Cinematic Lighting With 1 Light - Making The Most Out Of A Single Light - Part 1

Download my 46 minute Lighting with Colour mini course for just £15 - www.robellisci...
/ robelliscinematography - support me on Patreon for extra content, informal breakdowns of my work and extended KZbin videos.
zyro.deals/rob... - use my link to get up to 89% on all 1 year+ plans with Zyro, with my deal!
www.amazon.com... - get the Godox SL150ii here!
www.amazon.co.... - UK link!
Artlist - artlist.io/art... - sign up to Artlist using this link and get an extra 2 months free! :)
Artgrid - artgrid.io/Art...
So I wanted to do something a little more in depth than the standard 1 light setup video - there's a lot to think about when lighting and that doesn't change when you're only using 1 light! Hopefully this video helps with the process of thinking about why you would put a light in a certain place, what it's supposed to be representing, and how you can use natural light and other tools to back up your single light. Part 2 out next week! :)
Camera:
Panasonic LUMIX S5
Canon 600D (BTS)
Samsung Note 8 (BTS)
Lenses:
Lumix G Vario 12 - 60mm f/3.5 - 5.6
Nikon Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AI
Sigma 85mm f/1.4
#filmmaking #lighting #cinematography

[@adlermediaproductions7876]

I'm a simple man. I see Rob Ellis, I click.

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

I appreciate it! :D

[@nilsen5109]

I can't believe how amezing it is 🤩 Its like a lighting course 🤠 Thak you a lot for this bro🤗🤗 ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@Jaddico]

I cleeck

[@aaronholmes1914]

No one does tutorials like this. No one but Rob Ellis.

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Haha thanks so much Aaron! :)

[@JazzWalk]

I’m at the point where I just like before I watch.

[@jonathannewman4899]

Same here 😀

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Haha careful guys what if the video was terrible?! ;) I really do appreciate your faith in my work though, thank you so much! :)

[@wilsoncortezribeiro]

Another helpful and great video. Thank you so much for sharing

[@kbrown6543]

Same here. Great work and even greater for sharing.

[@thomascecil9064]

I can't say how much I appreciate the time and effort you take to demonstrate your process. This is what the film community needs.

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thank you so much Thomas! :)

[@reimereason]

I'm off to shoot my first music video next week, armed with the many tips I've collected from you these past few months. Thank you for making these videos, Rob.

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thanks Nate, super happy to hear that and I really appreciate it! Hope the shoot goes well! :) thank YOU for watching! :D

[@tristanshannon4128]

For the algorithm 👌🏼 Can't say anything else that hasn't been already been said about how great the videos and Rob is 😂

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Haha thanks Tristan, I seriously appreciate it :)

[@WidescreenContent]

Wow you are overdoing yourself man! 3 key things I learned in this video -Use a mirror -Use a powerwindow -Use a free color temp meassuring app

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thanks so much! Happy to hear you're learning from my videos! :)

[@ashishjatiani752]

Take a bow sir! This level of imporvisation is not even taught in film schools. Thanks a lot for this

[@thecookiedirector9685]

Rob Ellis is the only one that can bring poetry to a tutorial. Technical and artistic at the same time, I love it. Keep up with the great stuffs mate 😉

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thank you so much for the kind words! :) I feel like KZbin is a little bloated with similar styles on this sort of topic, I'm just making what I wanna see, if that makes sense haha!

[@CraigToddOfficial]

At this point I like the video before it even plays!!! Stella Content!!

[@BoyBlessing]

Rob Ellis, you created my favorite youtube channel. For that, I am extremely grateful. Please never stop making videos like this. You are inspiring generations of cinematographers. Makes my day when you upload a new video and I get to to learn from you.

[@jv8studios]

Amazing ! I’m happy to see you found inspiration! This channel has motivated me too . I’ve learnt a lot 💯

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thanks so much to both of you! Super happy to know my channel is inspiring and motivating :) more to come!!

[@Sam-uw7pw]

This dude is a genius. Amazing work Rob!! Love your work!

