How to Make Any Location Cinematic

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Using light to make any location cinematic.
#FilmRiot #Cinematography #Filmmaking
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[@DefinitelyAPotato]

How to Make Any Location Cinematic: have a full crew, get sent a £5000 camera, already have cinema-quality lenses, have controllable lights, have a suitable location ready to go

[@dawnkeyy]

@@Azzlad I mean the point of film as a medium is to tell a story through the visual. Is it a 1:1 correlation? No. A good looking movie won't make a story memorable. But would a bad looking movie with a good story benefit from looking better? Probably

[@AnimeZone247]

@@dawnkeyy im sorry no it wont. Both of these things work hand in hand. You can have a good story but if your visuals and audio are trash then the movie is trash.

[@AnimeZone247]

dont focus on the gear, focus on how they did it. You dont need $5000 camera to get what they have. You can use cheap 60w light bulbs

[@NIKONGUY1960]

There's a dude who made a tv show that got picked up, as memory serves, by HBO, filmed entirely on a Samsung S9. Sure, a nice camera with some serious glass will always enhance the look, but if the writing is shit, Nolan would have a difficult time, I reckon, polishing that turd.

[@piotrrogowski4177]

I do beliebe THEY want to show YOU how they do it, not how you can do it for free. To me it was interesting to see how they make a scene look better from a professional standpoint. But i get your point too 😂 I guess equipement and experience are really important...

[@kaspergaram]

This is the stuff that clients usually don't get. "You just go in there with that good camera and that's it, what do you need the time for?" I need the time to do this kind of stuff, to actually make the image look good. Great episode!

[@muhuhuhuhuhu]

And I can't find anyone like this man. I needed help of a proper dOp for a short film of mine but everyone just wamts a quick buck

[@kaspergaram]

@@muhuhuhuhuhu for sure a lot of people think time is money and they want to be quick. That sucks

[@Chromedbustop]

Clients aren't supposed to get it. That's why they're clients and hiring someone else to do it for them. And of course they want it done as quickly as possible. That's pretty much the norm any time people hire someone for anything. That's kind of the point of hiring people to do jobs for you: They're trained in a skill that you lack. The job of the professional is to be able to help the client get as close to what they're looking for as they can. And it's their job to explain why a certain result a client is looking for may take a certain amount of time or resources. It's why a lot of talented people don't actually make good professionals. They don't really know how to work well with clients.

[@CharlieTheDP]

this is also why I can't just do something quick at home, it takes me an hour+ to set something up haha

[@chriscarroll6447]

Okay that transition at 8:39 was absolutely stellar. Such a good use of that light beam.

[@servHis221]

Hadn't even caught that...🔥

[@skdns168]

is this is the first time you see that, then you don't watch much movies

[@eiseproductions]

OOOHHHHH YEA I sooo agree!!!

[@skdns168]

@@AlFirous hm, i guess you have to look out for a dictionary to learn the meaning of gaslighting 😅 it was just a phrase for the effect, thats pretty often used (but still a good one)

[@vaportrails7943]

For people getting caught up on the equipment they’re using - you don’t need anything that expensive to do what they’re doing, on a basic level. You can get lights very inexpensively, and then you just need a camera that allows you to adjust the basic settings of aperture, film grade and frame rate. The short version is - use lights, with darker settings on the camera.

[@ryansulak]

exactly, also its easy to forget that even though the camera is great, this video they partnered with Canon, so its like an advertisement

[@multishrimpstudios]

Yeah one of the problems though is that a fair amount of what they’re doing relies on the c-log picture profile, which is only in $3000+ cameras

[@jaysadler]

Thank you! I was definitely a little lost, but what you said makes sense :D

[@vaportrails7943]

@@multishrimpstudios Like I said, “on a basic level”. The basic techniques of this are reasonable for a starting KZbinr to accomplish, for example. And they commonly do.

[@MuhammadAbbasRoohUllah]

@vaportrails7943 exactly agreed it's seems like that but it's gonna be different...!!,😏

[@dallasdandigitalproduction393]

I enjoy watching experienced DPs shape a scene with lighting setups. Something magical about turning an ordinary location into a cool shot on screen.

