first music video samples

J

john818

Well-known member
he guys,im in the middle of shooting a music video for a rapper names i2i,anyway we shot a the 2nd scene,and i wanted to see what you guys think of the lighting,is it any good? i lit it up with halogen work lights and shot on hv20 $30 budget lmao,here are a few diffrent cc i tryed too

Image5-1.jpg


Image6.jpg


Image2-1.jpg


Image1-1.jpg
 
Personally, I would have backlit him a little bit on the back of his head and shoulders to outline him a little bit, but it really depends what you were going for.
 
Hi John,

Well, in the end only you know what's right depending on what you're trying to do. For basic lighting school, a teacher would comment on the hard lighting, shadows, and have particular concern with the contrast problem (black clothes that disappear in a black background as well as a "floating" white color on the skull cap). The teacher would also be critical of the low light angle that reflects hard light off the subjects face into the camera. I suppose they'd also want to discuss diffusion, color/hues, fill light balance/ratio, back lighting, etc...

But then only you know the effect you're trying to produce.

Regards, Michael
 
thanks guys,

moonlitnite your right,there is no rule for art but i believe you should have them in mind,but the thing is i dont really know what im doing,can you give me a few rules i could keep in mind when i light a scene?what would a teacher ask.i just hope teenagers will find it okay,cuz its mostly teens who are going to watch it
 
the best way is to observe light. Just watch it around you whenever you can and see how it reacts with objects. Learning how play with light is one thing, but when you play with light you also play with shadow, so learn to use them both. For example, lighting from the ground up gives one kind of look, which also results in shadows that climb the subjects face when his hand is placed in front of him.

the basic film school 101 of lighting would suggest to use a 45 degree angle on the lights. Place one on both sides of him, and then get yourself a nice strong backlight to give the flat 2D image some depth.
 
You're working in a 2D medium trying to make the effect of 3D. The only way to do that is to work with layers of light and try to create the illusion of depth. That's why rim / back lighting is so important. If you have a dark haired subject (with a black cap on as well) like this one with a black background, its even more important to have a backlight on the top of the head to make him stand out more from the background.
 
john818 said:
thanks guys,

moonlitnite your right,there is no rule for art but i believe you should have them in mind,but the thing is i dont really know what im doing,can you give me a few rules i could keep in mind when i light a scene?what would a teacher ask.i just hope teenagers will find it okay,cuz its mostly teens who are going to watch it
Click to expand...


YES, IT'S TRUE, YOU MUST KNOW THE RULES, IN ORDER TO BREAK THEM..

The earlier posts mentioned edge/backlight, and diffusion..all good points. Adding those would have sold it to me..Good luck
 
well i did diffuse the light comeing from the right side,but i guess its not enough,and for the backlight i just wish i could go back to correct that but i cant,but ill keep it in mind for my next scene thanks for all the tips guys,any other comments?
 
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Rehi John,

What, still want more? Okay bro, here's a few more quickies on improving your lighting:

1. Add a "catch light" that's a very small light behind the cameraman pointed towards the talent's eyes. The catch light gives the subject a nice sparkle in his/her eyes (you'll notice it from now on when you are watching movies). Here's a link on this: http://www.izzyvideo.com/2006/11/19/izzy-video-49-bad-video/

2. Remember to place the key light on the side of the opposite side of the talent's face as the camera. In other words, the video has much more interest if when you are shooting on the side of the face that has a bit of shadows. Along this note, don't shoot head-on towards the talent - try to shoot at angles (like your frame #4 above). Flat shots look sooooo two dimensional - not good when the whole point of videography is to provide the illusion that the viewer is really there, i.e., three dimensional. Looking at your pix, do you think the audience will feel the video is 3D or 2D?

Good luck on your videos, Michael

PS - regarding "breaking the rules" I haven't seen Izzy's latest vodcast yet but it's probably right down your alley; seeing when one might break the rules should help you know some of the rules you are indeed breaking:
http://www.izzyvideo.com/2007/10/08/izzy-video-65-breaking-the-rules/
 
Lighting is a pretty amazing thing, because in real life you don't think about it too much (if you're not a filmmaker), it just sort of is whatever it is, but that's also because the human eye is much more sophisticated than any imaging system, film or digital, and has the ability to adapt at a much different rate. Lighting for film or digital is a different beast, though, because almost nothing is lit straight, shot straight, etc. There's always a "look" that the artist is going for, with more or less realism depending on what you're doing.

I personally don't know that much about professional cinema lighting as I'm not a DP, I'm a director, but I know what I like to see, and what is good lighting, what isn't good lighting, I just don't know the technical means to achieve what I want, which is why I hire a DP to deal with that and a crew to carry out the DPs wishes.

Lighting is so interesting to me because it's both art and science. There are scientific reasons why certain lights look a certain way, and how to change the look of lighting, but ultimately it's a great art being able to light well and everyone has their own approach, sensibilities, and opinions about how to light each scene or each project.

For music videos especially you want a really vibrant, dynamic image, nothing that is flat and boring, and I love the look of having partially lit faces, but clearly seeing the outline of the musicians, then catching glimpses of them perfectly here and there. It depends on the individual project, though, how it is lit. I can't imagine how long it must take to figure out how to light every type of situation really well, but DPs have been doing this for many decades and probably still learn a little something on each project.
 
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