beta.flim.ai/?via=rob - Get 15% off your monthly or yearly Flim subscription here! COLOR GRADE - www.dehancer.com - get 10% off Dehancer using ROBELLIS at checkout www.patreon.com/robelliscinematography - support me on Patreon for early, extended, ad-free KZread videos + message board - including the entire Lighting with Colour mini course available to stream now! Butterfly, or Paramount Lighting, refers to the position of a light source placed in front and above of a character or subject, in such a position to cast a butterfly-shaped shadow under the nose. Used in the Golden Age of Hollywood for studio portraits and even favoured by certain actresses in movies themselves, the butterfly light slims the face and accentuates the jaw. Move the light a little higher and the face might appear too shadowy, with facial features obscured - move the light a little lower and the face might appear too flat. The butterfly light satisfies that middle ground between mood and visibility - and as a bonus, it's a top light - which means it can be used in many situations where we subconsciously expect there to be light coming from above the frame - even when we can't see it in the scene. This is just one aspect of what can contribute toward a cinematic feeling - check out the other episodes in the Lighting for Cinema A - Z series to learn more about what makes cinema feel a certain way: kzread.info/head/PL_dDUxn1Y2e1SJ_Q2H96godCiNSCFvIqI&si=drpJ9zgsYfRRyFOJ

That transition from old footage to modern style with that touch at the end with lamp at the back... Chef kiss!

Hands down best lighting videos

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Very happy you think so - thank you so much!! Hope you enjoyed this one! :)

daaamn that was refreshing to see you talking on a video haha

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Haha happy to hear it - attempting to speed up some of my workflow, so currently thinking of ways to creatively implement the narration in the video itself. So more to come!

@anoophothi

4 ай бұрын

@@RobEllisCinematographerBrilliant! You did it, haha🥳💪🏽💪🏽

BABE WAKE UP, NEW ROB VIDEO JUST DROP 😂

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Haha I would always appreciate that level of excitement for a new video! 🤣

Oh my God, one of the best cinematographers on KZread and it's not even close. That intro gave me chills man!

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Wow thank you Joshua, that means a lot! Massively appreciate it!! :)

0:35 that sound design!! brilliant!

That intro was so good. Loved where you transitioned from radio voice to you talking on camera. Very well done!

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

I appreciate it, thank you! I’m not an audio expert but it was a fun thing to mess around with!

Wow just wow!!! This is super amazing man!! Thanks for sharing with us!❤

I love your videos and how you focus on the importance on lights! Also that you always light a scene to mood, rather than many photographers who focus on trying to get the whites look as white as possible!

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Thank you so much Daniel! Super happy you’re enjoying my videos! :)

I went on a studio tour of Paramount Studios 2 months ago and was introduced to the amazing photographer George Hurrell. He popularized this technique back in older Hollywood times and his photography is absolutely amazing. I thought the very same thing when I was looking through his photo books on how to translate this to my own photography and videos. Amazing video!!!

@RobEllisCinematographer

3 ай бұрын

Very happy you enjoyed the video and glad I could further help your thought process on it! And very jealous of your Paramount Studios tour - I’d love to get over there one day and learn more about the history of everything, I’ve always had a fascination with Hollywood, warts and all!

The transition to modern at 0:37, wow!! Topnotch video as always!

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Thank you so much - I wasn't expecting it to look as smooth as it did, so I'm pretty happy with it! I appreciate it Reagan!

Hitchcock's "Rear Window" first came to mind when I saw this. Hard stage lighting like they used in the olden days is a lost art. There's a great article about the lighting for that film in American Cinematographer.

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Very happy it made you think of Rear Window! When we lit the old style shot, we both agreed it was more creatively satisfying to see played back than any "modern" shot we've set up recently - it's was like lighting for a film, rather than lighting for a recreation of reality in a film - if that makes sense. I enjoyed it massively! I'll have to hunt down the AC article!

Love your channel man🎥

This is incredible, thank you!!

@RobEllisCinematographer

3 ай бұрын

Happy you enjoyed it/found it useful - thank you so much! :)

KEEP EM COMING ROB!

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Will do! 😄

Amazing video! Thank you for the clear explanation!

@RobEllisCinematographer

3 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it - thank you! :)

What a wonderful video to teach. Thank you!

