"Let god do the lighting" - Quick lighting on-set

I said this on set the other day, “Let god do the lighting”

But what does that mean? Well, it’s as simple as it sounds. It’s the idea of using only the available natural light instead other, well, non-natural methods.

When is this applicable? I think there are three distinct situations when this applies:

• When you are under a time constraint from a production standpoint

  • Limited time with Talent.

  • Limited time allowed in the shooting space.

• When it’s hard / impractical to bring all / any of your lights due to physical limitations. (sometimes you’re not allowed to light, sometimes you physically can’t bring your lights to difficult locations)

• It’s the desired look

Ok, so now back to me the other day. We (Branded, the marketing company and I) took longer than anticipated to find our shooting locations for the day. The set was a golf clubhouse that had an inordinate amount of vaulted ceilings and hard surfaces.

Sound quickly became my number 1 concern.

Because of that, we ended up setting up shop in a couple smaller offices that worked better for audio. BUT.. the spaces were small enough that setting up lighting became difficult. And now, because of deliberating where to shoot - we were quickly almost 30 minutes behind our schedule which was already tight.

And that’s when I famously announced that we should “Let god do the lighting”. Let’s take a look at our first location in the picture below that is a screen grab raw out of camera..

Luckily we had a very even, gray day to help pull this off since we were shooting in front of a window. In this scenario you have no choice but to make the window light your key light.

The idea was to get the talent sideways to allow as much light onto the face as possible. Then, i was quickly able to place one of my v-flat boards directly out of frame to the right to bounce that light back in as a fill.

Would i have loved to knock down the exposure outside a little? Absolutely. But for two reasons i didn’t:

1. it wasn’t bright enough to do that while still properly exposing the shot indoors (not just the subject, but the other elements of the room, table and walls

2. it was actually fairly dark outside, which properly exposed looked darker than the bright feeling that we wanted for the shot.

My whole lighting set-up for this shot was a single white bounce board. So my “lighting” was set-up in 5 minutes.

Let’s look at one more raw screen grab from another location on-set that day. This one I’ll have to label as “Cheating on God”. Let me show you why…

So I tried to do god-only lighting in this scene.. but even they weren’t powerful enough to overcome the limitations of the room. As I said it was a dark day, and this room had a 3 windows - but they were facing Northeast.

I was able to use the natural light again as the key light. But with no light behind, I needed some separation on the subject with a hair light. With my Godox TL60, I was able to both get a nice light on the hair and I was able to wrap it around enough to fill in on the right side of her face. (plus, the tube light runs on an internal battery, so i don’t have to waste time running power to it)

We turned on the practical in the background just for ambiance, it wasn’t helping with the subject. In fact, the wall in the back was so dark, even with the practical on, that I couldn’t stand it anymore. I quickly grabbed an Astra 1x1 and threw a little light just on the back wall to help.

So I guess you could say I cheated on god twice. But after making up so much time on the first set-up, I was able to take an extra 15 minutes to fiddle with the lighting a little more on the second set-up.

-mike

www.mohovideo.com

I don't want to write a blog today

The Reluctant Blogger's Guide to SEO and Video Production

Ah, the dreaded task of writing a blog post. If there's one thing I'd rather avoid more than brussels sprouts on pizza, it's sitting down to type out my thoughts for the internet to scrutinize. But here I am, fingers reluctantly tapping away on the keyboard, all in the noble pursuit of SEO glory for a video production company. Yes, folks, I'm about to embark on a journey through the murky waters of search engine optimization, armed only with wit, a sprinkle of sarcasm, and my trusty ChatGPT sidekick.

Let's dive straight into the deep end with a listicle, because who doesn't love a good listicle? Here are the keywords that Google insists will make this blog post a digital masterpiece: corporate video, commercial video, Philadelphia video, Princeton video, New Jersey video, website video, storytelling, and video marketing. Phew, that's quite a mouthful, but hey, SEO doesn't care about brevity, it cares about keyword density.

