Cinematic lighting techniques without a light dome

[@ConnerFoxx]

THIS is a real cinematography tutorial. Teaching a few techniques and the philosophy behind them, including the importance of light looking motivated and natural. LOVED this video. The only thing I would quickly add is that this mostly only covering how to approach the key light (sometimes that's all you need, but not always). Never underestimate how much more you can get by adding a good backlight or hair light. The trick in many cases, if you're shooting for this natural look, is to keep that light soft and diffused, and set it dim enough that it doesn't stand out as a light source. You're trying to add the most subtle halo around the actor to separate them from the background, or a little extra shine on the hair. If done right, it doesn't really look like there's an additional light in the space, and it creates more of that look that people associate with "a good camera". If you don't have a good reason in mind NOT to use a backlight, try it and see how it looks. Just keep it soft, and don't make it too bright unless we're meant to assume there actually is another light source in the room!

[@PoppyDog]

Thanks!

[@nicklong7442]

I've been bouncing light off of walls for years now, but i've never heard of the Booklight. Fantastic technique! It looks amazing. I'll definitely be adding this to my arsenal.

[@BetterCreating]

What a refreshing perspective for content creators to re consider their lighting: for all the talk of ‘cinematic’ content on KZbin: this feels like an authentic, informed and personal perspective on just lighting shots beautifully. Thanks Spenser. Really inspired me to play with my lights and get creative with my new Fuji. ✌️

[@NewLayer]

This is so good and a welcome departure than what I typically see on KZbin. It’s also making me totally rethink my lighting setup for my videos. My office is small so a 36-48” octabox is very cumbersome, but I have a perfectly fine white wall and ceiling I could simply turn the light around and not even bother with a softbox! So obvious but never crossed my mind in my search for a simpler setup. Great content, just subscribed 😁

[@flickcine]

10:00 - Absolutely agree with you on that! Great video, mate! You can do a lot with very little if you know how to use it. I'm heading into a low budget independent feature this weekend and we have 4 lights (120d II, 1ft LED panel, Westcott Solix, LS Mini 20), but I've modified my lighting plans to suit what we have and to get the best out of that. Can't wait to see your next video!

[@jaytee1433]

This is one of the best, functional lighting tutorials I’ve seen. Thanks.

[@jerry.cray_II]

“Really this is just a big game of problem solving..” This tutorial was so helpful! Thank you, Spenser!

[@jerry.cray_II]

I struggle so much trying to get my lighting to look soft, yet NATURAL and not obviously sourced. Every time I think I have a breakthrough, I end up frustrated again in another situation. But you’re right, different situations require different problem solving.

[@SUVO_RAW]

I love the colors from BMPCC more then S1H, all shots that you make looks cinematic smooth and cool, you my num1 KZbinr right now, you inspiring me to learn light 💡and other stuff to make beautiful shots

[@philadams9254]

Epic info! Most of my shooting is outdoors, so I never thought artificial lighting was relevant to me, but these videos about soft/hard light have definitely changed my technique for the better and made me choose better angles.

[@impatrickt]

I spent like 20 minutes trying to get the dome on my Godox to not look like crap for my a-roll and then I finally just took the dome off and bounced it off the wall. It still looked like crap (just a bit less) but I know what I need to do next time. Great video. I've been re-watching season 1 of house of cards because the room lighting is just unreal... it seemingly feels like they can move around the scene at will and the lighting is always perfect, they're definitely resetting sources for closeups etc but the wides are just pure magic.

[@spensersakurai]

The light control on that series is nuts.

[@EmceeGraffiti]

Dope video. I also appreciate the unexpected Phantogram record cameo. I used to rock shows with them and even helped set up one of their first shows back when they were Charlie Everywhere.

[@oO5Dynasty]

thank you for this!

[@thomascharleston4045]

I just learned about these techniques at film school! And now i see this! Love your content Spenser!

[@DiogoGandra]

Actually, I thought you had shot the sequence with daylight and the help of the 120d. Impressive how natural it looked and felt. Great video Spenser!

[@brianrodriguez9276]

This video is freaking awesome. I’m blown away dude

[@TylerVincent]

Love this! Very good and advanced insight. More people need to watch this.

[@TylerEdwards]

Tyler Vincent agreed!

[@gogoevelik]

Everything that you do looks sooo good maan

[@TimmySheehyVisuals]

Thank you for showing the examples and your setup! Really helps understand the importance of lighting! Loving the stuff man!

[@jeremydulac5920]

Really nicely done, Spencer - awesome explanations and demonstrations,

[@itsBritss]

Thank you, I needed this

[@szubal]

Thank you. I have been trying to figure out how to get this look with a tiny budget. Thanks!

