Written by Chris Jolley
Introduction
As with any video production, lighting is extremely important and can easily make or break a video. Effective lighting ensures your video is as professional and visually appealing as possible.
Since corporate videos are designed to build trust and enhance your brand image, you want the quality of the video to reflect the quality of your business.
Whether you’re filming an interview, a product demonstration or a brand video, these five tips will help.
Tip One: Understand the Purpose of Your Video
Before setting up any lights, consider the purpose and tone of your video. Are you aiming for a warm, friendly tone or a sleek, professional one?
The lighting should match the tone of your video. Otherwise, elements, moods, and ideas can become muddled, making the video feel dissonant.
Warmer lighting is typically used in happier, more upbeat videos, while colder lighting is used in moodier or more corporate videos.
Tip Two: Use Three-Point Lighting as a Foundation
Three-point lighting is a standard technique used in video production. It uses three different lighting rigs to create a balanced, focused effect ideal for corporate videos.
The three lights include:
Key Light
The primary light source that illuminates the subject. Place it at a 45-degree angle to one side of the camera.
Fill Light
This light softens shadows created by the key light. Position it on the opposite side of the key light and use a lower intensity.
Backlight
Placed behind the subject, the backlight adds depth and separates the subject from the background.
This simple trick will instantly improve the visual quality of your corporate videos, which will naturally reflect better on your business.
Tip Three: Use Natural Light When Possible
If you want your brand to appear authentic and genuine, natural lighting is absolutely necessary.
Positioning your subject facing a window or filming outdoors allows you to take advantage of the soft, even and flattering light.
Avoid filming around midday, as intense sunlight can have the opposite effect as it will appear harsh and cast shadows across a subject’s face.
If you plan on using natural daylight, consider using diffusers and reflectors to manage its intensity.
Looking to film outdoors? We have five video tips that will make planning and executing an outdoor shoot much easier.
Tip Four: Invest in Quality Lighting Equipment
While natural lighting is useful, it’s not always reliable, so investing in quality lighting equipment is important for greater control and consistency.
LED panels are popular for corporate videos due to their versatility, energy efficiency and adjustable colour temperature.
Softboxes and ring lights are also popular, especially for diffusing light and creating a polished look—they are also easily transportable.
Not sure whether it’s better to rent equipment or hire an agency? Check out our guide where we break down the pros and cons of both approaches.
Tip Five: Test and Adjust Before Filming
Always conduct a test shoot before filming the actual thing. This will allow you to evaluate your lighting setup and decide whether it matches the tone of the video you’re looking to produce.
Remember, these test shoots should always be viewed on a high-quality monitor rather than a camera screen.
Then, adjust the intensity, angles, or equipment before starting your actual shoot.
Conclusion
With these five tips, you’ll be making high-quality corporate videos with fantastic lighting in no time at all.
Hopefully, you’re also coming away from this article thinking, “Lighting isn’t as complicated as I first thought”.
Just remember that good lighting not only enhances the aesthetics of your video but also builds credibility and trust with your audience.
If you want professional corporate videos, contact us via the contact form, or check out our full corporate services.
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