Aging with Light | Advanced Cinematography Techniques

Stay tuned to the end for a chance to win a prize!
Lighting people’s faces is one of the most common things you will encounter in cinematography.
Everyone has a different face, and different faces require different lighting. Finding the best way to light a face in a way that makes it look great while fitting with the character can be a real challenge. Today, director of photography Jon Salmon teaches us three different ways of aging people up and down with lighting. By using various lighting techniques you can show off or cover up parts of the face to manipulate an actor’s age.
In this video, Jon shows us three different methods for aging with lighting. In our first setup, we compose a lighting setup that creates shadows on the subject’s face to emphasize their age. In our second setup, we light a scene using techniques that bring out any subject’s facial imperfections, while still emphasizing a flattering look. In the third and last setup, we use techniques that cover up imperfections on the subject’s face, in order to make them look younger than they actually are.
The main techniques that we will be discussing today are far top lighting, wrapping the key, and using lighting like make-up. Top lighting is when the light is placed directly above the subject, which can cast long shadows on the face. Wrapping the key is when you use two or more lights close together to create a quality of light that looks like it came from one bigger light source. Using lighting like make-up is when you point a light at anything on the face that you want to cover up.
Odds are, your next film is going to have a face in it that you will have to light. Determining the best way to light your talent to make them look appropriate for their character will ensure that your film is as good as it can be. Lighting can add a lot to your character, so make specific choices on how you light them to make the character jump off the screen.
Connect with DP Jon: / jonsalmon
Connect with Model Christine: / christinejoelle1
Connect with Host Valentina: / valentinavee
Connect with Content Creator Chetco: / thechetco
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[@mattwolcott3266]

Really getting some good value out of this teaching series, thank you and keep them coming!

[@luishfims]

This was an awesome video and provided some great tips I want to use when I am lighting my subjects. Thank you

[@samuelrossi4482]

Love your work on 5SF.

[@majulamakilasi]

Now I get you guys well and thanks for great lesson .

[@tonywattsmedia4698]

Great tips, I never had thought about diffusing bounced light (booklight) that was used in the last lighting example. Definitely going to try that to see how it turns out.

[@adamthompson2098]

AWESOME STUFF!!!!

[@Mazyartube]

Definitely the shining pantry scene (the low angle shot) for the unflattering lighting

[@NicholasBoulrice]

My fave unflattering lighting would have to come from Fight Club. That constant tired and dreary look on Ed Norton's Character was fantastic.

[@user-ys2ru1ib5c]

Thnx for awesome tut!

[@szmaff]

this video was really-really cool with great lighting, I was kind of surprised that this quality of lighting is achievable with this stuff. great work, definitely want to see more videos with Mr. Salmon and congrats to the whole A-team :)

[@jim1664]

Gonna light myself like J-Lo. Thanks!

[@azlanarainkhan4549]

Great knowledge I like your Lighting patern.

[@Rosomyat]

Great . Keep posting like this

[@LuizPaiva2077]

Aputure and Rocket Jump.. nice crossover

[@Kaicenatclips208]

i couldn't help but to subscribe after watching 3 videos!

[@connorslump8492]

Been so exited I finally saved enough for that light dome ii for my 120d ii but can’t find it in stock anywhere :(

[@KarthikVisuals]

Very helpful

[@rammo1181]

Did anyone win an Aputure MW light from any of the previous videos? Where is it announced, who won?

[@pavannayak7668]

Lol 🤣🤣

[@nguyhung]

No, never. The same question has been asked in another video, no one claimed.

[@followyourfocus]

Nice!!!

[@vincentggielen]

As many, I would have to say Silence of the lambs is the most iconic movie and the first that comes directly to mind when one thinks of unflattering lighting such as the one presented on the video above . The most impactful moment is at 1:12 min of the movie. My example though, would be A Clockwork Orange. That is for me a good example that presentes us in many situations with overhead lighting (and the movie ends with such lighting), thus providing this kind of dreaded look. Also with moments of low angle lighting and harsh light in the subjects face. I would also say that Stanley Kubriks work present many situations of unflattering lighting.

[@rammo1181]

pretty sure no one actually wins the light. Haven't found a single place where they announce the winner from any of the videos. FYI

[@natebrav-mccabe3816]

I'm going with Silence of the Lambs, made Lector look terrifying with just some light

[@tn_films]

Veeeery cool!!!!! I didn’t know that you can “change” the age with light!!! Ooh! Can you make a video in which you recreate Hollywood scene lighting with one or two lights?! I know it’s difficult but if it’s possible it would encourage people not to quit when having few lights...!