[@chriseyrewalker]

Oh man! Yet another great video with a ton of useful information. I’ve learnt a lot and can’t wait to put this to the test with my 120D. Thanks!!

[@istulover]

Natural light is sooo beautiful ! Lovely video !

[@AlexMendelson]

Your videos are incredibly informative and I've seen a lot of videos.

[@SongvilayFilms]

This is really good man, I’ve learned so much. Thanks!

[@gillesmatheronpro]

I've seen similar techniques used on the sets of films I'm featured in. Like most DoPs say : "As long as it works and creates what the director is thinking of...". Then, there are limitations... such as invisible tints in paints used on house walls. Not many of them are "pure" white, even more so as titanium oxyde shall become unsable some day (already currently in lower concentrations). So, just as people should take care when they use DIY diffusers (main one being shower curtains, which tend to have a dirty blue-ish twist), if one really wants to be accurate on their light... better perform a precise white balance adjustment when all lights are on, set, positioned, counter-balanced, tightened. This and a well-adjusted video monitor should produce a decent result. So, your idea and techniques are good tools, but must be used with care and dedication. After all, light is THE main fuel of photography and videography... it logically is the hardest and trickiest thing to master. It takes a decade for a DoP to properly master their tools, no surprise here. Thank you for your work and efforts !

[@Moggli]

Very interesting thank you sir!

[@seanoreilly4086]

Thanks heaps Spenser, this was really insightful!

[@KobusTollig1]

Great video man. Love what you do!

[@andresbilliald8896]

Incredible! Stuff like this is invaluable, thanks for all the great info!

[@mattdayphoto]

Just subscribed. You can tell you actually have real working experience with light and filmmaking. Always appreciated. 👌🏻

[@spensersakurai]

Thanks Matt! I follow your channel as well. Love me some film photography.

[@mattdayphoto]

Spenser Sakurai What?! That’s amazing, man! Thank you!

[@jonathancarlstrom]

You did it again Spencer! Great and informative video!

[@carrothersr]

Love your videos. Been learning a ton from all of them.

[@TengrCinema]

Thank you for the video! very cool! Tell me how to make a soft light coming from the ceiling in the room. That is, as if we have a large lamp on the ceiling.

[@SkinnyWasHere]

Great lighting tip! coming from the photography world we use the same technique to turn small flashes into soft light to cover a wide area as well

[@JacksonHayes]

This video is gonna help so many people! Not a lot of videos going past the basic softbox technique

[@fangshizhu9383]

This is awesome content! Your short film does look really cinematic thanks to the natural-looking lighting.

[@focusmedia2465]

Thank you for this simple explanation and demonstration of book lighting. I’m going to practice this now :) I recently purchased the Flycam Flowline from your recommendation and used it today for a shoot with my EVA1. I’m learning a lot from you and just wanted to say thanks!

[@spensersakurai]

That’s awesome! Hope it worked well for you.

[@MichelleDeTheWriter]

Really good information. I really learned a lot.

[@martinrandez7021]

Love every video you put out there! If ever you're open to suggestions, it would be awesome to see what you would do to "build layers & accents" to this approach to key light. Your scene recreation videos address those topics sometimes. that's very appreciated! Personally, it feels like building a scene with subtle layers of lights, and how to control them is where all the magic happens... These tips are so valuable coming from an established DP. Thanks!!

[@DustinHarrelson]

definitely wanna try out that book light technique. thanks for the knowledge man!

[@SuperFocus360]

Well done! Thank you!

[@topicruben]

Awesome ideas man. Thanks a lot

[@DiegoAlvaradoF]

Very very helpful, thank you very much for your efforts and your work

[@NatesFilmTutorials]

Dope! Can you do a video on negative fill?

[@spensersakurai]

I plan on it!

[@NatesFilmTutorials]

Spenser Sakurai Dewit!

[@tylou4479]

Amazing explainer video. Thank you so much

[@smalltalk.productions9977]

fabulous. i am now a subscriber. thanks for the effort and the sharing. thumbs up.

[@joserangelve]

Excellent...thanks a lot...new tool.

[@mikeswan2066]

Bro these lighting videos are really helping me out man. Do you think you could make like an in depth test bts walk through video of where your putting the lights as you place them?

[@timbeaton5045]

Like the use of the rain noise, too. It adds to the lighting effect by suggesting that the room is lit by the soft grey light coming in through the windows on a wintry day outside... At least I guess that’s why you did it!