[@filmriot]

Same! Daniel is amazing.

[@vano4557]

P,sw

[@byrondelavega9690]

How to make any location cinematic with 40k budget equipment. That's the title.

[@Jrshuffles]

“If the camera doesn’t have an inbuilt nd filter I just don’t want it.”

[@fiddleandfart]

@@Jrshuffles Yeah... that was one entitled quote!!! How many DSLRs have inbuilt ND filters????

[@stevrgrs]

@@Jrshuffles haha no joke. I started to feel bad about my "humble" GH5 :P

[@DEADROADSERIES]

that's literally what I was thinking

[@AnimeZone247]

@@fiddleandfart it's not an entitled quote it's a preference. If you want a camera without internal NDs then that's you. why are yall focused on the cost and the specific gear? Focus on the technique

[@pawelkapica5363]

It's so fascinating how much effort goes into every single shot, and that's just the lighting.

[@hifijunkieTX]

Great tips! Would be awesome to see a 'redo' of this concept but with an 'on a budget' lighting setup. Think like using existing lamps or task lights or whatever that could be easily found around a house. Could be interesting to see what could be done with the creative use of those sources (and would likely be a huge help to the general public who is interested in getting better video without having to spend a ton of money on specialized lighting).

[@OliLewington]

I would definitely like this. Also a video that's less of an ad for Canon at the same time.

[@ImmobileLizard]

Or the general public can realize they can just use can just wire their own sources with wood, plastic, and globes from Home Depot. If you can’t think in types of sources independent of the fixture it won’t help if you have pro or amateur gear.

[@melody3741]

You can literally do everything here on your own for cheap its not that hard just copy what they did with cheap lights and stuff. Muslin and a diffuser is not hard to find. And any light with a satisfactory tone thats bright enough for your use will work.

[@eti1687]

Great, let me just get all these different lights and diffusers to make my location cinematic!

[@zabalayn]

I'm just an ordinary guy from Turkey's very small city. With all my sincerety, this video just captured me to how to create an stylish enviroment and cinematic scenes. This is by far the most instructive video about how to use light. Till this video, i have never understand the importance of light, but now i see clearly. Thanks for tips and never forget that you may change anyone's life positively from another part of the world. Much appreciated.

[@sambrandner]

Look up Rob Ellis 🙃

[@workgmail2375]

another banger! i wish i had friends that loved filmmaking like you guys. Love this, thank you

[@yuniea2670]

Where are you located? I'm in Los Angeles.

[@workgmail2375]

@@yuniea2670 Canada :(

[@m.hreels9822]

This felt like a more traditional episode from Ryan back at the house instead of at the office.❤ please do more of this back at the house 🏡

[@Made_by_Matthew]

If you want this broken down even further it honestly amounts to a few things: 1. Keep the light upstage to add depth 2. Make your key as soft as possible, step 1 will ensure that there Is still nice contrast across the scene 3. Find a way to control the contrast, in the first scene they use an aputure 1200D through the window to increase the ratio of key to background, you could also gel the windows in the back with ND or use blinds/grid/cloth/muslin. If you don't have a 1200D you could motivate a closer light from the window, say a 120D or SL60 4. kill the lights as a start and build up piece by piece, this will allow you to see the effect of each light and adjust accordingly 5. Neg fill the downstage bounce. This is the opposite of step 1 and will just push the shape of the light a bit more. To summarise even more you can summarise in 3 words/concepts 1. Light direction 2. Light quality 3. Light ratio

[@rapul_jr]

Thank You Sir

[@robertdouble559]

This sounds a lot like the one trick pony "Wandering DP" style of lighting. There's more than one way to skin a cat. Key light doesn't always need to upstage and/or soft but it's a great fallback plan when you can't think of something more interesting/original.

[@JDRos]

I like watching these tutorials that I can't afford to follow anyway. haha

[@mbyrd67]

Love shooting raw and using negative fill. Blocking light is a powerful technique.

[@OfficialTornadoboy]

This was so good! I’d love to see more cinematography breakdowns in readily available locations or even smaller ones where lighting is tricky!

