Film Lighting Workshop: Hands-on Lighting
€275,00 – €299,00
Level:
Beginner - No previous experience required
Language:
The course is taught in English
Dates:
Sat. DATE TBD - 09:00 – 16:00
Sun. DATE TBD - 09:00 – 16:00
Location:
Space Meduza, Skalitzer Strasse 80, 10997 Berlin, Germany
Contact:
alex@berlinfilmcommunity.com
4 reviews for Film Lighting Workshop: Hands-on Lighting
Lighting can take an image that is flat and without style and give it depth, mood, and emotion. In this workshop you will learn the fundamentals of how light works and why you would choose one style of lighting over another. I am a firm believer in hands-on education and together as a class we will light several different scenes in the same location. You will learn through doing, by setting lights of different styles and types including HMI’s, tungsten, and RGB LED panels.Â
There will also be some time for experimentation and I will work with you to light scenes of your choosing. Lighting has the power to set a mood and this workshop will give you some understanding of how to use different lighting tools to get the look you want. There will be many lighting instruments and light modifiers for you to work with and through using them you will see how different types of lighting can affect a subject, mood and emotion.
With a very limited class size of 12 people, you will get a decent amount of personal attention as well as a decent amount of time to work on lighting skills, which will allow you to feel comfortable and not rushed. I have tailored this course to make it flexible enough to accommodate people with absolutely zero experience as well as for people who have done some lighting.
This workshop is designed to get you comfortable with the concepts and especially with the practice of lighting a set, interview lighting setups, and as well as general lighting techniques that can be modified to fit different needs.
Lighting a Set
I will show you how I would light several different scenes, ranging from a pleasant conversation to a much more sinister thriller look, as well as a nighttime moody interior scene. I will show you how I would light for the wide shot and then the modifications I would do when going for a closeup.
Lighting a Face
The most common subject that gets lit in films is, as you would expect, the human face. We will light several different looks and you will see how small changes in light angles or height can have massive impacts on how we perceive a character. I will also cover how to set up lighting for an interview set-up and the different looks that can give a face more depth.
Lighting Using Different Budget Levels
You will learn the tools used when working with a limited budget. You’ll be amazed at what you can get with some simple lights, a shower curtain, some garbage bags, and a cheap paper lantern from Ikea. We will of course also go over how to work with bigger lighting instruments and more power. Bigger isn’t always better, but a lot of the time it does make life easier. I will go over the pros and cons of different lighting instruments, such as tungsten lights, HMI’s, and LED’s giving you an idea of the cost and what they can accomplish.
Safety on Set
This will be a very hands on workshop and you will be handling the lighting equipment as a team with me there to supervise. We will have a monitor on set to see how the image changes when we make adjustments to the lighting setups. While you can’t learn everything you need to know about lighting in two days, hopefully by the end of the workshop you will have enough of an understanding to ask the right questions, learn through observation, and find like minded people with whom you can practice lighting.
Lighting a Set
I will show you how I would light several different scenes, ranging from a pleasant conversation to a much more sinister thriller look, as well as a nighttime moody interior scene. I will show you how I would light for the wide shot and then the modifications I would do when going for a closeup.
Lighting a Face
The most common subject that gets lit in films is, as you would expect, the human face. We will light several different looks and you will see how small changes in light angles or height can have massive impacts on how we perceive a character. I will also cover how to set up lighting for an interview set-up and the different looks that can give a face more depth.
Lighting Using Different Budget Levels
You will learn the tools used when working with a limited budget. You’ll be amazed at what you can get with some simple lights, a shower curtain, some garbage bags, and a cheap paper lantern from Ikea. We will of course also go over how to work with bigger lighting instruments and more power. Bigger isn’t always better, but a lot of the time it does make life easier. I will go over the pros and cons of different lighting instruments, such as tungsten lights, HMI’s, and LED’s giving you an idea of the cost and what they can accomplish.
Safety on Set
As rigging lights and handling them can be dangerous I will of course cover safety on set and how to handle hot lights and how to keep from overloading circuits. Please bring a pair of workman’s gloves to be able to handle hot lights.
This will be a very hands on workshop and you will be handling the lighting equipment as a team with me there to supervise. We will have a monitor on set to see how the image changes when we make adjustments to the lighting setups. While you can’t learn everything you need to know about lighting in two days, hopefully by the end of the workshop you will have enough of an understanding to ask the right questions, learn through observation, and find like minded people with whom you can practice lighting.
