Advice from leading corporate film makers – What’s the best way to light my interview?

Great interview lighting ideas from leading corporate film makers.

Corporate film makers the world over will tell you that the secret to a great looking interview shot is getting the lighting right. Boosting the power of your video with great lighting isn’t as tricky as it sounds and can significantly enhance the power of your corporate video. Here are our top digital video production tips for creating great looking interview lighting.

Using ‘soft’ light on your subject’s face will smooth the shadows and create a complementary look. ‘Soft’ light comes from large light sources, like LED panels or windows on an overcast day. If you have a ‘hard’ light, like most bulbs or direct sunlight, you can shine it through a diffuser.

Positioning a light angled at the back of your subject’s head is a sure way to create a high end look. It adds separation between them and the background and creates a great aesthetic.

Spare lights can be put to use to add interest to your background. A slash of light from a low positioned lamp angled up at a wall, puts the cherry on top of a well lit interview.

Using lighting artistically will give your online video production that stand out factor. Positioning your backlight to highlight the subject’s hair and shine directly at the camera will give the edge of frame an attractive glow, just make sure your camera lens is clean!

Bokeh- a funky word for those balls of colour you get from out of focus lights. Achieved in this example with some candles, an inexpensive way to get them is to use a DSLR with the lens zoomed in. It may mean putting the camera quite far away, but it sure adds a beautiful effect.

Shooting outside on a sunny day will result in some harsh facial shadows and can be a problem for even experienced corporate film makers. This can be easily fixed without the need for powered lights by using a reflector. Held under the interviewee’s face, it’ll reflect the sunlight to fill the shadows for a much better look.

If you’ve lit a great interview from mainly one side, a second camera angle opposing your main light will capture a dramatic shadowy shot, great for emphasising an executive’s interview.

So there you have it. Our top tips for corporate film makers who want to produce video that has style and sophistication.

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