing it down to lights that could be moved and has a way to direct the shine. I found a selection of work lights in the house that would be perfect for the shoot. Two painter lights that are those big silver lights with clamps on the bottom to attach them to different things. There was also a drop light, which is often hung up to lighten work spaces. These three lights would make up my three point lighting setup.

How To Set Up Light Diffusion

Diffusion was another big part of creating this DIY video.

Every professional video production company uses some form of diffusion to soften the lights on the subject. Most companies use specific diffusion sheets, whereas the DIY version is things found around the house. You want to find some sort of fabric like silk or a tshirt. We used a plain white t-shirt and placed it over the key light. One thing you want to be sure of is to use something that is non-flammable. The lights will get really hot so you don’t want anything to get too hot.

How To Cancel out Natural Light

Natural Lighting is a great source for a video shoot. Sometimes it can be a harsh light, and is better to be cancelled out. Using blankets and trash bags to cover up the windows will help block out the unwanted light. ND gel is a commonly used to block out the natural light in the windows. There are many places for you to get a sheet of ND gel, but if you don’t have any there are many options you can find around them house.

Setting up your lights are important. You don’t want the lights to fall over so make sure they are secure and plugged in correctly. Also, be careful and do not plug in more than one light to an outlet. We used packing tape to help hold one of the lights up on a chair. Lighting is a big part of the video production services. Being able to set it up on your own can help you shoot videos and build your Youtube Marketing.