@RobEllisCinematographer

3 ай бұрын

I hope you found it useful in some way - thank you for your kind words! :)

Again awesome. Thank you for your work. ❤

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

And thank you for your kind words! Happy you're enjoying my videos! ❤️

Dear brother, there are many people from the CIS countries, including Russia and Kazakhstan, who are watching your content. It would be great if you could provide a course with private access via a KZread link, so that they could access it easily. In Russia, the browser has a built-in translation tool, which would make it easier for them to understand your content.

Great video! Thanks for sharing.

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Thanks John, happy you enjoyed this one! :)

YEAAH HE IS BACK 👌

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Woo! Hope you enjoyed this one! :)

This series just keeps getting Better and Better my Friend😎🤟

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Extremely happy to hear it - thank you so much! :) I hope you can continue to enjoy it!

Amazing video! Straight to the point and with a captivating start that had me hooked until the end!

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Very happy you enjoyed it - thank you so much! :)

Great piece of info. Thanks.

@RobEllisCinematographer

3 ай бұрын

Happy it was useful - thank you!!

Another great video, man!

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Thank you so much man! Glad you enjoyed this one! :)

I can always depend on Rob to give me a good grimace.

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Haha happy to provide it!

Nevermind the great lighting breakdowns, I just absolutely LOVE the vibe of these videos! 🤙

@RobEllisCinematographer

3 ай бұрын

Thank you so much Steve!!

Valuable Cinematography Learnings! Thank you Rob.

@RobEllisCinematographer

3 ай бұрын

Always appreciated - thank you! :)

Yo that intro was smooth af. Love your content

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Thank you so much!! I was actually worried the idea wouldn’t translate well to the screen but it worked out much smoother than I expected so I’m well happy with it haha!

As always another video of top quality, thanks Rob!

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed this one! Thank you so much! :)

@Vitaphone

4 ай бұрын

@@RobEllisCinematographer always happy to drive engagement for the algo, left you a more elaborate comment on patreon!

I friggin love this video! I like the change up of editing style. Also, gave me chills actually watching you speak!

@RobEllisCinematographer

3 ай бұрын

I appreciate it massively and I'm glad you're liking the presentation changes! The plan is do more than just those just little bits in future, so plenty more to come!

Thank you I’ve really learned a lot from your videos, this one is super cool🌞

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Happy to hear it and I hope you can continue to find my videos useful - thank you so much! 🌞

The new video style you were talking about is so great. The prompter is a game-changer! Amazing and incredibly helpful as always Rob!

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Thank you so much! It's going to evolve a little beyond this, so more to come! :D always happy to hear it, hope you continue to find the videos useful! :)

The best intro i've seen!!!

@RobEllisCinematographer

3 ай бұрын

Thank you so much, glad you enjoyed it!!

This is sooooo Scott!!!! ❤️

@RobEllisCinematographer

3 ай бұрын

You’re the Scottest!!! ❤️

Top tier lesson. Thank you. Subbed.

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Super happy you enjoyed it/found it useful - thank you so much for your support!

Missed your videos Rob, thanks for another great one!

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Always appreciated, thank you so much! Currently trying to figure out a way to speed the production of these videos up a little (without losing the important info) so hopefully you won't have to wait so long next time!

@gee9656

4 ай бұрын

No pressure! It's always a good day when a Rob Ellis video drops.@@RobEllisCinematographer

The best videos about lighting on KZread

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Too kind - thank you so much!

this is very helpful for my work, thank you!

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Amazing to hear that and glad I could help! :)

You are getting more interesting and creative!

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Thank you so much, happy to hear that - a few more changes to come! :)

This one was real good.

@RobEllisCinematographer

3 ай бұрын

Happy you enjoyed it - thank you! :)

I've been interested in finding situations where I can utilize older or non traditional lighting to light a scene, great job making a video on a technique most newer cinematographers aren't familiar with.

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Glad I could help - thank you! It's definitely super useful to know and understand these lighting patterns in a little more detail, so they can be utilised in a way to form a more cohesive feeling and/or narrative in an image - just going back over things like this has actually helped me understand a lot more too!

Very good video!

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Thanks Owen!!

I keep learning a lot from you! Thanks! Regards from Hungary!

