See part II of my Interview Lighting series over at kzread.info/dash/bejne/dYugmJNmfam_erQ.html

@risingempireentertainment

2 жыл бұрын

Is 30 fps better than 24 for interviews?

@curtisjudd

2 жыл бұрын

@@risingempireentertainment There's a place for each. I wouldn't say that one is better than the other. It just depends on where your video will be seen and what kind of look you want.

God bless your wife for being such a good sport! I saw your daughter keeping tabs on all the gear in the background. Now we really know who runs the show at the Judd studio... 😎

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Know you know! 😉

If you can't avoid window reflections, just make sure your onscreen talent won't cross in front of the reflections in question then get a plate with the key light or whatever is causing the reflection turned off. Then overlay that plate in post to hide the equipment. It's quick and works so well and gives you more options when onsite. That's my 10+ years of corporate video shooting secret sauce right there.

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Good idea - thanks Ryan.

It's always fun to watch a video about interview lighting.

@curtisjudd

2 жыл бұрын

👍

Another well done video sir! I enjoy the behind the scenes shots. My wife saw Danni’s expression and knew exactly how she felt :)

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

hahahaha! 😀 Thanks Audio Buff!

Curtis - one of the first things you mention is placing the fill-light. I don't how many times I see demos doing just what you tell people not to do. Thanks for starting there. I used to teach photography at the Rochester Institute of Photography in Rochester, New York. Teaching the proper use of a fill-light was definitely part of the lighting course - the idea is to keep the fill-light as close to the point of view of the camera, adjusted in such a way to create the desired amount of fill, without introducing those awful two light 45° setups into the solution.

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Keith! I wonder why so many suggest the 45 degree fill. Thanks for confirming I'm not crazy!

@tom_k_d

3 жыл бұрын

@@curtisjudd Not crazy at all, thanks for explicitely mentioning this point, I struggled with the fill light for a long time, too - I finally resolved my fill light issues as you described: bouncing it instead of direct, and more on-axis - but it took me a long time to get there through experiments 😅...

Great video as always. Yours is the first one I've heard talk about the proper way to do a fill light. I didn't know that until now, so thank you.

@curtisjudd

Ай бұрын

👍

Saving this video for a step by step approach. Thanks Curtis!

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

👍

Thank You Curtis (and Family) for consistently producing really useful, straightforward content. It's always a pleasure to hear your thoughts and see your work!

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks David! I appreciate the feedback.

Amazing. I love Curtis videos. He explains everything so well, for novice and experienced. Amazing tutorial. Thanks!

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Chicken Productions!

I would love more of these kinds of videos! I find them extremely educational and inspirational.

@curtisjudd

2 жыл бұрын

👍

Your channel is priceless. Also your F6 course is great as well. Thank you!

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Adalberto!

Thanks so much for this! I've been waiting for just this video. I'm tasked with a lot of run/gun stuff for our church, and the scenarios are almost exactly what I run into. I've never used flags, and I didn't realize you could get the color effects from using white balance the way you did. This video is so appreciated!

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Glenn and happy lighting!

Great episode Curtis! Thanks for your insight into some corporate video techniques

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Brydon!

I really appreciate this video! It reinforces what I’m doing already AND also addresses my struggle with the full light! I normally have a fill light in a soft box pointed AT the talent. I never considered bouncing the fill at a further distance (closer to camera). It makes sense with the intention to have the largest and softest cast of light rather than spotlighting the talent, even with a large softbox. Love it, and the audio!

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Laurence!

Nice one Curtis. Though some of us ‘filmmakers’ assume we know this stuff, you’ve made me aware of mistakes I’m making. Key Lighting on the far side of the face is so important.

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Hugh!

Mate your channel is a gem!!!!!!

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Francisco!

best youtube creator hands down. thank you very much

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Jonathan!

@EzzenzDK

3 жыл бұрын

@@curtisjudd Agree - very good and professional!!

Thanks for another great video, Curtis!

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you Marcello!

Appreciate you sharing about the fill light. Been going back and forth in how to use it and you described the dilemma perfectly.

@JimineyBob

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah I agree, having those cross shadows is brutal!