[@timbeaton5045]

Liked and subbed BTW.

[@silversulu]

Thoughtful informative vid, Spenser

[@markosramon]

great tips bro. I needed to watch this. Thank you for that.

[@MisterMayhem17]

Love this! Thanks! 😊👍

[@fallingscalesmedia]

Loved this vid. Just bought the silent grid light cloth. How do you attach it? Also, I have an idea - it would also be awesome to keep throwing in shots of what it looks like to do the OPPOSITE of what you are suggesting as best practice. For example, in the scene with your wife, show the shot of what it looks like to bounce the light on camera side, so we can see the contrast. Or if you didn’t use the diffusion and just bounced it off the wall. What gave me the idea is when you showed the soft box and the book light techniques in back to back shots, that immediately helped to see the difference.

[@LukasSaalfrank]

Great taste in music! In Rainbows is just an absolute classic..

[@DirectedbyJalen]

Lighting with muslin diffusion is what I've been doing as of late, I still need to buy a dome though. Great vid Spenser !

[@nicholasboule5134]

all you need is unbleached muslin, try taping it to the walls and creating like a curved ramp looking thing and then bounce a fresnel into it. its called cove lighting and deakins does it all the time

[@DirectedbyJalen]

CineBlogs Great idea never knew Deakins did that ! I'll still get a dome though, for super quick let ups when I make KZbin videos & stuff.

[@nicholasboule5134]

@@DirectedbyJalen for sure, check out the technique though, very pleasing and natural

[@DirectedbyJalen]

CineBlogs definitely will

[@imperial-gamer]

Mind blown

[@jackiain5198]

Please keep doing actual lighting set up's and recreations. It's refreshing and great to learn from.

[@connorthompson05]

Excellent video! This is really beneficial information.

[@FLUKEMEDIA]

Cheers for the info And HELL YEA TO PHANTOGRAM!

[@sleepwalkerbeats]

Great Video !!!

[@ProfessaJ]

thank you for starting a convo on challenging the norms of youtube lighting tutorials

[@jayllicampo97]

thanks for the info, good video bro! 🔥👍🏻

[@ToastedSynapseGaming]

Great video. Honestly I like to look at my "artificial defused lights" in Perspective (yes, like a camera perspective), the same way you can say that your Finger is as large as the Sun when forcing it's perspective over it. So get your Shower curtain or whatever you use close to your subject, but first sit in the subject's chair yourself and make sure that the Curtain perfectly matches the window, just like your finger eclipsed the sun earlier. So move the diffusion closer or further away in order to "fit" it. Visually it should have the same effect as an open window if that's what you were going for.

[@j.oakley9588]

My biggest issue with doing this stuff is still nailing exposure. I recently shot a 120D through a window with some CTO to simulate a morning breakfast scene. I further diffused it with a shower curtain over the window. And I STILL had to add another light inside. This was with my ISO at 3200 with the blackmagic pocket 4K.

[@videocasetteTV]

excellent tutorial, kindly may you create a lighting tutorial you use in it 4 sachlter or redhead kits ( 12 lamps ) you light the host and interviewee with three cameras, one for the host , second for interviewee third is long, the good you can try with these lamps different lighting sets even you can make it as training series

[@MylonasFilms]

Nice tut

[@ExpressiveImagery]

Wonderful tutorial, I learned so much that I can apply to my next project. Thanks very much for creating and sharing 😀

[@dinagalall]

great tips!

[@BackpackingVideos]

Thanks for the video! Just subbed! Which camera did you use to shoot this, and did you use a pro mist black filter?

[@tom_steiner]

Great video!

[@thenightowl_22]

so for cinematic lighting i actually need the aperture 300d! xD in all seriousness, the scene with your wife looks phenomenal. Besides that beautiful soft lighting, what else made it look so creamy and filmic? Camera? lens? Color grade Thank you for the info!

[@the_ah_photo]

New subscriber here. Love your content!

[@sondp]

what is the softbox size you used for this test?

[@NasserTone]

Hello, My I ask what camera you used to shoot this YouTub video in 4k? & what lens too please?

[@spensersakurai]

ursa mini pro and a canon fd 35mm probably

[@NasserTone]

@@spensersakurai Thanks so much man! It was so helpful to know! I love how you use the FD lenses with your black magic cameras. I'm going to buy the black magic 6k pro & thinking of getting some FD lenses to it 🔥 after watching your stunning videos and reviews! Keep it up!

[@lhakammedia]

Buddha learned very complicated dharma and he worked so hard but once he enlightened, he taught buddha-dharma to the human being in a simple way. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom with the world.