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Very happy to hear that - I appreciate it massively! Greetings from the UK! :)

You’re goated bro lol. Love your videos

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Always appreciate it man, I’m happy you’re still enjoying them!

I've been checking up on the channel waiting for a new video to come out. Haven't clicked a video faster than this in a while

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Apologies for the wait and I hope you enjoyed this one!! :)

I've been watching Ron's videos so long that seeing him talk is jarring. 😂

@RobEllisCinematographer

3 ай бұрын

Haha it was jarring for me to watch back! 🤣

When I first saw a video from you channel I thought the guy in the video was an actor helping you for the video making, then I found out that it was you behind all! Nice! By that I can say you establish more the connection with your audience! Keep it up and keep inspiring us all! Thank you!!!!

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Haha yes it's me! I was a bit worried about ruining the mystery, since I've been doing these videos for nearly 4 years now, but it's probably about time I changed it up, especially since I'm trying to streamline the editing process. So I'm happy it's being received well, thank you so much!

The boys are back❤️

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

They certainly are! ❤️ Hope you enjoyed this one! :)

@The_Daliban

4 ай бұрын

@@RobEllisCinematographer definitely! The transition from black and white to color with the room changing in mood was genius. Time travel transition,love it. Amazing video!👍🏻

1:21 Much better audio! Glad you got that fixed

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Excellent, happy to hear it (literally) - I had a little mess around and utilised some of your advice, thank you so much for that! Just need to update the Patreon version!

The intro was CRAZY

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Thank you so much! It turned out a lot smoother than I thought it would haha!

Let’s go!!!

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Wooo! Thanks Sean!

I don't know much about lighting, but I love to learn about movie craft. Great source and great explanation.

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Always super happy to hear someone has enjoyed a video of mine regardless of previous lighting experience - it’s a huge compliment, thank you so much!

View to like ratio is out of this world👊

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

I don't know what a good ratio is haha! But I'll take your word for it! Thank you so much!

First comment! Always look forward to a new video from Rob!

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Thank you Matt, hope you enjoyed this one! :)

you are the goat

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Appreciate it - hope you're enjoying/find the videos useful!

Nice!

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Thank you!

Freaking loved it! Butterfly lighting will be something I will look into for pencil and ink rendered art work especially to capture that "moody but not too moody" look as you said. I greatly appreciate how you and your henchman showed us the process and different lights and placement of them to get the final look. Been waiting for this new video with high anticipation. Seeing you actually speak gave me a bit of weird closure kinda like putting a face to the name of someone you only heard. Well done Rob. Are you actually drinking whiskey in this video?

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Very happy someone who isn’t necessarily a cinematographer/photographer is finding a video of mine helpful, that’s awesome! And I’m glad the speaking wasn’t too much of a shock haha! It’s just tea, which is apparently what is generally used in film - we forgot the ice cubes though, so it didn’t taste great at room temperature haha!

Your videos are honestly so informative 👏 I was wondering if you could... if you haven't already, do a Dehancer colour grading tutorial in DaVinci?

Great video! Not saying this to be a smart-arse but in the spirit of telling a mate they have food in their beard! Dietrich is pronounced more like “Dee-trick”

@RobEllisCinematographer

3 ай бұрын

Haha no not at all - I tried to find the pronunciation to ensure accuracy and went with the first one I found, which wasn’t a very accurate thing to do at all 🤣 I appreciate it, thank you for letting me know!

It was pretty shocking seeing you talking directly, haha. You've became this mysterious figure over time. Impressive lighting technique explained perfectly by the master of light. 👏😉

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Haha I was just replying to another comment, mentioning I was a bit worried about ruining the mystery, but this will ultimately make things smoother for me in the edit - the bonus being that I can get a bit more creative with it this way! Thanks Bo, I always appreciate your kind words!

@Bo_Hazem

4 ай бұрын

@@RobEllisCinematographer We eat whatever you throw at us and it always tastes good! I'm at Muscat International Film Festival this week competing with short documentary films, wish me luck😆

@RobEllisCinematographer

3 ай бұрын

⁠@@Bo_Hazemthat’s awesome, good luck my friend!! I hope it goes well!