[@Bureyeanne]

I love the unflattering light of the show the X-files. It almost always looks like there are not lights present, although in the behind the scenes video you can see there is a whole lighting crew. Night scenes are black, not blue, and the lighting is harsh and most important, looks real. Often they light just a little bit that one thing that the audience should be aware such a door or a shadow.

[@francismalick8448]

It is not really unflattering light but it's an example of lighting failures. In Game of Thrones Season 3 Episode 3 - The Prince of Winterfell there is a scene where Matthos Seewert (Son of Davos Seewert) has conversation with Melisandre. They are on together on a boat and it's clearly filmed in a studio. There are setups where you can clearly see an intense green-spill cast by the green-screen studio. They cut away really fast but in 2 or 3 frames you can clearly see it. So always keep in mind to avoid spilling in a greenscreen studio!

[@reydock]

Hey guys, I have a request ! What would you think of talking about "How to shot a gunfight" ? could be about close up on a barrel, dutch angles, close up on eyes, shot reverse shot etc.

[@SatanicJamnic]

My answer to the competition question. In my opinion, Italian series Gommorah uses phenomenally light which is unflattering, adding a lot of climate to the scenes, and often underlining the nasty character of the heroes and the state of the world that surrounds the heroes.

[@rammo1181]

pretty sure no one actually wins the light. Haven't found a single place where they announce the winner from any of the videos. FYI

[@lionroots11]

How did you get the blue from the light?

[@gatorzayd]

The biggest one that comes to mind has got to be the opening dialogue of Inglorious Basterds: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4a9p2mYo5x7rck - really amplifies the tension in that scene But a somewhat more recent example that I love is from Edge of Tomorrow: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qobHmmSanb2EqZo - where the lighting emphasizes the shift of Cruise's power

[@tahitiantreatskeetjuice23]

Most should know this via looking in a mirror, In a low lit washroom

[@greggomez7735]

In the official trailer for "MA" the upcoming horror movie starring Octavia Spencer there's some really good examples of unflattering lighting. In the trailer there are a few scenes where Octavia is wearing a red hat. They use some light on the left and right side of her face to give her face some dimension but then include a topper which casts a shadow onto her eyes caused by the brim of the hat. It really helps her stand out from the otherwise conventionally lit background and gives her a little creepy, ominous feel. Trailer: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5CYl6R6j6idh9E

[@kirillkossobok3740]

Wow, is this the same model in all 3 shots?

[@sorenfriedel4098]

Hello Aputure Team! My answer for the question follows thank you for your time to read it. For me Personally in Film it was the scene form rear window where Thorwald enters Jeffs flat and attacks him. Hitchcock lights this so easy and effective. Link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/paDalKavo898rcU / But of course as I watch the Question again. I`m going to say that for TV Shows the most unflattering Lighting is in season 1 episode 8 of Stranger Things where Eleven Kills the Monster. The flickering light is so intimidating but so good. Link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f6SseJ5oaK5knpY \ For me personal I found this episode very usefull and interesting how to light with different intentions. Realy thankfull for that content. I would be very happy I would win an Aputure MW for underwatershoots or a shower scene. It would be amazing to her from you Aputure Team. I am not an native Speaker so I apologize for my english mistakes I tried my best. Yours sincerely Sören Friedel

[@misbah5056]

The best example I can think of is American Psycho with Christian Bale. The scene when he enters the women house is lit in a very unflattering manner for his character to emote his psychotic mentality. Here's the link the part im talking about begin around (1:10) kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6DVYneeor-Ybqs

[@ghostfury122]

How do they avoid noise in the dark from a flat profile for color grading with such a dark background (according to the bts footage)? Do they color grade in rec 709 or something? Or denoise maybe.

[@DaCarnival]

Well, this depends on which flat profile (Sony S-LOG is notoriously noisy when "correctly" exposed - why it's often shot overexposed), but generally you should be looking at your waveform monitor (or histogram if it's all you got) and making sure that the shadows are not actually resting on the noise floor. The brighter the shadows, the more noise will disappear from them when you grade them down. Yes, hard when you're dealing with reality and the sun, but with controlled lighting you should be able to limit the dynamic range of the scene to what looks best (both highlights and shadows).

[@ghostfury122]

@@DaCarnival Because they never show any light dedicated to raise the shadows in their tutorials.