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

👍

Thank you so much for this episode. This is so helpful

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

👍 Thanks Ross!

Great tip on placement of the fill light! I was just doing that for my latest video and ended up, by trial and error, following your advice before I even heard it. Fantastic video, Curtis. I'm looking forward to your appearance on Kevin's show.

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Sunrise Water Media! Looking forward to seeing you there at Kevin's livestream.

Lovly explained key light fill light and back drop light..amazing..and beautiful frame as well..

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Shailesh!

very well and nice video mr Curtis! very informative!

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Naturecall Akbar.

Thank you for this tutorial!

@curtisjudd

2 жыл бұрын

You’re welcome, Pavel.

Awesome video. Thanks!

@curtisjudd

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Aaron.

I always drop a like before watching, who else guys?

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for coming by, Sherif!

Great stuff in here.

@curtisjudd

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks 👍

Great tutorial, thanks!

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Jordan!

Wow! Thank you for giving us these VERY valuable tips on the "bread and butter" techniques of lighting (perhaps the most important part of video production, etc.!) There are so many points you made that I've come across too, and treat these situations in a similar way: 1. 😆I agree that "fill" can be dangerous (as it can ruin the natural look with too much light, double shadows...or worse, NO SHADOWS). I usually recommend NO fill (or a reflector if they must)! 2. I love the comment about not using a boom. I never do, and use a small tripod (as a low light stand) for the second light. I call the second light a "T" light, as I place it in a "T" configuration (perpendicular to the main light) per the video about that on my channel, etc. P.S. I LOVE those low light stands you are using for the background light (got mine from Photoflex a good many years ago) and wondered if you would want to do an affiliate link for the one you have, etc?

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks SilverLight! Appreciate the feedback and for sharing your experience.

@silverlightphotoco

3 жыл бұрын

@@curtisjudd We are all very, VERY thankful for all of the time and effort you've put into helping all of us, and I know it will all come back to you!

Very helpful, thank you

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks mercurius6699.

Great video thank you

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Stephen

Really great

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

👍

I’m using LumeCube LEDs, and will definitely try the mixed kelvin trick for background!

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Excellent - I hope it works well for you!

Reading your disclaimer is what I have to do every day. I like to say that I have 15mins to make an interview look like 60 Minutes. When I walk into a room, I have to see the shot within a minute. I have also been using a tube for hairlight

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Good way to put it!

standard portrait lighting i was taught in my photography courses. i used to use a three to one light ratio.

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

👍

I had great success getting a nice blue-violet background when I did classic 3-point with tungsten (camera white balanced at 3k2) in a room with big windows on one side (not in the shot) during 'blue' evening hour: The outside spill served perfectly for the high-Kelvin wall lighting. Only downside: This situation is not stable, so it's only suitable for a very quick shooting.

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Great idea - thanks for sharing!

Thanks for the invaluable lighting tips Curtis. Would love to see your post workflow for these segments. ( What format you shoot in, your post FX, skin smoothing, Color balance, Luts?, if any, etc )

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Good idea! I covered my high level workflow here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/Z42LzcSiiLTUmJM.html But didn't cover all the details on post. Generally I just do a basic color grade from the ProRes log footage I record with a Blackmagic Pocket 6K at UDH resolution. No LUTs, just luma corrections and dial in saturation. No skin softening - I use a Schneider Radio Soft diffusion filter for most of the talking head shots.

thank you!

@curtisjudd

2 жыл бұрын

You're welcome!

Would love to hear more about using honeycomb grids and beauty dishes. Are you a fan of using them, or would you use something else to control the light?

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

I used a grid on the background light for my talking head portion - the purple splash of light on the concrete wall. Beauty dishes are something I don't typically use for interviews or talking head as there aren't a lot of options on the market for video lighting - they seem to be a lot more common for photography lights. But I wouldn't be opposed to using one if I had access to a Bowens mount beauty dish. They produce a look that isn't something I would use all the time, but they certainly have their place.

@flutechannel

3 жыл бұрын

@@curtisjudd Very cool! I ask because i'm getting a large beauty dish with a bowens mount for my 100d with a few different circular grids as I found a normal softbox didnt give me as much control and give loads of spill behind the subject. I hope the grids keep things tight and around my subject. Here's to experimenting! Thanks Curtis!