@Bo_Hazem

3 ай бұрын

@@RobEllisCinematographer Thanks! I bottled it.🤣 But was my first attempt ever and being nominated is good and got to know plenty of great people.😁

I'm always waiting for your new videos like a fix :D

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Haha I’m happy you’re enjoying them so much - thank you so much! :)

No one: Rob Ellis: 🤫🧏‍♂️

@RobEllisCinematographer

3 ай бұрын

🤣😁

Thanks for this video! Ever since BSC Expo with the "evolution of lighting" panel I've been wondering whether the old styles of lighting designed for 32 ASA cameras still have a place being replicated and built off of for the modern day.

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Very glad I could provide something you were looking for and I’m happy you enjoyed it! It sounds like that panel was an interesting one!

you are best

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Thank you so much!

dang the first time i've seen you talk!

@RobEllisCinematographer

3 ай бұрын

More of that coming - I can get a bit more creative with the videos and it makes the edit way more efficient!

@micahsmithmedia

3 ай бұрын

love it@@RobEllisCinematographer

top notch as always! could you add what softbox and arm you used in 5:20?

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

I say boom, but it was actually just a light stand raised up a bit - it was a little awkward, wouldn’t recommend, hence referring to it as a boom 🤣 the softbox is the Nanlite FMM 60 lantern softbox, with a Forza 60C inside (with NPF battery attachment)!

Love your work and your breakdowns Rob! I was wondering if you could describe the boomed lantern rig for the external street scene? What light, boom pole, power solution are you using? I’ve been wanting to build one of these for a while and that yours looked great!

@RobEllisCinematographer

3 ай бұрын

Thank you so much, happy you're enjoying them! That was a Nanlite Forza 60C with NPF battery grip, in a Nanlite FMM 60 lantern softbox - however, the "boom" was actually just a light stand, which was a little awkward to hold - so I can't recommend that method haha. I would recommend a more specialised boom that can take the (lighter) weight of that setup!

Curious to how you are able to achieve the subtle shake of the video with the b&w film look. Something I have been unsuccessful in. Also fantastic video thank you for making this.

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

All the film emulation is in Dehancer - they have a gate weave option to emulate the subtle movement of the film as it passes through camera/projector!

Amazing work as always. Any tips for the what color grading you did to get the old timey black and white image?

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Thanks Chris! That's Dehancer emulating Kodak Eastman Double X - with grain and bloom :) edit: also gate weave, film breath an a couple of scratches!!

@chrisbutler8856

3 ай бұрын

Awesome thanks!@@RobEllisCinematographer

Best KZread cinematographer out there. Good stuff man. Quick question: what WB do you use when using those 3200K lights? 7:27

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Thank you so much!! I believe the camera was around 4000K for a little warmth, but I also introduced some cooler tones into the shadows!

The walking down the street shot looked really nice did you use your color meter to dial in the 60c?

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

That was just by eye - tweaked the colour temperature until it looked somewhat blended with the environment. You can see how green the actual street lights looked in comparison on his hair!

It makes me wonder... I wonder how much of the old school look is essentially a product of recreating the look of giant flashbulbs mounted above an old press photo camera.

@RobEllisCinematographer

3 ай бұрын

I guess that was probably a logical thinking process when it came to lighting film in the early days!

i thought that was an actor you used in your videos, not you 🤯🤯

He has a face! Yay! 😁😉

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Haha you’ve been looking at it this whole time! 😀

@jamesburton1050

4 ай бұрын

@@RobEllisCinematographer I just didn't know. 😁🤷

People really need to learn about more cinematographers than just Roger Deakins. Everything looks the same nowadays

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

I think being inspired by a particular artist is a lot of people’s starting point in art, but eventually you develop your own look through a wide array of influences - it’s a natural progression that can exist throughout all creative practises!

Great work! At 7:28 when you mention the color temp for the lights being 3200k, what was the camera's white balance set to?

@RobEllisCinematographer

3 ай бұрын

Thank you so much! It was around 4000k to keep things a touch warmer, but I added a further touch of warmth to the mids and a bit of cool to the shadows in post!

Any thoughts on newwer 660 rgb led pannels i thought of buying the gemini pannel but that was way out of budget

what brand is your boom arm that is used?