[@marlonladd]

This was great. I definitely see some mistakes I've been making.

[@chinitopinoy1726]

Could you link an eBay listing a 6 X 6 grid or larger you recommend getting?

[@wayoutwestcreatives9769]

Thanks for the education. Much appreciated my man. Cheers! 🍻

[@leecourington2536]

Thank you.

[@omar_films101]

Hey you can tell us about the commercial light that will be above the Acter and when we use it

[@Haza3137]

This was perfect thank you so much

[@cinex5114]

Thank you Spenser! Awesome and very educational content like always. But there is one thing missing....THE BEER

[@chocokrispisconleche]

What Fstop + where you shooting at with that 120d? Also, what would be the output equivalent of the 120d, I’ve heard around 1k?

[@spensersakurai]

Yeah probably around that. I was at f2 for the 120d shots

[@Weird_Quests]

Will be watching this later tonight (can’t wait!) - do you use MF or AF for your YT videos? If it’s mostly MF, I’m guessing you use a monitor to help check/pull focus?

[@xx1simon1xx]

Important Point to add, If youre going for a "Natural" look, and your subject is moving around, try to get the source as far away as possible. This only aplies in the day, but natural daylight has very little falloff, so the further away your source is the better. This is the reason why on bigger sets you tend to start by lighting from outside the windows, and also the reason why you see gigantic sources beeing used. If you want to produce low budget, try to shoot in the night as much as possible, since here it is much easyer to make it look natural. (Or just shoot outside when the sun is up, as long as you shoot into the sun, you dont really have to do anything except a small Reflektor for an eyelight)

[@aight365]

Hey man thank you for the very helpful tips! I am wondering what you are using to stabilize your camera? I'm trying to make a decision between a gimbal or a monopod. I'm actually leaning towards the monopod for the reason I rather save up whatever I can and get the upcoming Eos R r5 that is supposed to have ibis when It comes out.. Any thoughts or recommendations?

[@spensersakurai]

Monopods are great. I don’t know why you never see them anymore. I made a whole video on my lack of love for gimbals. They are just no fun. I prefer a real Steadicam or a Glidecam.

[@ondrejjanoska660]

Thank you

[@Loqu4]

off topic, great video btw, but now that Lucadapters and magic booster is making a speedbooster for the Pocket 6K, giving it 1.1crop. Would you suggest people getting the 6K instead of the 4K, to kind "future proof" it?

[@spensersakurai]

Idk, I have a feeling BM is going to announce a full frame camera in March. Then what? 😅

[@Loqu4]

Spenser Sakurai haha yea man, the CMOS sensor is already in the S1 and zcam f6.

[@BorrisChan]

Another awesome video. Which camera did you use for the little short?

[@spensersakurai]

S1H!

[@BorrisChan]

Spenser Sakurai the output of that thing is insane

[@ayomaggotz]

Subbed found you from the S1H video

[@Crawling8888]

What is the correct term for that diffusion fabric? I can't find it anywhere, neither amazon nor ebay...

[@photographer-at-large9795]

DopeDigitalDude 1/4 grid

[@imiy]

Thank you for your videos! What would you advise for lighting tight locations? I had a shoot in a small hotel room, I couldn't use a light dome, so bounced my lights off of the white sealing. But the spill from the yellow walls was awful.

[@riparianstudios]

Appreciating that you worked drinking beer into this tutorial.

[@Swainbros]

Does the 120D in a lightdome enhance the green cast as shown in your closeup shot or did you grade that shot to look that way?

[@michaelruebusch2275]

Double diffusion doesn't make the light softer. The only way to make light softer is to increase it's size relative to the subject. Now, if the diffusion does increase the size of the light, like you said by making a book light, then yes, it will be softer. But simply adding diffusion to a light doesn't make it softer.

[@BrettLyon]

That S1H is pricey, but gaddddang that’s a nice image! May I ask what lenses you were using on the S1H? One LUMIX Pro L-mount lens is about the cost of two Pocket 4Ks! Thank you for all of these videos. It’s always a treat when I’m stressed in the office and I get a notification that you’ve posted another one! - Brett from Michigan

[@spensersakurai]

Canon fd 55mm 1.2

[@earonsotto9908]

Thanks for the tips! What do you use to hold the 6x6 cloth?

[@spensersakurai]

Just some rod from Home Depot 😅 they make proper frames but I just found this easier to transport.

[@chrisg4433]

Earon Sotto u can use C-stands

[@nikitavedenyapin5994]

When she pulled out that InRainbows vinyl I was like 'C'MON, DO IT! DO IT!'