[@Chromedbustop]

The techniques are pretty consistent no mater where you are: - Control the light with diffusion, negative fill, bouncing, blocking or turning lights on/off, etc. - Add in your own lights where needed/desired (ideally from motivated sources) - Use camera settings, haze, or objects to create separation and depth. You could watch a 1000 videos on it and they will all largely follow those same steps. It's actually a pretty straightforward process. The only differences coming from the circumstances of the [exact] location you are filming in. For example if you're filming on the 5th floor of a building you probably won't be able to put a large light source outside of the window.

[@pieczara4522]

Wow, that was one of the most solid lighting breakdowns I've seen in a while

[@mohamad-.-king9986]

Make a second part using your phone please 🙂

[@OmniDigital]

Lol you can't make every location look cinematic with a phone your asking for to much

[@filmriot]

We would have done everything the same, except the depth of field wouldn't have been very shallow. That's one of the toughest things with the phones currently.

[@mohamad-.-king9986]

@@filmriot If an external lens is installed, will it correct the depth of field? thanks for answering 🙂

[@bandobandit353]

The sensor in a cell phone isn’t big enough to get this look without the iPhone fakery

[@senthilvelan544]

Then with a potato

[@sceilig7496]

I've been thinking a lot about how I could craft a film around locations and other elements that I already have access to for a few weeks now, and this is a lot of help! Keep up the great work.

[@yuniea2670]

You're lucky you have access to a location for a couple of weeks. Wow. WOW Sounds so exciting. I wish I was close to where you're.

[@LouisFindlay]

Loved THIS! Please do more episodes like this, i really feel like i learned a lot from this. Keep rocking guys.

[@blackvenom2945]

Every Video of Film Riot is GOLD.

[@Widlomaa]

I absolutely love this video!! So much practical information, it's amazing to get a look at how you do this! Absolute gold!!

[@jasonwalton6311]

Love these type of episodes. Thanks Film Riot.

[@r.c8756]

I’m only an amateur photographer but videos like this sure help a lot looking at lighting and aestetics from another point of view.

[@BradFriday]

Great episode guys! I relate huge because most of the films and music videos I've shot have had to be done exactly this way. Scrolling through the comments though I find it frustrating seeing the people complaining about the gear being used as if that's a barrier. Pro lights give you more flexibility because they may be easier to control or have more punch but if you don't know what you're doing with them it's irrelevant, your shot will look like garbage anyway. Same thing with the camera. People rave about the Alexa as if it's literal film look in a box, but if most people making those comments got their hands on one they'd shoot something that looks like it was shot on an iphone. Just a quick scroll through camera forums and you'll see tons of badly shot setups done on REDs and Alexas because people use that as a crutch without knowing what they're doing. You could create the setup you did with can lights and waiting until the sun was in the right spot coming through the window as your key light, shooting on a 5D Mk 2 you could get off ebay for $300 and a 50mm 1.8 $150 lens. You'd get the same effect and a great look. I went on Shane Hurlbuts Illumination tour when it came through Vancouver and one of the things that stuck with me is when we were re-creating the scene from Crazy Beautiful we were shooting on a C500, Blackmagic and a 5D Mk3 to cover the scene. If you put the shots of each on the screen un labelled and asked someone to pick out which was which you couldn't do it. No way. They all looked fantastic, all were drastically different price points. That really stuck with me, know your gear, understand how light works and how to control it and you can really shoot anything. This was a great episode and I feel like it was really relevant to your audience as most of them will be trying to shoot things in an average house, and you're trying to show them getting cinematic looks is achievable.

[@samueljames5389]

I agree, and also the reality is that great gear has become so much more accessible in recent years. I mean, they are using Aputure lights - this stuff is cheap for what you get. These guys don't want to stay DIY plebs forever, and why would anyone?? I have very much enjoyed watching their journey, and to see them grow in success is joyful.

[@cammerearner6617]

I haven't watched your videos since 2016. It's so nice to see you again God time runs so fast

[@reyres]

Been watching you guys for YEARS! Thank you for all you do!

[@micronesia3797]

This video is absolute gold, thank you so much for sharing

[@justinorlandobrown851]

Lighting is the key to all things beautiful. I wish you did more videos on this subject alone.

