Film Lighting Techniques that will Boost Your Cinematography with Shane Hurlbut, ASC

Just as a painter mixes their colors on their palette to create a work of art, a cinematographer must harness various lights and fixtures to craft a memorable cinematic image.
In this video, DP Shane Hurlbut, ASC commands a chorus of lights to illuminate the interior of a detective’s office. From high pressure sodium vapors to add a sense of realism to his legendary batten lights for their beautiful light quality, and water noodle lights that catches the eye, Shane reveals how to blend them all together for an impressive lighting setup!
This is but one segment from the all-new Cinematic Light Quality Masterclass presented by Shane Hurlbut, ASC and Filmmakers Academy: bit.ly/47Oibil
Cinematographers build successful careers based on their ability to harness and control light. Such lighting methods become your signature calling card and make you extraordinarily marketable.
“I’m going to forever change how you look at light. This is the kind of approach to light quality that you will not learn in film school or even your first decade on set.” -Shane Hurlbut, ASC
Now and through Cyber Week 2023, Filmmakers Academy is offering its best deal ever for Annual All Access. Save $200 on your first year of membership and get every masterclass including the Cinematic Light Quality masterclass! Are you ready to take your cinematography to the next level? bit.ly/47Oibil
If you're a filmmaker seeking to level up your craft, the official Filmmakers Academy podcast is an absolute game changer. Listen here 🎙️bit.ly/3V8up0a
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0:00 Intro
0:15 Cinematic Light Quality Masterclass

[@samulikuusistodp]

Ironically, the starting point looked the best

[@complicatedshoesproductions]

I think the egg carton should be dimmed down or turned off to highlight the light slicing through the blinds. Feels more dramatic that way

[@marvinkingori7580]

Probably best to just use skirting

[@freednighthawk]

The noodles are reflecting rather heavily off the corner of the desk.

[@yankeesgamingyankeesgaming7403]

i noticed that too

[@manuelnicolasramirezsuarez4823]

Agree! Maybe it would be nice to block some light coming from the lowest part of the noodle with black wrap or a negative flag

[@animusvisual]

And the chair legs on the left of frame but maybe its cuz i know theyre there

[@jackbarron8880]

It's such a subjective concept this because I don't like fill light. At all. It really depends on the context of the scene and even if the scene is meant to be light and airy, I still like having some contrast. The beginning moment where you asked 'what is missing'...well, subjectively speaking, nothing was missing for me. It looked absolutely fine to my eyes, especially when you brightened up the source. I also don't feel that it's important to motivate every single light source.

[@ArseniiSavitckii]

thank you! im so tired of every youtube video tutorial trying to motivate the source, instead of talking what do audience feel with this or that light

[@jackbarron8880]

Yeah, it's become this weird new phenomena particularly on youtube as you say. It's about what you feel, you are completely right. Had I motivated every source of my last film it would have looked worse for it and gotten in the way of the conceptual approach! @@ArseniiSavitckii

[@jackbarron8880]

Yes, it all depends. I'm of the 'less is more' variety and you'll find that the best cinematographers do their most interesting work with a simple key and backlight. Most people on youtube overcomplicate it imho.@@dylanholmes3067

[@scottstevensonfilms]

Pipelights are the best units, so versatile!

[@Metaphysic00]

Really good video for understanding the nuanced ways to introduce fill light.

[@romankuhler]

Could watch that for hours🍿🍿🍿🍿👍👍👍

[@aujax1]

love Shane!

[@KingJohnVA]

Shane is awesome

[@bassodifemzy]

Shane Hurbult , Sir you are just a mystery man when it comes to film

[@soundacresstudio]

I prefer the way it was. Sometimes its what you cant see that makes an image great.

[@krane15]

No, an never use that phrase again. Lighting is all about seeing.

[@8KHDRVideoBySittipong]

Very nice video.

[@plisskenetic]

This just feels like an excerpt. Is there like a full 30min version of how they lit everything from scratch? 🤣🤣

[@joenicklo]

I googled waternoodle light and got pool noodles with lights LOL. Can anyone provide a link please?

[@Catturo]

👏👏👏👏👏

[@johnwick8516]

"That's nice" 😉

[@GodlyAttire]

It looks beautiful but more commercial and not convincing of nighttime

[@tylerjanik2132]

Where can I get me a water noodle? lol. I mean is it a tube light inside a pool toy basically? Great lesson as always

[@bmefilms6879]

pool noodles

[@Metaphysic00]

There are some balloon like accessories for tube lights that exist. I could also see taping 8"x24" diffusion gels over 2ft Asteras to get a similar effect.

[@anjow4612]

Am I crazy or did it look like it was just like an aputure MC directed down to bounce off the pool noodles?

[@tylerjanik2132]

@@anjow4612 yeah a little bit for a sec but I think that was the handle on the knuckle.

[@AVISIONMUSICTV]

The water noodle light is bouncing off the bong by the phone and hitting her face weird😂

[@asianjaven]

how much is "2 points"? he said it at the end of the video.

[@JahseffTV]

If the light was at 80% brightness, it would be brought down to 78%

[@ephemere82]

warm light from the outside, cold light from the floor, desk lamp is not lighting the desk...mmmm

[@YoungBlaze]

Water noodles

[@danielbautista2561]

first

[@krane15]

The voice is a little grating but the tutorial was so good I got through it.

[@tipsygypsies2936]

I learnt nothing....there you go, nice! 👍

[@krane15]

Then watch it again and again until you do learn something.

[@redmonkeyarmy]

it just looks horrible, sorry.

[@soundacresstudio]

Agreed

[@krane15]

Everybody's a critic. Lighting is mood, so you can't say its wrong unless you know what its doing.

[@DialloMoore503]

Even without the color grading?