Lighting for Content Creation Made Easy: Basics to Make Your Videos Stand Out

1. Introduction: When creating content, we all want to make the best content possible. And one part of that is making sure that you can actually see yourself in the best light. But what is the best light and how can you use it? Hello, and welcome. My name is Finn Badgley. I'm a content creator and photographer specializing in creating dynamic visuals, using light. And I'm about to quickly teach you how to master the light to create better short form content. It doesn't matter if you're making TikToks, reels, YouTube videos, or even a class like this, I'm about to show you how you can use different forms of light to create more compelling videos, ultimately gaining more viewers, keeping them around for longer because your image is going to be higher quality and will stand out from the rest. So if you don't want your videos to just be scrolled by anymore, let's jump right in. 2. Project: This is going to be super quick and simple. All you're going to need is your phone and an open mind. We're going to go through different levels of tools and then at the end, just post in the projects one short form video. No matter what it is, it can be a trend. It can be a talking head video. It can be something completely different or it can just be a simple lighting test. Whatever your heart desires, just use the tools and techniques that I'm about to discuss with you and I can't wait to see what you share. 3. Lighting Basic to Advanced: We're going to start simple and work our way up from there. So the easiest way to light your videos better is going to be using natural light. The best way to do this is to have a large light source behind the camera or in front of you. So if my camera is here, my light source, I'm going to want it behind that. What I'm looking at right now is a massive window, which is on the other side of this. But I've been lighting myself for this video, so this is what it now looks like just using natural light. The window is creating a nice soft effect on me. Now, granted, it is a little darker on my face, and this is where I might want to introduce a light. So to do that, there are multiple different types of lights that we can use. The first one is just a simple LED light panel. That looks like this guy. Now, I have a bit of fabric over this just to soften the light because it can be rather harsh creating these deep shadows. But if I put this now on the other side of the camera and then I put that fabric over top of it, it softens the light nicely and gives me just a little m, makes me pop a little more. And that's what we want in our videos. We want to pop. So it doesn't matter whether you're doing trends, whether you're doing an outfit style video. No matter what you're doing, talking head doesn't matter. If you have a window on the other side of you, that's a great starting point. If you need a little more mph, add one of these little light panels, links to everything. We'll be in the description as well. But let's say that's not enough. Then what can we do? That is when we bring out the big guns and bring out a COB or Cobb LED style light. These are meant for anything from YouTube videos to larger productions. And there's a bunch of brands that make them. This is just a lantern style modifier to soften the light, kind of like the fabric that we put in front of the light panel. And you can see that the front of this is just a big old LED. It plugs into both hard power and I can have it on a battery. If I turn that on, you can see it is very, very bright. That is why I will also throw this on. It will soften the light and also dim it just a little bit. Now, I can put this close to where the light panel was, and suddenly the light is a lot better on my face. I can also move it out of the frame so you get an idea what it looks like without having a giant light in the shot. And suddenly you've totally transformed your lighting. But if you already have a light panel and then this larger guy, you can actually use them in conjunction to create more dynamic lighting. So now I'm going to take this light panel and put it off to the side behind me, angling it towards me. And what that's going to do is it's going to give me a nice little edge light that will separate me from the background, thus creating a little bit more pop. In the shot making me stand out a little more, creating for a more dynamic image. So these are three quick, different ways that you can change the light within your content creation to make better videos. I would love for you to experiment and tell me which one is your favorite. 4. FInal Thoughts: And just like that, you know how to create better short form content by utilizing good lighting. Now, get out there, start creating more, keep at it, keep practicing, level up your light slowly, and I can't wait to see the content that you create. All my social links will be shared on my Skillshare profile. Also make sure to follow along with me here, as I'm always creating new and informative classes to help you guys create the best photos, videos possible. Thank you so much for your time. I can't wait to see what you create. Thank you so much. Have a super creative day, remember to work hard and rest often.