… for Random Weirdness

Tip #1121: 5 Hacks for Film & Video Lighting

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

In an ideal world, we’d have time and money. In the real-world, we have these hacks.

This article first appeared in MotionArray.com. This is a summary.

Shooting a film or video without thinking about lighting is a recipe for disaster. Cameras don’t pick up light the same way our eyes do, so even if a scene looks to have plenty of light, the camera may not see it that way. Luckily, there are some hacks that can help you get a better shot on a budget or in a pinch. Here are 5 lighting hacks for film and video that you can try when you need a few tricks to get the job done.

• Start With Bulbs. When shooting indoors, one of the very simplest things you can do to help your video lighting is to change the lightbulbs around you. Maybe you are shooting in a house with standard incandescent bulbs. A normal 60-watt incandescent puts out about 800 lumens of light. On the other hand, a compact fluorescent bulb in the 32-35 watt range will put out 2600 lumens, more than 3 times the amount of light. You can also get 2600 lumens out of a 25-28 watt LED light bulb. So, by simply grabbing some higher light-emitting bulbs, you can immediately make a positive impact on lighting for your film or video.
• Bulking Up. For a very little extra cost, you can pick up a socket adaptor that will turn one regular light socket into 4. Remember that these bulb tips will not give you specific pointed light, but will enhance the overall ambient light on set. And that is the basis for a good lighting setup in most cases.
• Reflectors. So, you have plenty of light now, but you don’t have it going in the direction you want. In a typical studio setting, you might break out a set of reflectors. Essentially any large solid surface in black or white will give you some level of reflection or shadow, but foam core board is a great solution. It’s fairly sturdy with a large surface area. It generally comes in black and white, with the white having a somewhat shiny white surface, and it’s cheap and easy to find.
• Cheap Lamps. Getting ambient light from brighter bulbs is great, but sometimes you really need more strong directed light. After all, this is what a light kit is for. Setting up things like key, fill, and backlights won’t work with an overhead socket and bulb. But if you don’t have access or money for a lighting kit, there are lots of helpful options at the hardware store. For starters, these little clamp lamps can be very handy.
• Diffusers. Of course, your fancy light kit will have various types of diffusers and maybe gels to work with. But we don’t have time for that. We are light-hackers. Guess what else makes a great diffuser? A bed sheet. A bed sheet will produce a similar effect to a softbox diffuser, and you probably have plenty of them laying around.

In a perfect world. we’d always have the extra lighting setup that we wanted, and all of the time and budget to make everything look perfect. But in the real world, with tight budgets, lack of access, and limited time, we have to make do with what we can get. And the reality is, there are a lot of good and cheap substitutes that will bring your lighting to a much higher level.

EXTRA CREDIT

The article, linked above, has more tips and video illustrating these concepts.

… for Random Weirdness

Tip #1101: Breaking into Documentaries at 40

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

You don’t need to be young to be successful, but you do need a plan.

This article, written by Jia Wertz, first appeared in NoFilmSchool.com. This is a summary.

Filmmaking can be a tough industry to break into. And in Jia’s case, she thought it would be especially difficult in her 40’s. But just one year later, she has a documentary short screening at several film festivals and streaming on Amazon, a feature documentary that is in post- production, and a third in the planning stages.

Here are her key thoughts that she learned along the way.

• Learn Everything You Possibly Can. I invested in a 6-week documentary filmmaking workshop, made connections with students and faculty, and attended every extra-curricular activity the program offered including elective evening courses, masterclasses, and additional shoots, and took every opportunity to ask questions and learn as much as possible.
• Have a Rock-Solid Plan. Pick a subject or a topic you are very passionate about. Filming a documentary takes far too much time, money and resources for you to delve into something you won’t want to be working on for the next couple of years (or more).
• Make Connections. Connect with professors, faculty, other filmmakers, festival programmers, and anyone else you come across in the industry, even other participants on Zoom calls. Getting involved in the community is key to keeping the momentum going, and getting organic word-of-mouth marketing for your film.
• Be Smart About Your Film Festival Strategy. Treat it as a marketing campaign.
• Lean Into the Transferable Skills You Already Have. I had absolutely no filmmaking skills last year. But I did have marketing and PR skills, extensive photography experience, and decades of experience managing large numbers of people. These skills were 100% transferable to filmmaking. Take advantage of whichever skills you have that can apply to the industry. You would be surprised at how many business skills—and not just creative skills—are required.
• Market Yourself and Your Film. She provides a list of six techniques she’s found effective.
• Ask for Referrals and Recommendations. Of course, when asking for referrals or anything else, think about what you can offer as well. Make yourself a resource for the people you are reaching out to. This will go a long way in building a long-lasting connection.

EXTRA CREDIT

The article provides more details and links to learn more.