particular scene or individual. With flat lighting, you’re trying to create even light-
ing levels throughout the video space and minimizing any shadows. Generally, the
lights are placed up high and angled downward (or possibly pointed straight up to
bounce off of a white ceiling).
■“Ghoul lighting.” This is the style of lighting used for old horror movies. The idea
is to position the light down low, pointed upwards. It’s such an unnatural style of
lighting that it makes its targets seem weird.
■Outdoor lighting. While shooting outdoors may seem easier because the sun pro-
vides more light, it also presents its own problems. As a general rule of thumb, keep
the sun behind you when you’re shooting video outdoors, except when shooting
faces (anything from a medium shot and closer) since the viewer won’t want to see
a squinting subject. When shooting another human this way, put the sun behind
him and use a video light to balance light levels between the foreground and back-
ground. If the sun is simply too bright, position the subject in the shade and use
the video light for your main illumination. Using reflectors (white board panels or
aluminum foil covered cardboard panels are cheap options) can also help balance
light effectively.
■On-camera lighting. While not “technically” a lighting style, this method is com-
monly used. A hot shoe mounted light provides direct lighting in the same direc-
tion the lens is pointing. It’s commonly used at weddings, events, and in
photojournalism since it’s easy and portable. LED video lights are all the rage these
days and a wide variety of these lights are available at various price points. At the
low end, these lights tend to be small and produce minimal light (but useful for
fill work). More expensive versions offer greater light output and come with built-
in barn doors (panels that help you control and shape the light) and diffusers and
filters.
Audio
When it comes to making a successful video, audio quality is one of those things that
separates the professionals from the amateurs. We’re used to watching top-quality pro-
ductions on television and in the movies, yet the average person has no idea how much
effort goes in to producing what seems to be “natural” sound. Much of the sound you
hear in such productions is actually recorded on carefully controlled sound stages and
“sweetened” with a variety of sound effects and other recordings of “natural” sound.
David Busch’s Nikon D7000 Guide to Digital SLR Photography176