[@filmriot]

We have more planned! :)

[@jaylamb218]

Another kickASS video from you guys! If a young person came to me, and said I’m thinking about going to film school. I’d say, are you familiar with the KZbin channel FilmRiot? And they’d say yep, because there’re in tuned, I’d say there’s your film school right there! Don’t go spend 10’s of thousands of dollars! These guys are better than and class room environment! And cost worthy! I love you guys! ❤️❤️❤️ Thank you!!

[@bulentozdemir]

I like the idea of exposing for the background first, then lighting/shaping key components of the scene. Makes sense. Gotta love those ND assists too. Always makes me wonder about those classic movies. They must've absolutely blasted the actors/sets with lights considering how low the ASA ratings were!

[@krayt_films]

LOVE this episode! Lighting is one thing I struggle with and I LOVE to see what y'all are doing! Thanks!

[@krayt_films]

@filmriot I think you've got a scam account

[@SnipesStudios]

As A Person Wanting To Improve My Lighting. I Sooooo Appreciate This Channel,

[@KeeganEvansPhoto]

Absolutely loved this guys! I'm also obsessed with haze haha

[@fiddleandfart]

Yes... I felt the same way... until it became something of a visual cliche!!!

[@sharpsbattle]

Fun watching all the expertise going into making a single great shot. So much! Awesome video.

[@roughcutcreative]

Dope video guys!! Love the breakdown’s

[@gregniel]

Holy Carp! I had no idea the complex nature of lighting.

[@thelinkofperfectioncharity9469]

Masters of Light!

[@MichalKuzminski]

This is just pure gold, thanks guys.

[@paddleandhook]

I SO look forward to these types of lighting and gear breakdown :)

[@schwarbeastwood]

Congratulations to you and your DP Daniel, I love the patience that both of you applied to get this work done. I am Schwarbeastwood from West Africa, Sierra Leone. And I am a filmmaker too. I have been following up with your work for years now and thank you for the information.

[@samueljames5389]

Awesome lighting breakdown guys. More please!!

[@RoseJyoti777]

Wow, I can't believe how much goes into this!

[@magicallyfictitious]

Yup when 2nd Team jumps in and the Grips & Sparks swing into action, most of us go to Crafty or 10-1 while the scene is being lit. Then there is another rehearsal with 1st team followed by some minor tweaks, if required, then we role. Rinse and Repeat for each new scene and camera placement. This process can be slow and or fast depending on how fussy the Showrunner is and how far behind we are in making the day: We'll fix that in post. Moving on! :)

[@BiankyGirl]

Thank you for this. I wanted to be a DP 10 years ago and fell off while trying to climb the ladder. This vid helped reignite my love for setting up a shot 🙏🏼

[@judahgamermedia]

Totally want an c70!! great video as always guys!!

[@LonelyWatchtower]

Can’t wait to watch this tonight 👏🏽

[@realjackeal]

This is an amazing video. Thank you for showing the before, during, and after. Will see about applying the lighting tips to my videos!

[@VincentPowell]

This takes me back to the Revision3 days. Love this kind of content.

[@pdv]

Killin' it as always! Thanks guys!

[@katekiddo1714]

Phenomenal, as always, guys. Thank you!

[@Dilandau88]

Great vid! Love my C70!

[@pho977]

Pure talent.

[@pixl8]

Very good timing for me as I'm studying this stuff hard right now. Thank you very much lah.

[@NiiAyi]

I love this. Great to know how to explore and manipulate light to achieve a desire look. 👏👏👏

[@MACODJ]

Fantastic light and black contrast Is top

[@nikolasmokalis3425]

Step 1: get a $5K+ Camera Step 2: get a $4K lens. Obviously there’s actual good filmmaking tips here and canon’s a sponsor but out the gate that’s just very funny to me

[@johnplaysgames3120]

Yeah, this video def isn't for hobbyists or filmmakers below a certain budget level. I get a lot of great tips and ideas from this channel for little projects I'm goofing around with but, when it comes to videos like this one, all I can really do with it is watch and say, "Yeah, that would be cool to use. Oh well." Some good lighting tips here, though, as long as you adapt them to whatever camera and equipment you're actually using. I mean, these guys would probably still call anything I shot "vomit inducing" but, fortunately, I'm not working at a level where it matters.