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thanks so much Sam, I really appreciate it!! :)

[@thatdapperphotographer]

Rob your lighting tutorials are seriously the best on YT!

[@IsraelAgyemanPrempeh]

Him and andbery

[@ReviewBru]

This channel is one of those hidden gems you are grateful for stumbling upon. The way you show and then explain with cinematic panache is on another level. Rob Ellis you beaut !

[@davidmultimedia2024]

I don’t think the quality of your videos could get any better Rob. I love everything about them. From the quality of content to the way your soothing voice focuses my mind all the way through. Thank you!

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thank you so much David! Happy to hear you're enjoying my videos so much - thank you!

[@ZandySungaOfficial]

3 years in and Rob Ellis is still relevant

[@jacksonkingsley7414]

Simple interview lighting is relatively straight forward however when my students want better guidance specifically for creative and artistic cinematography lighting I always refer them to your page. Another great video! Thanks

[@salmosdelanoche]

Thank you!!!! Few videos like yours

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thanks so much! :D

[@ChuckRiseUp]

This video is the clear example of how good a DP like Rob Ellis is. Some DP's use SO much lights because they have access to a ridiculous amount of gear, but the real challenge and genius here, is to create a look with fewer lights. Some very well know DPs tend toward using less and less light these days because they use their knowledge and experience to light a scene and also, because cameras theses days are so performant (specially in low light situation) that you don't need to use 10 different sources to create a scene. Very well done man, I'm learning so much from your videos. Best cinematography channel on KZbin by far.

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Honestly I'm just a freelance video guy who likes lighting :D I think there's good arguments for less lighting and more lighting! At the end of the day it's really down to how you want the scene to look - can you do it with 1 light or do you need 4 or 5? And if you can do it with 1, should you do it with 1 - or would 2 make it more efficient? But do you have 2 lights to work with? Haha, it's all a balance between what's best for the scene and what you can do with the budget and tools you have, and I'm sure it's the same for huge Hollywood budgets too, albeit with a lot less restrictions! I totally agree with the low light camera aspect, as well as everything you're able to capture in the image in terms of latitude and dynamic range with cameras now - good example being the fill light on that first setup in the video. It can definitely help to streamline things down and allow you to use less lighting! Thank you so much for the kind words man, I really do appreciate it and I'm happy you're learning so much from my videos!! Comments like that keep me pushing on with it all!

[@elihershko8955]

A new subscriber here, and getting a lot of knowledge which is awesome! Thanks for sharing Rob!

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thank you Eli and thank you so much for subscribing!! Happy to hear you're learning from the channel! :D

[@meygraph]

I learned lighting from the first step with your videos. Thank you so much

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Happy to hear it! Thank you!! :)

[@kurapikaproductions]

YOU ROCK , I CAN NOT THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR YOUR CONTENT , BIG FAN ! KEEP UP THE FANTASTIC WORK .

[@sightsoundandsoul1449]

Finally beats where every filmmaker on youtube talks about lights are key. Then have the cheek to tell us use what you got but don't show how to use a single light effectively for those starting out

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thank you so much, glad I'm filling that gap! :)

[@nodasmichalopoulos5108]

Rob you are the light man!!!!

[@photoskazkiru7582]

Rob, thank you so much! Best wishes to you from Russia

[@isaiahgalante]

YOU’RE THE GOAT. It’s so criminal you don’t have more followers great things coming your way!

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thanks so much Isaiah! KZbin is a bit difficult - sometimes I think the channel would grow a little faster if I released a new video every week, but the quality of the content being provided in the videos is way more important than that :)

[@isaiahgalante]

@@RobEllisCinematographer KZbin can be WIERD like that. Wether you release a video once a year, month, week or day. I’ll be binge watching you still haha. Appreciate your content and knowledge you spread. Keep it up!

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thanks so much, I really appreciate it!! :)

[@darkknightwithanidea1845]

Always impactful , emotional & thorough 🎥💪🏼🎬👍🏻👍🏻10/10

[@omardaher6735]

Discovering you made my day!

