Easy Video Lighting Fix: Unbleached Muslin Bounce | Curtis Judd

Here’s a quick demo showing you the difference between lighting with unbleached muslin versus bleached white bounce materials. Using muslin is an easy way to warm up and revitalize a lighting design that’s yielding asty skin tones or generally muted results– and it’s easy to DIY! Let’s see how it’s done.

If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. Our latest courses cover Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini and an Intro to Izotope RX.

Support my work creating videos by donating at Ko-Fi.com.

Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

- Unbleached Muslin Seamless Diffusion Fabric in various sizes — B&H

- Aputure 600D Pro Daylight LED Light — Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Aputure Spotlight Max 36º Lens Kit — Aputure, B&H

Some of my other studio gear:

- Sennheiser MKH50 microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Sound Devices MixPre audio recorder — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Impact Turtle-Base C-Stands — B&H, Amazon

- Aputure LS 600x Pro Bicolor LED Light — Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Aputure Light Dome III Softbox — Aputure, B&H

- Amaran 300c RGBWW Single-Point LED Light — Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Amaran Spotlight SE — Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Rosco Prismatic Glass Gobo in Cool Lavender — B&H

- Canon C70 Cinema Camera — B&H

- Canon RF 24-70 f/2.8 lens — B&H, Amazon

- Panasonic GH5 camera — B&H, Amazon

- Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 II lens — B&H, Amazon

The intro and outro music for this episode is from Musicbed - “Dynamo” by Virgil Arles. Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself.

Copyright 2024, Curtis Judd

How I Light My Backgrounds — Creative Background Lighting for Video

In this week’s episode we have a look at several methods of lighting the back of your set while filming talking-head shots. Putting some thought into what’s going on in the background of your shots can help sophisticate the look of your video. Here, we cover solid-color lighting as well as fancier effects that can be achieved with RGBLED lights, different color temperatures, and metal, glass, or homemade gobos. Let’s take a closer look!

If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. Our latest courses cover Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini and an Intro to Izotope RX.

Support my work creating videos by donating at Ko-Fi.com.

Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, DVEStore, Perfect Circuit, Trew Audio or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

- Aputure LS 300X used for background light — Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Aputure Spotlight Mount — Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Litepanels Gemini 1x1 LED panel — B&H, Amazon

- Rosco glass gobos — B&H

- Rosco steel gobos — B&H

- RODE NT1 Cardioid Condenser Microphone — B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Sound Devices MixPre audio recorder — B&H, Trew Audio, Sweetwater, DVE Store, Amazon

- Rycote PCS Microphone Quick-Release System — B&H

- Canon C70 cinema camera — B&H

- Canon RF 24-70 f/2.8L lens — B&H, Amazon

- Schneider Radiant Soft 1 diffusion filter — B&H

- Panasonic GH5 camera — B&H, Amazon

- Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 II lens — B&H, Amazon

The intro and outro music for this episode is from Musicbed - “Dynamo” by Virgil Arles. Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself.

Copyright 2023, Curtis Judd

Aputure Amaran COB 60X and P60X LED Lights for Video Creators

In this episode, we have a look at the Aputure Amaran COB 60X and P60X LED lights for video. These little lights put out a good bit of light despite their size and their color quality is top notch. Let’s take a closer look!

If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. Our latest courses cover Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini and an Intro to Izotope RX.

Support my work creating videos by donating at Ko-Fi.com.

Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, DVEStore, Perfect Circuit, or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

- Aputure Amaran COB 60X single-point Bowens mount LED Light - Amazon

- Aputure Amaran P60X panel LED light - Amazon

- Umbrella for soft light - Amazon

- Impact soft box (the HUGE box I used for the key light) - B&H

- Cardelllini clamp to mount the soft box to a c-stand - B&H

- Aputure Amaran 100D - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Aputure Light Dome Mini II - Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Aputure Spotlight Mount - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store. Amazon

- Rosco Prismatic Glass Gobo Cool Lavender creates the color pattern on the back wall - B&H

- Sound Devices MixPre series audio recorders - B&H, Sweetwater, DVE Store, Amazon

- Sennheiser MKH8050 microphone - B&H, Amazon

- Panasonic GH5 camera — B&H, Amazon

- Olympus 45mm f/1.8 lens — B&H, Amazon

- Canon C70 Camera — B&H

- Canon RF 24-70 f/2.8 lens — B&H, Amazon

Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself.

Copyright 2021, Curtis Judd

Interview Lighting Part III - Book Lighting - Natural Look

Be sure to also check out the first two parts of our interview lighting series:

Quick lighting designs with LED Panels:

Soft Key Light:

Block, Bounce, Diffuse:

In this episode, I demo book lighting - a way to make very natural looking light. This works well when you have existing light and you want to keep it looking natural while also making sure the existing light doesn’t change and ruin an interview half way through!

Thanks to Litepanels for providing the Gemini and Astra 1x1 panel lights for this demonstration.

If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. Our latest course is Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini.

Support my work creating videos by donating at Ko-Fi.com.

Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, DVEStore, Perfect Circuit, or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

- Litepanels Gemini 1x1 Hard RGBWW LED Light - B&H, Amazon

- Litepanels Gemini 1x1 Soft RGBWW LED Light - B&H

- Grid for 60 degree beam - B&H, Amazon

- Litepanels Bluetooth dongle for Gemini - B&H

- Litepanels Astra series of panel lights, more affordable - B&H

- Rosco 1/2 soft frost - B&H

- Chimera 4x4 frame - B&H

- Chimera 4x4 full cloth - B&H

- 5-in-1 reflector - B&H, Amazon

- Sound Blanket Producer’s Choice - Vocal Booth To Go

- Spring Clips to hold bounce material on c-stand - Amazon

- C-stand - B&H, Amazon

- Foam core poster board - Amazon

- Sekonic Speedmaster L-858D-U Light Meter - B&H, Amazon

- Sennheiser MKH 8050 microphone - B&H, Amazon

- Sound Devices 888 audio recorder - B&H, Sweetwater

- Panasonic GH5 camera for b-roll - B&H, Amazon

- Panasonic 12-35 f/2.8 IOS Lens - B&H, Amazon

- Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 6K - B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Signa EF 24-70 f/2.8 DG OS ART lens - B&H, Amazon

- Schneider Radiant Soft Diffusion Filter - B&H

Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself.

Copyright 2021, Curtis Judd

Interview Lighting Part II - Soft Key Light

Be sure to watch Part I of our interview lighting series.

In this episode, I demo the use of a 4x4 silk to create a soft key light along with a hard background panel to create texture. We also use a practical light to motivate a soft rim light. This is a fairly quick way to light for an interview or talking head video.

Thanks to Litepanels for providing the Gemini and Astra 1x1 panel lights for this demonstration.

If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. Our latest course is Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini.

Support my work creating videos by donating at Ko-Fi.com.

Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, DVEStore, Perfect Circuit, or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

- Litepanels Gemini 1x1 Hard RGBWW LED Light - B&H, Amazon

- Litepanels Gemini 1x1 Soft RGBWW LED Light - B&H

- Grid for 60 degree beam - B&H, Amazon

- Litepanels Bluetooth dongle for Gemini - B&H

- Litepanels Astra series of panel lights, more affordable - B&H

- Chimera 4x4 frame - B&H

- Chimera 4x4 full cloth - B&H

- 5-in-1 reflector - B&H, Amazon

- Sekonic Speedmaster L-858D-U Light Meter - B&H, Amazon

- Sennheiser MKH 8050 microphone - B&H, Amazon

- Sound Devices 888 audio recorder - B&H, Sweetwater

- Panasonic GH5 camera for b-roll - B&H, Amazon

- Panasonic 12-35 f/2.8 IOS Lens - B&H, Amazon

- Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 6K - B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Signa EF 24-70 f/2.8 DG OS ART lens - B&H, Amazon

Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself.

Copyright 2021, Curtis Judd

Quick Interview Lighting with LED Panels - Part 1

In this episode, I demo and explain how I approach two separate lighting designs for interview shots. When lighting corporate video - interviews - I often have to work quite quickly and set up the cameras, sound, and lighting within 20 minutes. Here are a couple of examples to give you some ideas you might incorporate into your interview lighting designs.

Thanks to Litepanels for providing the lighting instruments used to produce this video.

If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. Our latest course is Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini.

Support my work creating videos by donating at Ko-Fi.com.

Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, DVEStore, Perfect Circuit, or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

- Litepanels Gemini 1x1 Hard RGBWW LED Light - B&H, Amazon

- Litepanels Gemini 1x1 Soft RGBWW LED Light - B&H

- Grid for 60 degree beam - B&H, Amazon

- Litepanels Bluetooth dongle for Gemini - B&H

- Litepanels Astra series of panel lights, more affordable - B&H

- DoP Choice Snapbags for Litepanels 1x1 lights - B&H

- Sekonic Speedmaster L-858D-U Light Meter - B&H, Amazon

- Canon C70 cine camera - B&H

- Canon RF 24-70 f/2.8L IS lens - B&H, Amazon

- Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 6K - B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Signa EF 24-70 f/2.8 DG OS ART lens - B&H, Amazon

Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself:

Copyright 2021, Curtis Judd

Better Lighting for Your Videos: Flags, Bounce, Diffusion

In today’s episode, we cover some techniques and affordable tools you can use to improve the quality of your video lighting: Flags, bounce boards, and diffusion.

If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. Our latest course is Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini.

Super Flags and grip heads - Compact, lightweight light shaping flags you can use with their grip heads on any light stand.

Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, Pictureline or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

- C-stands - B&H, Amazon

- Impact Light stands lightweight - B&H, Amazon

- Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 6K - B&H, Pictureline

- Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 ART Lens - B&H, Pictureline, Amazon

- Aputure 300x LED Light - Aputure, B&H, Pictureline, Amazon

- Aputure Light Dome 2 soft box - Aputure, B&H, Pictureline, Amazon

- Aputure Nova LED Panel Light - Aputure, B&H, Pictureline

- Panasonic GH5 camera - B&H, Pictureline, Amazon

- Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 OIS Lens - B&H, Pictureline, Amazon

- Lupo Superpanel 30 Full Color Soft - B&H

The intro and outro music for this episode is from Musicbed - “For the Kids” by Utah. Get a free trial of the best music for your videos at Musicbed.

Copyright 2020, Curtis Judd