The Lights We Use For Interviews
Lighting is one of the most important parts of videography. It affects the look of the image more than anything else. The best lighting setup varies for each location and project, but for our interview shoots, we usually consider Key, Fill, Hair, and Background lighting.
Key Light:
The key is the main light used the illuminate the subject. For our interviews, we use the Aputure 300X for our key light and soften it with the Aputure Light Dome II softbox. If the subject is looking off-camera at an interviewer or teleprompter, we usually place the key light and the cameras on opposite sides of the subject’s line of sight. This allows the far side of the subject’s face to be lit by the key.
Fill Light:
As the name implies, the fill light fills in the side of the subject’s face that is missed by the key. To keep the subject from looking flat, the fill light is not as bright as the key light, creating some depth and contrast. For most of our interviews, our light dome is large enough to properly light the subject’s face, so we rarely use a separate studio light for the fill. (The King’s Kross Church Anniversary Video is an example of a video we shot using an LED panel light as our fill.)
Hair Light:
The hair light (also called a back light, rim light, and many other names) separates the subject from the background by lighting up the edge of the subject from behind the subject. We use a small LED panel light or the Neewer SL-60W with a softbox for this.
Background Light:
Once the subject is lit by the key, fill, and hair lights, the background may look too dark compared to the subject. Various lights and lighting techniques can be used to make the background look right for the shot. Sometimes we use natural sunlight, the practical lights already in the room, other studio lights, or nothing at all. It all depends on the location and the mood of the interview.
See Our Lights In Action
Scroll through the photos below to see how each light affects the look of the image. (This interview was shot at the Stoney Creek YMCA.)
Scroll through the next set of photos below to see some of the lights set up. When we fly out of state, we take our smaller Aputure Light Dome Mini II softbox, which is what you see being used on the key light for this shoot. (This interview was shot in Queens, NY for a project for the Stewards Foundation.)
Lights > Camera
Most people assume having a nice camera or shooting in the highest resolution possible is what makes an image look good. However, I would say that good lighting is the most important ingredient in producing a great image, and there are countless videos on YouTube about this to back me up. If you are serious about having professional videos for your business, you absolutely need to consider the lighting setup. Learn how to light your videos properly or hire someone who has proven they can produce great quality images.