Lighting an interviewee

starter

What should be the most well lit part of our frame in an

interview?

Why do we want the person to be more well lit than the

background?

What’s wrong with the lighting setup of this

interview?

What side of her face is the best lit?

We call this light the key light

It is the brightest light, and should be on 1 side of their face. They should stand out from the BG

KEY LIGH

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But we don’t want low key lighting for our interviews

Why not?

We use a second light called a fill light

This stops our lighting being too high contrast / low key (deep shadow versus light). It should be dimmer than the key light

We can also use a third light called a backlight or kicker

This is shone on the back of the interviewee, so a bright band of light separates neck and shoulders from the background

We call this 3 point lighting

It is the standard lighting setup for lighting an interviewee or character.

Today you will be applying this knowledge to light and record an interview.

Lighting do’s• Treat the lamps carefully• Carry them carefully• Be mindful that they are dangerous• Only touch them when they’ve been off for at

least five minutes• Leave them on unattended • Put the lamp head on carpet if they’ve been on

Lighting don’ts• Touch the head of the

lamp if its been on• Move a light while its on• Drag a light• Drop a light• Leave them on

unattended • Put the lamp head on

carpet if they’ve been on

Lighting don’ts• Film facing a window (shoot away from it or put

the blinds down)