Simple lighting set-ups for video

Indoor three-point lighting

A simple three-point lighting set-up is the starting point for a good interior shoot. As the name suggests, you light your subject from three different sources, in different positions, which all add up to a great, professional-looking scene. Using soft boxes with your lights will soften harsh shadows and you can experiment with different heights to get the effect you want from each light. If your lights have variable temperature control, make sure you set them all the same. Around 5600k is a good setting for daylight effects, whereas 3200k can give you more warmth without being too orange. Remember also to set your camera’s White Balance to match your lighting – it can be tricky to sort out mismatched White Balance in post-production.

The three lights are:

Key light

This is the main light directed at your subject and is usually the strongest light source. It’s often placed at a 45° angle from the camera, creating shadows and depth. As the name implies, this light is the ‘key’ to your set-up, so decide on its placement first.

Fill light

This fills in the shadows cast by the key light. It’s usually placed on the other side of the camera from the key light and is lower in intensity. Having a dedicated fill light gives you more control, but you can create fill by bouncing light from the key using a reflector, too.

Backlight

Sometimes called a hair light, this creates a ring of light around the subject that helps separate them from the background. To ensure the light itself stays out of shot, it’s usually placed below or above the subject, opposite the fill light, and is often pointed at the back of the neck.

Going outdoors

In an indoor situation, and especially in a studio or a room with blackout blinds, you can control all the light sources. Outside, however, there is a large light source in the sky – the sun! You can use just sunlight for key, fill or backlighting, depending on where you place your subject in relation to it. And sunlight is free!

If you are using the sun as a key light on a portrait, timing is crucial. Try to avoid the middle of a cloudless day when the sun is highest in the sky, as this can cast very harsh shadows and give your subject ‘panda eyes’. Instead, if you can, try to capture either side of the strongest sun – before 11am and after 4pm, for the best results.

As with a key light indoors, don’t have your subject’s face directly opposite the sun – angle them slightly so that the light creates definition and shadows. You can also soften the sun’s light and reduce harsh shadows using a large piece of diffuser fabric between the sun and the subject.

To also use the sun as a fill light, simply place a reflector on the shadow side of the subject’s face. This will bounce sunlight on to the subject and soften the shadows. Or you can use the sun as a backlight and then use reflectors to create key and/or fill.

Added extras

Either inside or outside, you can also include light sources in the frame, such as car headlights, lamps, torches or even computer screens. Called ‘practical lights’, these are props that are part of your story as well as a light source and can be really effective.

Get started

Getting to know lighting is a major step in improving your video footage and taking it to the next level. For more on the subject our Beginner’s guide to light is useful for both stills and video or, to dive even deeper, our How to photograph with indoor light (plus reflectors, speedlights and softboxes) explores what is required for a more extensive lighting set-up. But as always, the best way to improve is to just get out there and do it, so grab your camera, some lights and start filming!