[@orkun_prv]

You've got great talent. Thanks for sharing Rob

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thanks so much! :)

[@blakeedwardpante548]

Thank you as always. 😊

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Absolutely Blake! And thank YOU for watching! :)

[@mantenbrink]

Your videos are always masterclass level, giving me every detail I could want. Even the shots of how the setup looks which helps me understand the best way to build it up. Thank you so much for uploading this for free

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thanks so much, super happy they've helped you! :)

[@mantenbrink]

@@RobEllisCinematographer Looking forward to see future videos!

[@AaronMarasigan]

i dont usually watch videos that are more than 10mins long but rob's content will always be an exception!

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Ah thanks Aaron that means a lot! Glad me droning on about light is keeping you interested haha! :)

[@yosukeDVJ]

In the vast swamp of "content makers" using democratized affordable cine cameras & equipment, this is the kind of content true aspiring filmmakers - not "content" makers - need, with focus on traditional filmmaking techniques and not GEAR. Your channel is singular in that respect as far as i've come across. Hope to see a narrative you've worked on some day!

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thanks so much Yōsuke! I do believe gear has it's place in terms of importance, as certain gear allow you to do things you might not otherwise be able to do - but I totally agree, that the focus is best placed on the techniques. That way you have a base knowledge of what you're doing with whatever piece of gear you're using. I'm glad that comes across in my videos - thanks so much for the kind words :)

[@tabeabussmann]

You can be both.

[@aleksisriehakainen4189]

Again your videos really makes me appreciate cinematography for what it truly is. The storytelling that light as a tool can be. My dream is to learn to light with only one light and this definitely gave me motive to go forward with that. Thanks for creating great content as this is genuinely valuable information.

[@alihammad6318]

Rob and his tutorials alone are enough to teach you about lighting to start DP'ing some small shoots. Thanks for such an incredible array of resources :)

[@awacreatives]

All your videos are masterpieces! Thank you!!

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thank you so much!!

[@mozzfather]

Amazing as always! Especially the Mirror blew my mind! GREAT Work!

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thanks so much Josef! That's awesome!! :D

[@mozzfather]

@@RobEllisCinematographer Oh Rob! I'm trying to copy some of your shots for the last two days and now I'm even more impressed by your work! It's so f***** complicated to get an moody image, to get the right fill, everything.... And what is destroying my nerves is to get used to film yourself..JESUS it is annoying :D Nevertheless you are a Master and I will hang on till I get better!

[@mozzfather]

Greetings from Germany!

[@TesseracMedia]

Another amazing breakdown video. Very helpful

[@flixten3141]

Glad I discovered this channel!

[@samvargas8760]

Me encantan tu vídeos muy nutritivos. Gracias por compartir. Saludos desde Cartagena, Colombia.

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Muchas gracias, se lo agradezco! :) saludos desde el UK! :D

[@1NebraskaPyro]

I can't say how much I appreciate these videos

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Super glad you do! :) thanks so much!

[@fletcherdavies8749]

Not only are the lighting examples great to watch, so too is the narration. Great job Rob.

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thank you Fletcher!

[@fletcherdavies8749]

Rob, have you thought about a donate link for your efforts? A donate button would help support your channel and I think most people would buy you a coffee. Every little helps, especially during tough times.

[@luigimariadevecchis2774]

Thank you Rob

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Absolutely, thank you for watching! :)

[@cuntpaggot9962]

always great to see new content from you

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thanks man! :)

[@JErock25]

Learned a lot from this one (particularly the last setup). Thank you for your work!

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Happy to hear that! Thank you so much for watching my videos! :)

[@tubeman1983]

Awesome! You're the man! Thanks and keep up the good work ☺️👍

[@macalby]

A great demonstration that lighting is key, but doesn't ignore that you're ability to capture that scene is also important. I learned a lot with my 600D, but the GH5, FS7, and BMPC4K is such a step up. Also: At around 14mins I was talking to my screen 6500K, 6500K, 6500K. So that 6490K was nice validation ;)

[@luisgondim8283]

the last setup you broke-up really caught me of guard haha, amazing job, as usual

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Haha yeah it can be a little bit complicated to get things looking natural with just the 1 light - but it is definitely possible! Thanks so much Luis, thanks for watching! :)

[@tomfurstyfield]

Wow that mirror technique was god damn genius

[@patrickward1470]

Legend as always, Rob Ellis

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thanks Patrick!