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

@@flutechannel Oh yes, grids definitely help prevent spill and a beauty dish does as well since it is normally position above and aimed down at a steep angle. 👍

thanks

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

👍

I would love my wife to operate my camcorder when I'm filming lol. She looks at my studio like an alien.

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

LOL! Maybe you need to pay her to operate camera. ;-)

Extremely helpful video as always and thanks for the good suggestions on the fill and background lights in detail. I've had far too many corporate interviews in rooms with windows and battled the sunlight. For small rooms I've used parchment like paper to diffuse the bright sunlight or black poster board to block it when I don't have room for a stand. Anyone else have good tricks for this?

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Good ideas. I sometimes also hang sound blankets in front of windows where I get double duty - less reflected sound and better control of the light. The blankets are black on one side, white on the other so I can also choose whichever side makes more sense for the particular situation.

Thanks for this quick intro to interview lighting. What I am wondering, though, is how to approach interviewing people who wear glasses. In some countries like Germany, two-thirds of the adult population is wearing glasses, so this has to be taken into account.

@curtisjudd

2 жыл бұрын

Key light position is the important thing to avoid issues with glare on glasses. This video covers some ideas: kzread.info/dash/bejne/dJOGrJmthszdYso.html

Great info! Do you use your meter to measure the key light falling on your subject to match the F stop you choose to shot with and that's it? Or do you add another 1-2 stops of light based on subject's skintone ? Or is the 18% grey measurement your incident meter is giving you enough for proper exposure?

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

I set the ISO and shutter angle/speed on the meter and then set the aperture according to the meter's setting, generally.

that extra light in front of the screen suddenly added a gradient and almost haze look. i was thinking it was you lens till you showed it in the behind the scenes. will defintly keep that in mind, to light behind the background and infront. could give a unique look like a brush.

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

One note on that: Part of the reason we experienced that effect is that I used a Schneider Radiant Soft diffusion filter on the camera. Of course the lights on the floor were a big part of that recipe.

Excellent, thanks Curtis. Also looks like you have the camera at eye level to the seated subject, am I correct? Also, bald folks that want to wear a brimmed hat can be a problem for the key light positioning, too!

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Joe. The camera is just slightly above eye level.

Amazing as always Curtis. Do you have any plans on doing a lighting setup (like this video) for a small studio (2 people)?

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks topgunm. Yes, we're going to look at using a lantern for lighting two people in one fo the upcoming pieces, as well as more traditional two-person interview lighting designs.

@topgunm

3 жыл бұрын

@@curtisjudd epic! Looking forward to it. Thanks!

This is fantastic. Very good practical advice. I have a very well lit space, but there’s a dark shadow under my chin and down my neck that I don’t like. Any recommendations? Not sure if I should get a small light that would be on the floor pointed up. I use a LED panel directly in front of my face with a diffuser in front and an umbrella light off to the side. Camera is at an angle, similar to the interview example you show in this video.

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

I would use a bounce board of some sort to fill that in. Or at most, bounce a light off a bounce board. A direct light from below is likely to create weird shadows you do not want.

Hey Curtis - I normally follow your audio reviews, however this was really interesting. I wonder if you have a video containing any lighting tips for a 1 man operation creating talking head videos - Key lights, fill lights, background lights etc... Peter.

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Peter. This is the first in a series where we cover that. I hope you find it helpful!

@PeterMossUkulele

3 жыл бұрын

@@curtisjudd Thank you. I have my notifications set to "All" so I will be notified of your future postings.Stay safe, Peter.

Curtis could you make a video on sound? Focusing on lapel mics, best sound for prosumers; mixing and matching different transmitters & receivers with different lapel mics? You're really great with sound and there is no video on youtube which would explains this.