[@GaryNunn]

Masterful as usual

[@meirchaimo6960]

Really love this episode!

[@jay_mw]

My job got me a c70 to use about 8 months ago and I love that thing. I prefer it over cameras like the Red because it's better suited for run-and-gun shooting which I do about 90% of the time. Plus it still gives great results when doing more scripted shoots.

[@levitaylor883]

Gorgeous!

[@ed_ro_k]

"The almighty haze to bless us" 😂 loved the episode...

[@mindshiftmediaco]

As always.. thanks for the awesome content!

[@chosenonemedia8337]

This is brilliant! Thanks!

[@MrWitnessProductions]

Wow so freaking beautiful!!!

[@franxrothschild]

I thought it just take a certain amount of talent but, I see now, its all about money. Thanks!!

[@elysiumcore]

Masters of light.. wow

[@LunarlightCinema]

Super helpful stuff. Great episode, guys!

[@irvanwiranata6972]

Many thanks!

[@user-rh8wj4os3x]

You have no freaking idea how useful this video is for beginners like goddam

[@retro9173]

The cinematic quality is so "David Fincher-isque" like I was watching se7en all over! So dope!

[@Benjamin.Greenwood]

If only I had the money for lights. Amazing work!!!

[@SonwayReviews]

This couldn't have came at a better time. ill be using these methods thanks!

[@wabi777]

Loved this tutorial!!

[@Unders]

Information in the video is fantastic. Thank you.

[@RotterStudios]

This is great! Amazing filming during the day for night look.

[@user-ll9ln1uu4b]

Brilliant!

[@davidrehnstrom8930]

OMG I love you guys. So much value!!!!

[@luisapaixao]

Love it!!

[@CodenameStudios]

Haze is great, just need to break it up some more with the flashlight. I can see "cloudy" movement in the light beam. Just fan it with a "fish net" fan to break up the haze and it would look better and make a clean beam. Hazing to me is the piece that pulls it together.

[@vicky2603]

Well done guys..... 👏👏👏

[@upcomingvillain]

Amazing as always!!! Love watching pros shape light! Any plans for a next epic short film from you?

[@AmebaFilms]

Awsome work, great attention to detail 👏

[@starttofinishmediaco.2520]

Great breakdown/info1!

[@MACODJ]

Cool vintage background lights

[@stevengibbs8651]

Outstanding episode 💯

[@ortebalm09]

The hallway set up was amazing.

[@Cinematographer_brenton]

I love the DGO sensor on the c70, my c300mkiii has the same sensor and its such a killer image, so clean, and great high frame rates :)

[@balugabalugaan4822]

wow. that haze thing. i told that about my friend a long time ago. i said the contrast diffuse will come from smoke machine scattered at the background. didnt know that it was an actual method. it just feels good that i did something right.

[@noisieboi]

I love this video I had no idea video production was this deep. Great Great video

[@andilematomela2043]

love how this became an ad for the C70

[@Pro4Sound]

I actually clicked on this thinking it was some kind of 'filter' in post that you were going to show us. BUT.. its lighting!! plain ole lighting!

[@nickqtv]

This was a really great video. Thank you so much!

[@lykos_productions]

Ughhhh that Fincer look tho 😍

[@donwhitetv9742]

Nice feel and good looks

[@janellepatillo8731]

This video is so helpful. Especially since I have a C70. I feel like it was made for me lol. Thanks!

[@Tydyed]

C70 has been my absolute workhorse since it came out. It has everything you could want in a cinema camera and actively makes getting good shots easy

[@filmriot]

Yeah man, it's solid.

[@leomoreno143]

@@filmriot what lens was that fisheye shot ?

[@SoundItOutFilms]

Day for night w/flashlight looked siiiiiiiiick

[@StrongPictures]

Thanks for this episode. 🙌🏾

[@AtulSingh-xj6py]

Great...that haze blessing is best part😄

[@MilkMyth]

Going to try and use all this to try and make my Blender 3D renders better.