I could use a quick lighting critique!

[Craig Alan]

Big improvement. I would have less background and more subject. Try cropping. The fact that you are close to the background without the right prime lens means your subject does not dominate the b.g. But a tighter shot would help and you might even try shooting at an angle to the wall which would create more space depending on the wall and the space you are in. You could try different lenses with that cam. You could rent what you need for a given shoot. Worth a shot.

You could also key the b.g. and replace it with the metal grid you a see in the other shots. I think that would look cool. A kind of mirror of the t-shirt. But these are all just my opinion. What you see is what you got. I certainly would not want to mess with the guy in the shot. To me getting your message across is the most important of all.

I am not a professional lighting designer as some of the guys here. But like you I have learned some things over time. One thing I really like doing and this might help you going forward – get a broadcast monitor and attach it to your camera. PLay with your image until you are happy with it. Turn the monitor so you can see it while you are adjusting the lights. You’ll be surprised how little adjustments change the look.

https://www.shopfsi.com/BM210-Field-Package-p/bm210.fieldpkg.htm

All FSI monitors are equipped with a DVI-I Input allowing you to monitor both DVI-A and DVI-D signals. Most HDMI signals CAN be viewed on an FSI monitor as the DVI interface can support many HDMI signals. Typical HDMI outputs from computers, DSLRS, and other professional HDMI sources can usually be viewed on an FSI monitor. With respect to compatibility you simply want to keep the following things in mind:
You will need an HDMI to DVI cable or and HDMI to DVI adapter to view HDMI signals on an FSI monitor. This is simply a connection type adapter and not a converter, the video signal will be unaltered from its native format.

FSI monitors are an excellent choice for monitoring DVI and HDMI signals, especially coming from cameras that only have this type of digital output, because FSI is one of the few brands of monitors that provides full Waveform / Vector Scope functionality across all inputs, even DVI.

If you get something really cool while experimenting but there is a portion of the image that gets messed up by it then you learn why the pros have c-stands and flags and diffusion panels and the like. These accessories are not as expensive as new lighting gear and they really help you fine tune your images.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=matthews+c%3Dstands&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ma&Top+Nav-Search=
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?atclk=Brand_Matthews&sts=ma&N=4291344043&Ntt=flags

Open up your shot in the color correction window of FC and play with the mid tones. Get your face to come alive a bit more without overexposing the b.g. Also consider moving to FCP 10.1. The color correction is pretty simple for beginners to fool around with. Keying is easy too.

Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Camcorders: Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV30/40, Sony Z7U, VX2000, PD170; FCP 6 certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Rick Wise]

Your subject (you?) has fairly deep-set eyes. So now the light is not quite reaching into them. I’d drop the key just a bit, just enough so that the eyebrow doesn’t shadow the eye. Or, add a very small light just over the camera on a dimmer. Bring it up just enough to lift the eyes a tiny bit.

I agree that a closer crop might work better. And going with a green screen and keying in backgrounds could be lots of fun. Caution: You may have trouble with green spill onto the subject in such a tight space. But if you have the time, worth trying. In such a case, add a bit of minus green (magenta, probably 1/4 strength) to your backlights to counter the green contamination.

Rick Wise
Cinematographer
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com

[Craig Alan]

If you blow the shot up, there is catch in both eyes though I agree the key seems a bit high – there is shadow over the subject’s right eye and he center of the hair above the forehead is dark compared to the back of the hair. My guess is it would be more flattering to move the key to the subject’s left side and a bit lower. And at this point even slight adjustments on the angle of the light will adjust the light on the subject.

PS Rick is a pro and can solve a lot of problems before he even begins fine tuning. It is also hard to light a subject if you are the subject. And you’re not creating a still or a painting. So any given freeze frame can be overly analyzed. How about uploading a small clip say 5-10 seconds worth. If your subject is moving even a little the catch can move, the shadow can move, and the audience’s attention can be on the movement and rhythm as much as the tone and color, not to mention the audio which is often more important in a talking head tutorial than the visual. One thing about shooting close to a wall is there is no sense of depth at all. It is a flat image. Except for the modeling you created with your light on the subject’s face.

Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Camcorders: Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV30/40, Sony Z7U, VX2000, PD170; FCP 6 certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Rick Wise]

One more note, about the background. Instead of flat illumination, you could add a cookie to a light hitting the wall. The closer the cookie is to the light, the softer the shadow.

Rick Wise
Cinematographer
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com

[Travis Roesler]

Guys… absolutly fantastic suggestions.

I do have some keep sunken eyes… it prevents fists from getting in there 😉

The purpose of the videos is to interject brief notes into my mixed martial arts video series at howtofightnow.com.

my most popular video is right here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSX0PCQXiO4

Either way, I leave myself a large frame because I like to move around, and I don’t like when my hands get cut off in the shot. It just seems weird. I do little bits of demonstration and need people to be able to see my entire torso as well.

I am actually moving AWAY from green screen because I got sick of the Chroma Key, and I can’t separate myself from the background enough that anything ever keys out really well… I’m doing this in a converted bedroom. I find that the shots look MUCH better when they are real, and not a product of a rendering process.

I will make these next adjustments and send you a 5-10 second clip of what I’m working with.

Thanks again guys for all of your time… you’ve made a huge difference in my product already.

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[Travis Roesler]

I’m going to start by adding the light near the camera.

[Travis Roesler]

Rick, when you say “above the camera” do you mean right above the camera itself, or ‘just above camera level from the same direction as the keylight’.

In other words? Is it only the key light eye that needs to be illuminated, or both?

[Travis Roesler]

Also Craig, just hooked up a monitor… HUUUUGE help. I can actually adjust things efficiently now without trying to look across the room at a little LED screen. Thanks man.

[Craig Alan]

I believe Rick is talking about mounting a small LED light on the camera itself which run and gunners use just to get a catch in the subject’s eyes. Since it stays with the cam it is always pointed at the subject. Never used one but they do that one trick pretty well.

Understood about keying but I really only meant to get some themed texture to the wall behind you. I agree with your instinct to stay natural. So get a better b.g. than a studio white roll of paper. If you get a leko and a gobo

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=leko&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ma&Top+Nav-Search=

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=gobo+roscoe&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ma&Top+Nav-Search=

you can project a grid pattern or a gate pattern or a thousand other choices. Another option is to gets digital projector and project footage behind you which is becoming more common these days as an alternative to keying.

Also were those outside scenes really shot with https://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/cat-broadcastcameras/cat-nxcam/product-NEXFS100UK ???

Unless the footage is horribly compressed I would expect way better quality. Again very effective footage but the images just don’t pop.

Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Camcorders: Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV30/40, Sony Z7U, VX2000, PD170; FCP 6 certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Travis Roesler]

lighting