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

It's from Essential Photo in the UK, a Pixapro - www.essentialphoto.co.uk/products/pixapro-super-heavy-duty-120-220cm-stainless-steel-boom-arm-with-sand-bag - I'm not sure if they have an equivalent brand overseas though!

Do you have more material,either old old book of OLD FILMMAKING TECHNIQUE ?

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Unfortunately nothing I can recommend, but I'm sure there are lots of them!

@mrstanislavski100

4 ай бұрын

@@RobEllisCinematographer I will reach then, thanks for answering. And thanks for all your good content. Greetings from Mexico City. Saludos

I did not expect your voice to sound like that. I thought you would sound more like a cowboy!

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Haha I hope it wasn’t too disappointing, I’d much rather sound like a cowboy!

was never sure if he used another model or himself lol

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

I’ve ruined the mystery haha!

How did you get that film like contrasty black and white look? Lighting or filters? Most B & W movies now are more greyish

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

The lighting helps toward it as described in the video, but the colour grade was done in Dehancer - it’s an emulation of Kodak Eastman Double X film, with film grain and bloom added, along with gate weave (the emulation of the movement of the film as it passes through the camera/projector) and film breath (exposure and contrast changes between frames of film)

What temperture was the camera on? Thanks

@RobEllisCinematographer

3 ай бұрын

It was around 4000k to keep things a touch warmer, but I added a further touch of warmth to the mids and a bit of cool to the shadows in post

@v-jakemultimedia577

3 ай бұрын

@@RobEllisCinematographer Thanks man. Love your video's! Keep up the good work!

bro mogged us

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

What does this mean?! 🤣

But how did you get the effect at 0:52 where the light turns on and your face is lit with a completely dark background?????????????

@RobEllisCinematographer

Ай бұрын

Black background, grid on softbox :) that was also with a Pavoslim 120C from above!

❤❤❤❤🙏🏻👍

My girlfriend was helping me set up lighting for a scene and I asked her to set up a hair light for me like in the Rob Ellis video. She said, "Who?". I broke up with her.

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Hahaha I wish I could give awards to the funniest comments! 🤣🤣

They also had hairlight, as you can see very visibly @2:49.

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Indeed, but I've already made a video on hair light in this series haha - so the focus is on butterfly/paramount!

@GregorPQ

4 ай бұрын

@@RobEllisCinematographer Ah! Hollywood had both;)

I would like to see more stylized lighting in movies. Going for realism is so boring.

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Trends tend to shift over time so maybe stylized will become the norm at some point in the future!

Wow I didn't think that was your voice, now it seems obvious

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

It is indeed! A little more well spoken than my off camera voice though haha

"Telling a story with contemporary themes requires contemporary lighting." I couldn't disagree more with this sentiment.

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

Maybe “benefits from” would have been a better term than “requires” - but let’s talk about it, I’m curious to know your thoughts!

@CharmingNewSociety

4 ай бұрын

@@RobEllisCinematographer That's fair. And I just feel like too many people take these kind of notions as "rules" when they hear them. Also I think filmmaking, and media in general, is becoming too intertextual as a whole. This idea that certain types of films or films of certain themes have to have certain types of looks to signify what kind of film they are (ie. they need to look like similar films).

@RobEllisCinematographer

4 ай бұрын

@@CharmingNewSociety Absolutely, and I don't take the fact that I'm an "influencer" lightly (I also hate that term because of the negative connotations attached haha) I'm very aware of bigger channels than mine doling out incorrect information/rules as fact - and I always strive to research, test and be able to back things up, so that I can try as best as I can to not be a part of the spreading of misinformation - or just as importantly, and probably more relevant to this conversation, the hampering of creativity and the freedom of art and expression. It's all a balance between rules and intent and creative expression, and that can be difficult to convey in a relatively straight forward 8 minute tutorial! But I think we're on the same page in regards to the visual language of a film and that it can be so much more than just a derivative look signifying a theme - but understanding the base reasoning as to why a look might subconsciously emphasise certain feelings and to build on it from there with your own creative reasoning, is kind of what I try to explain in these videos. Sorry for the long essay to explain that yes, I agree with you! Haha!

c'mon man it's pronounced Marlene Dee-trich.

This is what I looking for 😇the best lighting channel 🫶🏻