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

You bet! For prosumer lavalier mics: kzread.info/dash/bejne/ZmGfr8GxfpjZgKQ.html Pro vs. consumer wireless: kzread.info/dash/bejne/l5ho0ZSlqryvltI.html A playlist of sound related videos including a bunch on cavaliers and wireless: kzread.info/head/PLLQDQ5OW1X3I-i68wz8dQ6wgbX1FlVOe6

@lovestuck97

3 жыл бұрын

@@curtisjudd Thanks aton. Really appreciate your efforts

Hey Curtis! Thanks for the great video! Do you by any chance know if there exist some universal softboxes for the smaller barn-door led panels like the ones that Godox makes? I find that my lights are not soft enough and wonder if there is any way to diffuse them on a budget in a cramped room. I would really appreciate your advice as you clearly have a lot of experience with lighting of all sorts.

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, this one is worth considering: kzread.info/dash/bejne/aa51waeeYcWYn6w.html

@yawningmarmot

3 жыл бұрын

@@curtisjudd Thank you so much, this is exactly what I've been looking for!

Curtis, nice video. I'm at the budget end of the scale, with a pair of Godox SL60W with softboxes. I like the idea of using a large reflective surface instead of a softbox, and since I'm in the print industry, I have access to a number of 2.4m x 1.2m white rigid substrates such as foamcore, gatorfoam, corflute and so on. I am concerned about the CRI of the lights being altered by the surface they are reflecting off. Which material have you found success with? Is colour accuracy an issue?

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Ploppy McPlop! I often use flags and bounce boards which were specifically designed for lighting and haven't run into any issues with substantive color shifts which create problems. I've also used white foam core boards and haven't noticed any issues on that front either. I don't know if you are doing super color critical work, but for practical purposes, I haven't run into issues with white foamcore for bound or black foamcore for blocking or negative fill.

Great video. Which is the ratio you generally use between key and rim light?

@curtisjudd

Жыл бұрын

3:1 or so

Hi Curtis. Thanks for the video! Thumbs up again! Question: Is the Canon C70 now your current favorite camera? No more C500? If so, any particular reason? Thanks!

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Casey! I like the C70. For talking head and interview pieces, I almost always use the Blackmagic Pocket 6K. The C200 was used as the BTS camera for this episode. The C70 almost always stays on the tripod and use for the livestreams over on my second KZread channel. So I guess it depends on what I'm doing as to which camera is my favorite. :)

@caseyonlocation8257

3 жыл бұрын

@@curtisjudd Wow, that's great, Curtis...so many choices for your needs! I'm thinking of getting the C200 so I can use my EF lenses and have DPAF face tracking. But I'm in no rush in case there might be a mark II release of the C200. I'm guessing I will hardly ever do any raw processing, so I would have to settle for the 4.2.0 8bit MP4 if I get the current version of the C200.

Hey Curtis, hope this comment finds you. I’ve heard from other videos that not going past 2.8 is a good idea. But how does this affect you if you’re on a different sensor size like a m43? Watching a Gerald Undone video about sensor sizes, he says that the equivalent of a full frame camera would be double that (or is it half that? I forget). Let’s say it was double. That would mean that you’d have an equivalent of f5.6, then affecting your bokeh, the amount of light hitting your sensor and the reading on the light meter. Wouldn’t it?

@curtisjudd

2 жыл бұрын

On m4/3, f/2.8 is probably fine for talking head if you really want that bokeh in the background. But on full frame, that’s shallow and difficult to keep in focus at the distances we typically work. You can adjust your ISO or use ND to keep your exposure where you need it.

Interesting video. I think that your key and hair light looked great on your model. I personally don't like the blue ( temp ) background fill. The whole image looked so rich before you turned that on. the color of her sweater looked really nice with a warm background, before you turned those lights on - Subjective I guess. With your talking head, my opinion is that you are running your skin tones too hot. They look to me like they are in the 75-80 IRE range, and appear to be right at the limit. Again, opinion, but if your skin tones were around 55 % IRE - you look healthier and the image will look richer. With that much diffusion, and high values on the skin tones and a bright colored background, it appears to need more contrast. I am on a desktop with a calibrated display, it might appear better on a phone or tablet. Just my opinion. I agree with you on the fill light. I notice that Shane Hurlbut throw a reflected gelled light into the ceiling ( cyan/teal ) that is an option as well. Thanks for the video Curtis, this kind of info only helps the community. I tend to like these better than product videos. Usually your videos leave me wanting to spend money that I don't have. So like the learning type of videos more these days. So many product videos out there. Cheers.