[@Rosomyat]

Great. It should be called Cinematography School. We learned Cinematic lighting from this cool channel. Thanks

[@beaverbreweryminsk5392]

clear Masterpiece, the aesthetics, the class. Glad you are here. Thank you!

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thank you so much Viacheslav! Glad you are here to watch! :)

[@ThomasHeyen]

The color temp meter app was alone worth the like. But i loved the setups too. Thx!

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thanks Thomas!! :)

[@riskybiscutz]

Light control is the one thing that frustrates me most as a filmmaker. I never knew what I was looking for or how to achieve it. Thank you Rob for breaking this down in a digestible way for someone who could just never get it.

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Super happy I could do that for you - thank you so much!

[@TheBMWpower]

Informative @ educational .. Would love to see more videos 👍🏼

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thanks Ahmad, more to come! :)

[@MrObiorah]

Thanks again

[@kevinokai]

Man your tutorials are of high value!

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thanks so much Kevin! :)

[@itsfarisfakri]

Yo Mr. Ellis. You are my inspiration! Just wanna thank you for all the lighting videos you've made. They're all super amazing. I'm just grateful I found your channel a few years ago. Stay safe!

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thank you so much for your kind words, I really do appreciate that! :) super happy you're finding my work useful. Hope you're well! :)

[@ramonmartinezcabada6762]

Thank you so much for making this amazing videos.

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

And thank you so much for watching! :D

[@BastianWorrmann]

So much information in one comprehensive, beautiful video! Thank you, can't wait for part two.

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thank you Bastian, glad it was informative! :)

[@danielhuang2488]

your tutorials are awesome.

[@Bo_Hazem]

What an enjoyable video! It's like puzzle solving! Very entertaining and educational.

[@AxiA]

The mirror trick was shocking! Great stuff!!

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Mirrors can always save you in a pinch! :) thanks so much!

[@anthonydavis4829]

So simple and so effective. Great job.

[@TrueEssencePhotography]

AMAZING VIDEO AND BREAKDOWN!!!

[@jordanfish]

Finally getting caught up on this series. As good as ever! That mirror setup was brilliant

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thanks so much Jordan! :) great to hear from you!

[@pierrezapata90]

These videos, especially the simpler ones, really work in a pinch to get a great look. Awesome work as usual. Going to use these styles in my videos

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Happy to hear they're helping!! Thanks so much! :)

[@deanster7216]

still cant believe im watching and learning lighting for free , rob youre a pro. i really hope you get more subs this year

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thanks so much! :) let's hope so!! :D

[@robertmuhammad8842]

Love your work Rob. Keep it coming. It's inspiring knowing how high-end your look can be with little resources.

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thanks Robert! :)

[@Thjfizo]

Genius!

[@henriquenakandakare]

Amazing, nothing more to say. Thank you Rob Ellis.

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thanks so much Henrique! :)

[@RavikantRai21490]

Thank you once again for the masterclass.

[@uniworkhorse]

0:00 - example 2:27 - lying down 7:34 - sunlight table 10:00 - blinds shadow cast 11:16 - sponsor and promos 13:04 - couch

[@tylerw9160]

This is the tutorial I’ve been waiting for!

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

I hope it met your expectations! :D

[@Alta-dp1ze]

nice ！waiting for the part2

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thank you! Next week! :)

[@tristanjohn]

Again, masterful exhibition 🙏🏽 Thank you!

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thank you for watching Tristan! :)

[@Frank.Zimmermann]

Thanks ever so much for another great and educational video, Rob! You are a real wizard! 👍

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thank you so much for watching Frank! :)

[@kroolwrld]

Amazing

[@chaplinesque111]

Love your work mate.

