How to Get the Perfect Lighting for Your Video Project – 2023 Guide

Creating a good setup for your video project is a must, and the type of lighting you choose will make a lot of difference in the final product. This process can be scary and intimidating both for people who are doing this for fun, and those who are part of the main industry. If you don’t have proper light, then your clip may end up being too dark, too light, or just lose focus.

The LED video light is there to help you tell the story, and it can either make your project far better than you ever thought was possible, or it can also ruin your idea. Because of that, you need to be aware of your options, you need to know how to create the proper setup, and how to ultimately, choose the best products that can help you with this task.

If you are interested in creating an amazing clip, no matter if you need it for your job or if you plan on making a personal portfolio, you’ve come to the right place. Keep on reading if you want to find out how to get the perfect lighting for your video project.

Utilize daylight

The first thing you need to know is that some of the best clips have been filmed using nothing but the sunlight. In most cases, when you choose to film during the day, you won’t need artificial lights to show off your vision. This is often the best lighting for video and some people don’t use it a lot.

The only thing you need to pay attention to is the proper time of day, along with the season when you are shooting. Make sure the sun does not go directly into the camera and test different angles out until you find the best one.

The windows are your friends

When shooting indoors, you can do it all by using the sunlight again. Windows are said to be your best friend when it comes to indoor shots, and you can play around with the angels to get the best out of the clip.

Experts say that you should ideally place the camera right in front of a window so that you will be facing both the camera and the unit. This way you will get a balanced clip that you can easily edit if needed.

Choose the right lamps

Now let’s talk about all those cases when you cannot use the natural light, the sun, or when you cannot film in front of a window. There are some moments when we need to have absolute control over the video lighting, and this cannot happen when you are choosing to go with the sun or the daylight.

On websites like colborlight.com, you can see that there are a lot of different types of products that can help you get the best video lighting and have full control over what is happening, how the shots are captured, and even where the shade is falling.

Depending on your idea and your project, you can opt for something smaller and simpler for use, or you can go with professional equipment that will capture the cinematic artistry and techniques. Test different things out, see how you can benefit from them, and know that opting for the right lamps will make the biggest difference.

Shade can be good as well

One thing that we tend to forget is the fact that shades are as important as the light for video recording itself. You should not always force your videos to be in direct sunlight or right in front of the window or the lamp. The shade can be your friend, especially when filming things outside.

It is said that if you want to create a better focus and balance, you should check to see how working in the shade would feel. This will still allow you to get the proper lighting and the one you need, but the focus won’t be on too bright things. This can help you create dimension and depth in your clip, and you can use the contrast between the light and dark to portray your point of view.

Don’t combine contrasting types of light for video recording

If you want to know how to get the perfect lighting for your project, you should also be aware of the things that you should be avoiding. Many people try to get a better effect by combining the lamps with the sunlight that is coming from the window, and this can be one of the biggest mistakes you ever make.

More often than not, the artificial lamp will provide you warmer tones of light, whereas the window will provide cooler ones. Either one of those is great, but not when put together. It will be difficult for your camera to adapt to it, and you may end up with a clip that is not balanced, too dark, or too light.

Do you really need a backlight?

One of the biggest mistakes people make when creating a simple project is trying to copy and replicate movies and cinematic projects. Chances are, you don’t need to be that dramatic, and you won’t need to utilize any backlight.

Think about what message you want to send with your clip, and if you really need this type of filming technique. More often than not, the answer is no, so you should not use a backlight unless you really need it. You are going to benefit much more from a front or a side light for video recording that can be done either artificially or naturally.

These are some of the things that you should know about getting the perfect lighting for your video project. The most important thing you can do for yourself is to stay patient and test different things out. You need to learn what works best for you, and you also need to invest in good pieces of equipment. You can do all of it no matter what your budget is, and you can go with both simple and basic lamps, or with professional equipment.

These things are applicable for beginners and for people who have been doing this for a long time, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t think you have enough experience. Try to diffuse any harsh light, make sure there is no glare, and know that white balance, along with minding the temperatures will make a huge difference in your project. Check out different tutorials and talk to the experts if you want to get the best products or if you want to learn some additional tricks.