@xxphactor

3 жыл бұрын

That's about how I like to run my IRE for skin tones. And it keeps a lot of ambient light from bouncing around in the background.

@JimRobinson-colors

3 жыл бұрын

@@xxphactor Which value?

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your insights, Jim.

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Also, yes, when I expose, depending on the camera, the skin is usually between 40 and 50 IRE. The issue is a result of what was applied in post.

People are allowed to be boldly bald Curtis lol

@curtisjudd

2 жыл бұрын

Indeed!

Mrs Judd obviously considering how to make Curtis pay for all the lockdown modelling.

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Hahahaha! Don't worry, she was paid to do this. 😀

I can't imaging you do all this in 20 minutes. please elaborate!

@curtisjudd

11 ай бұрын

Practice, practice, practice. I count the 20 minutes from the time all the equipment is at the location, not including schlepping it all from the car.

@tomkalajian429

10 ай бұрын

@curtisjudd seems amazing. What with lights, stands, bags, stingers, mic boom and lav, sound check, light placement. camera set up, sound check, positioning in the room, possible window and acoustic treatment, then shooting multiple takes as needed, not to mention striking the set and packing the gear. Did I miss anything? Wow, you're truly amazing!

@LearnLightAndSoundSessions

10 ай бұрын

@@tomkalajian429 Again, everything already in the room, ready to set up and I have already worked out the lighting strategy (scoped out windows, turned off overhead lights, etc.)

@tomkalajian429

10 ай бұрын

You're very kind to clarify my inquiries. Thank you, sir. @@LearnLightAndSoundSessions

This bald guy thanks you for your advice.

@curtisjudd

2 жыл бұрын

And this balding guy thanks you for your gratitude.

@SameDayTwice

2 жыл бұрын

@@curtisjudd Honestly Curt, you should try going shaved and see how you feel. I will say your hair always looks great though. I always had a high forehead and although my hairline only receded a little it was too much work and a little ridiculous to try and hold onto it. I had a great head of hair my whole life and the wife and I were initially resistant, but we both love it now. So much easier to manage too. I just take the clippers to the hair and beard and do the Jason Statham thing . Thankfully I have the features to pull it off lol, as I know it doesn’t work for everyone. You might be surprised to find you like it as well! One of the best decisions I ever made 😁.

It is nice to watch your video but if you only were talking in front the camera, i do not understand everything, i want to see draw Lighting maybe schemes.

@curtisjudd

Жыл бұрын

Ok.

Hey Curtis, fill is what ringlights are good for. Think about it.

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Yes - can definitely work. I'm not a huge fan of the catchlight from ring lights, but they sure do have their place.

Your wife had a facial expression like "I don't want to be here today".

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Don't worry, she got paid to do this. 😀

@MohamedKeita

3 жыл бұрын

@@curtisjudd 😂

This is why I wear a hat....

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

👍

Good setting ! The tricky part is just to get paid for the riggingtime and adjustments for 7 lamps, softpanels, tripods, camera, sound and so on. It would be intresting to measure the time from that you park your car outside your corporate work/customer until you are ready to shout. 1 hour in advance on set is to short until shooting .... then the "interview" and then pulling all equipment together on its places and in to the car, overwiew to the gears at home including recharge different batteries .... 🤪 when its so simple to do a shout with a mobile .... 3-4 hours on the set ? and then the transport .... WHAT ... are you kidding me 🤯 have you lost your mind ? How much did you say ? = the modern world of today..... Editing ? WHAT ???? Isn't it all ready out of the camera. It is on my Iphone anyway ..... ☹ any recognition, any one ... ? A little exaggeration of raging but still ...

@curtisjudd

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, I agree, there are a lot of hidden tasks/costs/time spent. If I can get everything out of the car and shooting in one hour, I'm doing well that day. Most talking head or interview shots will take closer to 1.5 hours from car to shoot.

@magnusgotander7788

3 жыл бұрын

@@curtisjudd Exactly ! I Now days I want to have 2 hours before just to not become in stress. Although if you should be ready in 1,5 h. Its good to have some spare time for frechen up....Breathe ... Start up the gears or adjust something you didnt se at once. A decent workflow....