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thank you so much! :)

[@remywebber5330]

I am so glad I found this channel

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thanks so much Remy!

[@CountSorinsRealm]

Damn Masterclass time!

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Haha thank you, definitely no master here though! :D I just hope these videos help people when thinking about light! :)

[@CountSorinsRealm]

@@RobEllisCinematographer That's just a matter of perspective! Might not be news to the Deakins of the world, but is super helpful for me, thanks for sharing man!

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Ah thanks man, I really do appreciate you letting me know my videos have helped in some way! 😃

[@CountSorinsRealm]

@@RobEllisCinematographer Yessir, thank ya Sir!

[@eifionjones8513]

Great work as always. A pleasure to watch - such a tonic.

[@reversekeypro]

Your videos are so inspiring and straight to the point! Thank you for sharing your expertise in utilizing light within your cinematography.

[@proinsider9528]

You are awesome!

[@alexbormanbou]

I'm following you since the days you tested the Bmcc with your friends on a trip. I loved those images. It's great you're moving on with these lightning series. Thanks for sharing. Greetings from Spain.

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Hey Alejandro, that's awesome, thanks so much for sticking with the channel for so long, I really appreciate it! :) I've actually made a backup channel where I'll be re-uploading some of those older videos soon, they still have a lot of sentimental value to me and I still bloody love that image from those older Blackmagic cams haha. Thanks so much for the kind words! :)

[@DonKituto]

i love your tutorial amazing

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thanks George! :)

[@alexsobrino]

This is another level. Thank you Rob!

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thank you Álex, glad you enjoyed it!

[@geverniveup]

1:04 me deciding if i should eat ALL the muffins or just one. Thanks for the content rob...very much appreciated

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Haha that was my secret motivation for the scene 😂 thanks so much for watching Jona! :)

[@Michal_Kedzierski]

Keep these lighting tutorials coming!

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Will do!

[@NICKCINEMEDIA]

This is excellent! I love watching your lighting lessons! Keep making us happy)

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thanks so much!! :D

[@woutvanheck7922]

This video is sooo helpful, thanks :)

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thank you so much! :)

[@real_joey]

learning so much from your channel. Thank u :)

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Happy to hear that! Thank you! :)

[@adeloyearts205]

Where the extra like button??? Honestly dude, this was amazing. This got me thinking alongside it without being a list of to-dos. Great recommendation on the light meter btw

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thanks so much man!! Happy it got you thinking, that's one of my aims with these videos :) absolutely!

[@DanKenj]

Thank you KZbin for putting this on my Recommendation list. Subscribed! Gold Content here!

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Glad KZbin is recommending me! Thanks so much for the sub and the kind words Daniel! :)

[@DimitriOhler]

Your stuff is always so clean. Love your videos man!

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thank you so much Dimitri! :)

[@BrendanMariani]

I was searching your channel for this exact topic yesterday, and now you posted it! Ha! Looking forward to this.

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

I always time it right for someone haha! ;) hope you found it useful! :)

[@BrendanMariani]

@@RobEllisCinematographer 100%! First proper continuous (VL 150) Arrived today :D Thanks for the great and careful work

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Awesome, how you finding it?! :)

[@BrendanMariani]

@@RobEllisCinematographer Rapidly learning how not to light hahaha Failing forward :p

[@stevenfries7032]

You are a cinema lighting god. that is all.

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

I wouldn't go that far!! I appreciate it though, thank you! :)

[@stevenfries7032]

@@RobEllisCinematographer you and another fellow on here are the reason I spent nearly 2k on lighting gear. Thanks for the inspiration.

[@mauriciobrunner]

Another great video! Your content is really inspiring, Rob Ellis.

[@RobEllisCinematographer]

Thanks so much Maurício! I appreciate it :)

[@ossianrobertosullivan3863]

Such a stunning affect, and so simplistic! I was wondering, do you have a video on how to create this moody sort of shot with more than one light?

[@PeakResetProductions]

great video!