So, as I ponder the intricacies of lighting setups (perfect for corporate video!), I can't help but wonder if this blog post will ever see the light of day. Will it be buried beneath a mountain of clickbait headlines and listicles about "10 Ways to Make Your Videos Go Viral"? Or will it rise triumphantly to the top of the search results, beckoning potential clients with promises of cinematic excellence and unbeatable production value?

And let's not forget the invaluable assistance of ChatGPT, my AI confidant in this perilous journey. ChatGPT, bless its algorithmic heart, is here to suggest ideas, spin puns, and occasionally go off on tangents that are as entertaining as they are irrelevant. It's like having a quirky coworker who insists on chiming in with random trivia about the history of film every five minutes. Thanks, ChatGPT, I owe you one.

In conclusion, dear reader, if you've made it this far, I salute you. You've witnessed the inner struggle of a reluctant blogger who's just trying to make Google happy. And if, by some miracle, you happen to be in the market for top-notch video production services in Philadelphia, Princeton, or anywhere in New Jersey, please remember the brave soul who sacrificed his sanity for the sake of SEO. Call us. We promise we're much better at making videos than we are at writing about them.

Until next time, when hopefully someone else volunteers for blog duty, this has been a journey. A journey of SEO, video production, and the quirks of ChatGPT. Thanks for reading, and may your search engine rankings be ever in your favor.

How to Prepare Before Filming a Video? Essential Steps in Video Production

Video production is a creative process that requires careful planning and preparation. Whether you're an aspiring filmmaker, a content creator for social media, or a business owner looking to create promotional videos, understanding the pre-production phase is crucial. This blog post will guide you through the essential steps you need to take before hitting the 'record' button. (oh, and moho will gladly hold your hand throughout this entire process. don’t worry!)

1. Conceptualizing Your Video

The first step in any video production process is conceptualization. It's where you decide what your video will be about and how it will be presented. This phase involves brainstorming ideas, researching your target audience, and defining your video's purpose.

Start by asking yourself these questions: What message do I want to convey? Who is my target audience? How can I make my video engaging and relevant to them? Answering these questions will help shape your video's content and style.

2. Scriptwriting and Storyboarding

Once you have a clear concept for your video, the next step is scriptwriting and storyboarding. A script serves as the blueprint of your video—it outlines what will be said, who will say it, and how it will be delivered.

On the other hand, a storyboard visualizes how each scene in your script plays out. It includes details like camera angles, lighting, location, props, costumes—everything that contributes to creating each shot's visual narrative.

Scriptwriting and storyboarding are crucial steps in pre-production as they provide direction during filming and post-production stages of video production.

3. Assembling Your Team (moho is the team!)

Depending on the scale of your project, you may need to assemble a team to help bring your vision to life. This could include roles such as director, producer, cinematographer or camera operator, sound engineer, editor—each playing an integral part in the video production process.

Remember that effective communication within your team is key. Everyone should understand their roles clearly and work towards achieving the same goal: creating an impactful video that resonates with its intended audience.

4. Scouting Locations & Gathering Equipment

The location where you film can greatly impact the overall feel of your video. Whether it's an indoor studio or an outdoor setting—each comes with its own set of challenges such as lighting conditions or background noise levels that need careful consideration during pre-production planning.

In addition to scouting locations ahead of time for potential issues (and solutions), gathering all necessary equipment is equally important at this stage. This includes cameras, microphones for audio recording, lighting equipment if necessary—and don't forget backup batteries!

5. Scheduling & Budgeting

Finally yet importantly are scheduling and budgeting—two critical aspects often overlooked during pre-production planning but can make or break any project if not managed properly.

Scheduling involves determining when each scene will be filmed based on factors like cast availability or optimal lighting conditions while budgeting ensures all costs involved—from hiring crew members to renting equipment—are accounted for without exceeding set limits.

Conclusion

Preparation before filming a video can seem daunting but remember: every minute spent planning saves time (and stress) during actual shooting days! By following these essential steps in pre-production—from conceptualizing ideas down to budgeting—you're setting yourself up for success in achieving high-quality results in any type of video production endeavor.