How to Cinematically Light a Corporate Video

(Cinematic Lighting Lesson 20)

Summary: While most filmmakers dream about how they’ll shoot their next feature film, the reality is that at some point you’ll be shooting a corporate video. You may even build a whole career off of it, since it is always in demand. In this video Ryan takes you behind the scenes and shows you his approach to cinematically lighting a corporate video.

Length: 6:15 minutes

Video Download not available for non-Pro Access Members
** You must be a Pro Access member for video downloads. **
For information about downloads: FAQ downloads


!! Want to see the whole video? Become a member !!

  • If you are already a member, you can log in below.

How To Cinematically Light A Corporate Video (Cinematic Lighting Lesson 20)
How To Light Quickly (Cinematic Lighting Lesson 19)
Lighting For Extreme Frame Rates (Cinematic Lighting Lesson 21)
12 Crucial Questions Before Lighting Your Set (Cinematic Lighting Lesson 15)
3 Strategies For Lighting Your Night Exteriors (Cinematic Lighting Lesson 14)
5 Essential Strategies To Lighting Day Exteriors (Cinematic Lighting Lesson 12)
10 Tips To Lighting Day Exteriors (Cinematic Lighting Lesson 13)
How To Light A Small Commercial (Cinematic Lighting Lesson 23)
Where To Begin Lighting Your Set (Cinematic Lighting Lesson 18)
11 replies
  1. Chris
    Chris says:

    Hello, I know this is about lighting, but I am curious about how are you handling audio? What are you recording to? What audio gear are you using?

    Thanks, Chris

    • Tim
      Tim says:

      For the on-camera bits, we use an Audio Technica AT835b shotgun mic that taps into a Wooden Camera A-Box adapter to switch from XLR to the 3.5mm input required by our Sony A7S. We record the audio and video from the Sony A7s to an Atomos Shogun recorder. While the shotgun isn’t the best mic for this situation, the sound quality from this mic is amazing.

      For the voice over bits, we have started using a Rode Podcaster for ease of use since we aren’t concurrently recording video so don’t need the camera or external recorder.

      • andbrehm
        andbrehm says:

        I was wondering the same. Could you tell more about your preferred bounce and diffusion material? Would be a great asset to know!
        Thanks very much for the thrilling content!
        Andreas

        • Tim
          Tim says:

          It’s hard to recommend any specific materials since it all depends on the application and the shoot. There are various diffusion filters that you can put in front of a light that will soften the light to different degrees. These come in different materials depending on how much you want to spread the light, if sound is an issue some are made of materials that don’t make as much sound in the wind, others are made of materials that are more resistant to heat in the case of using them close to very hot lights. Rosco has a great explainer on some of these filters.

          If you are looking at cloth diffusion — called a silk, rag, grid cloth, or scrim — again there are many options depending on the project. The material and weave of the silk varies depending on how much diffusion is needed. Matthews makes a lot of great silks (such as this 4’x4′ white 1/4 stop silk), but there are also other great brands out there too such as Westcott and Rosco.

          Finally, if cost is an issue, we have a bunch of suggestions for bounces and silks that we actually use since they are so effective. And all of them are under $10, so you don’t have to worry as much about them getting damaged or dirty.

    • Tim
      Tim says:

      What is meant is to place the camera in one corner of the room and film diagonally across to the other corner of the room. Because you are filming on the hypotenuse of the room, you gain a little bit of distance between the camera and the background.

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.