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Activity Forums DSLR Video 2 Cameras (70D and 650D) and only 2 Z96 lights. Shadows/lighting advice needed

  • 2 Cameras (70D and 650D) and only 2 Z96 lights. Shadows/lighting advice needed

    Posted by Jason Merrill on December 31, 2014 at 4:33 am

    Hello,

    I am a bit new using lights – most of the things I have done have been outdoor with PLENTY of light.

    However, now I’m wondering the best way to handle shooting an interview.

    I do it all myself –

    I set up a zoom recorder with the onboard mics along with 2 lav mics.
    I have two cameras:

    one is a shot of the interviewee (canon 650D with 50mm 1.8 lens)
    the other is a shot further out that has both in the shot but still focused primarily on the interviewee (canon 70D with 17-55mm 2.8)

    Then I have two lights (Z96 LED) that I use. I am not sure how to get good results without shadows. Do I just put the lights on the cameras? Won’t both angles always have the shadows of the other? Is there a workflow I can consider here?

    Any thoughts would be appreciated, even if it means buying more lights.

    Steve Crow replied 11 years, 6 months ago 2 Members · 1 Reply
  • 1 Reply
  • Steve Crow

    December 31, 2014 at 5:45 pm

    I wouldn’t recommend putting the lights on top of the camera as it might give too much of a spotlight effect or possibly causing the talent to squint if they are looking right into the camera.

    The normal setup is to place the strongest light (the key light) to either side of the camera (some prefer right others left), then the shadows are filled in with a weaker light coming from the other direction. A keylight can be light from a window while the fill light is artificial, (making sure to match color temperatures as best you can on the artificial light)

    My only suggestion is to try for a more dramatic difference between the two shots, one just seems wider than the other as you describe it. You see lots of interviews with the second camera being almost a half profile shot to give you more of the “fly on the wall” observing effect, say 45 degrees to the subject.

    Fill light can also just be a reflector, not an actual light.

    Steve Crow

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