5 Tips For Shaping Light

On this video, Ryan Connolly from Film Riot takes a look at five simple lighting aids and techniques you can use to shape your light for your next video or movie.

So here are the 5 points that Connolly brings up in this video:

Bouncing light – the larger the light source the softer the light also light which is not directional is typically softer so you can bounce the light and diffuse the light with another semi transparent fabric.
Flag the light – to shape the light from your bounce you can use flags to block some of the light in areas where you do not want light to be.
Skirting light – pretty similar to flagging but used in different types of lights that needs a skirt like fabric to block light (for example light from a ceiling light), just cut down a fabric and create a skirt for your light (and make sure it doesn’t end up in your shot!).
Blackwrap – Matte Black Cinefoil that can help you block almost any light anywhere (you can find Rosco’s version here).
Breaking your light – you can do that with anything to create patterns – a cockie is one option but a branch or basically anything in the way of the light might work – be creative.

Bonus video: DIY diffusion – a video Connolly did in 2014 on (you guessed it) making your own diffusion

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTn8waGYsOc[/youtube]

You can watch more HDSLR and video techniques on our dedicated HDSLR channel here on LensVid. If you like Connolly’s videos you can check more of them on this page on LensVid.

Iddo Genuth

Iddo Genuth is the founder and chief editor of LensVid.com. He has been a technology reporter working for international publications since the late 1990's and covering photography since 2009. Iddo is also a co-founder of a production company specializing in commercial food and product visual content.