[@DaCarnival]

@@ghostfury122 I get you. I guess they are probably just working with fast glass and good cameras, generally. Often the spill/bounce from your main lights is enough to fill up the shadows. If I need to raise the ambient light, I usually just shoot a light into the ceiling or wall (or both walls), somewhat far away from the main set-up. Depends on the room, of course.

[@ghostfury122]

@@DaCarnival Thanks for your advice! I used to hate bouncing light into the ceiling because I associated it with some general lighting instead of precise controled lighting. But shooting into the ceiling far away is something I will keep in mind. I don't know if it's proper to ask online, but from pure curiosity, is your job related to cinematography? I'm not a profesional... yet...

[@saskelee]

did you guys re upload this video because i watched and comment yesterday well last night unless i was dreaming

[@liamd.obrien1768]

The audio was screwed up on the last one. They reuploaded with proper audio mix.

[@saskelee]

@@liamd.obrien1768 i think i made that comment on it

[@doylelacrua]

"Name drop." Hahaha, funny moment.

[@jdarun1257]

Plot: psycho thrilling Place: lonely empty street Mood: Thrilling/confusetion (Dream) How can I handle the situation....? Explain how to deal with this kind of problem..? Pls tell which lighting set-up I'll useing...!

[@ScribblebytesWorldwide]

It depends on what your budget is.

[@jdarun1257]

@@ScribblebytesWorldwide this is just short film sir so we have a small budget sir so pls tell our favour advice

[@saskelee]

unflattering light was used in batman to show the joker

[@ThisisnotTwitter]

Perhaps an obvious example but only because it was so well executed and striking was the Godfather. It portrayed a visual representation of the struggle of light vs darkness within the characters, but was not just done with a broad brush for all but was different for each character and the situations they were in. Micheal's face changing as the film went on being a great example as his eyes grew darker along with his actions. The unflattering light of those deep in the darkness spectrum was obviously apparent and does indeed make him seem older, the opposite of his face in Sicily as he aims to lead a clean life. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJbEhmdmmtGLbcU This video gives a decent overview. I would love an Aputure MW as a professional Diver who has just made the jump to try and become a professional film maker.

[@directoradamg]

I have to say I really loved how dark the latest game of thrones episode was. It was called the long night and is intentionally underexposed quite a bit! on top of that, so many examples of faces with unflattering lighting. Without giving away any spoilers, here is one i enjoyed: cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/769341148/eb1fb3e1-e092-4771-ae4e-0f4b295a42e3/988932f1-338f-4c6a-90db-87f1100fd9e4/1280x720/match/image.jpg I really like how the red woman looks almost bug like or lizardly in it!

[@Ootini4]

This is for sure one of my favorite examples of unflattering light. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJauondonJ5gn8U I feel like the first setup was definitely inspired by this clip of Hannibal Lector from Silence of the Lambs.

[@joelbarnett1]

The first example of unflattering light that comes to my mind is "The Bar scene" in "The Shining". The practical light from the bar, shines directly up on Jack's face. It illuminates under his eyes, while creating shadows on his cheeks, it's a very unnatural look, making him look warped and deranged. It contrasts well with the otherwise standard lighting for the rest of the restaurant. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnu5h3qwesd9eZI

[@ThoughtSpirals]

Reupload why?

[@liamd.obrien1768]

Audio was screwed up.

[@ZacharyVanHoy]

Love the unflattering lighting in this scene from Stranger Things. They really used the lighting to play into the fear. kzbin.info/www/bejne/o32ck39vh5qLd7M

[@douglasmor5546]

For me, the best example of unflattering light is "The Exorcism of Emily Rose"

[@RyanSchinneller]

Just watched Glass. That scene where Overseer fights with the Beast - Very unflattering light, but very effective. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mWateWaers95mbs

[@BrittPot]

the original Frankenstein movie, The Dark Knight when the joker was in jail, all of The God Father movies

[@saskelee]

the lie behind all skin care product commercial 8:43

[@Cencolor]

how the old comments came back after reposting? fake accounts? Because mine didn't... I said, the last look looks overexposed, and their videos start to sound too much like infomercials.

[@AbstrakMedia]

Felt she was way over exposed in the skin on the last shot.

[@NONE2NONE]

That toplight makes people look awful, but they always use that lighting in moody restaurants. Why?

[@nguyhung]

Can this girl stop acting like she knows it all? Please, be humble.