DIY Lighting: Product Reveal in Dark Studio

Published on April 21, 2017

Cinematography & Filmmaking

Cinematography, DIY, Lighting

Lighting your scene is one of the most important aspects in film making! Without good lighting, your scene and footage won’t have the extra depth and meaning to  amaze people. So choosing your light and the setup of your light can be a hard thing to do, but you don’t always have to have professional gear. With some creativity and handiness you can make your own DIY lightkit that can light up your videos!

In a previous tutorial we told you about the cheapest light for video, now in this tutorial we are using everyday household tools to create an epic product promo teaser. We used simple flashlights in a dark room to create this effect in the video. But flashlight can be handy for more then this, it is perfectly possible to use these flashlight in a three point lighting or just as a backlight. Just keep in mind that they aren’t that strong and probably won’t work during mid-day.

Then there are different creative tools to make your flashlight/lights more versatile. You can for example use a magnifying glass to make your light beam more narrow, thus creating a spot. Another cheap way to create a diffuse spot is making a paper cone, like we did in the video. This will create a similar spotlight effect, but will also diffuse the light slightly making it less hard. If you want different color warmth’s with your light bulbs or flashlights, use heat resistant spray paint. This paint can act as a color filter, just chance your light bulb and give your scene the wanted mood.

You probably know the typical China lantern lights you often see at party and such. Well these can be perfect for a cheap and mobile diffuse light. Just attach your light bulb and lantern to a pole and use this as a boom. A shower curtain or just regular paper can also make for a great diffuse filter, just make sure it’s blank and white and it will work perfectly.

People often forget that using the practical lights, that already are present in the scene, can also help creating a feeling and lighting out your image. Search for a perfect spot where your can use a window or even a desk light as a background light, this light will give your image something extra. Cinematography Database did a excellent and extended workshop about this if you want to learn more about the use of practical lights.

Premium Beat

This video was supported by Premium Beat, a curated royalty free music website that provides exclusive, high-quality tracks and sound effects. Which can used in new and traditional media projects, including videos, films, apps, games, and television programming.