Requirements
No previous lighting experience is required. Please bring a pair of workman’s gloves to handle hot lights.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the workshop, reach out to me at alex@berlinfilmcommunity.com.
Schedule
EMPTY
- The basics of visual storytelling
- How to use lighting to set a mood.
- Camerawork on set
- How to record audio
- Q&A
Day 1
Sat. DATE TBD – 09:00 – 16:00
- The basics of how light works
- Differences between hard and soft light
- High key versus low key lighting
- Lighting exteriors versus interiors, day versus night
- Breaking scenes down to understand lighting choices
- Different tools used in lighting and when and how to use them
- Supervised lighting of two scenes with instruction as we light them
- Q&A
Day 2
Sun. DATE TBD – 09:00 – 16:00
- Breaking down more complicated scenes
- Interview lighting set-ups
- Replicating the scenes and analyzing them
- Supervised free lighting
- Q&A
Schedule
Day 1:
Sat. DATE TBD – 09:00 – 16:00
- The basics of how light works
- Differences between hard and soft light
- High key versus low key lighting
- Lighting exteriors versus interiors, day versus night
- Breaking scenes down to understand lighting choices
- Different tools used in lighting and when and how to use them
- Supervised lighting of two scenes with instruction as we light them
- Q&A
Day 2:
Sun. DATE TBD – 09:00 – 16:00
- Breaking down more complicated scenes
- Interview lighting set-ups
- Replicating the scenes and analyzing them
- Supervised free lighting
- Q&A
About the Workshop Leader
Hi, I’m Alex DePew and I will be your guide on this filmmaking adventure. I have been working in the film industry for over 16 years and have led many filmmaking workshops. I absolutely love teaching beginners the ropes. I get tons of joy when I see someone light up as they make a connections between what I am teaching and something they have seen in a movie. And when they apply that knowledge to their own film it is a thing of beauty.
I am a Cinematographer and Gaffer working primarily on short films, music videos, and commercials. Before coming to Berlin I worked on both large and small sets in various roles. I have worked with all kinds of cameras from old school 16mm film cameras up to the Alexa Mini and I have worked on the lighting for no-budget shorts, up through high budget ad campaigns. I grew up in New York City and got my start in film there. I worked my way up the ladder, first as a one-man-band, where I produced, shot and edited content for small commercial projects. Then eventually I moved onto larger commercials in the camera department as a camera assistant. I moved to New Zealand for a few years where I continued to work on ever larger projects including commercials for Samsung, New Balance, Corona, Adidas and a host of other large companies. All the time I was always working on the skills I would need to become a good Cinematographer by shooting shorts and helping directors realize their visions.
Together with Linda Paganelli, we run the Berlin Film Community, a community of filmmakers and people interested in film. We host events such as the Pitch & Planning Session and Drink, Watch, Talk. We are over 16,000 people strong at the time I’m writing this and I am very proud to be a leader of this community. Helping to teach as well as connect the next wave of filmmakers with each other so they can get their first films made is a great source of joy for me.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the workshop, reach out to me at alex@berlinfilmcommunity.com.
Denise Garcia Bergt –
I really recommend this workshop and not just for beginners, but also for anyone who wants to expand their knowledge on lighting. Alex is able to explain the complexity of the lighting process in a very understandable way. As the title says it is a hands-on lighting workshop.
Gabrielle –
I was completely new to the field, and learned so much. It helped me understand a lot about how light is actually working on a film set, and what we can and can’t do with it. These workshop is highly valuable, wether you want to get into lights, get more intuitive and realistic when it comes to choosing the look you want for a scene, or just interested in learning something new and play with the magic of light. Cherry on top, Alex is an amazing teacher!
Fiona –
Alex’s teaching style is engaging and accessible, making even complex topics easy to understand. The course is well-structured and organized, with each lesson building on the previous one to provide a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. Alex provides clear and concise explanations, and his use of real-world examples and case studies helps to bring the material to life.
The course also offers ample opportunities for hands-on learning, with practical exercises and demonstrations that allow students to apply their newfound knowledge in a real-world setting. Alex provides constructive feedback and guidance throughout the course, helping students to develop their skills and confidence as they progress. Overall an amazing experience!
Carla –
This lighting workshop was exhilarating! I liked the theoretical lectures paired with practical exercises and handling the equipment both individually and as a team. I will never look at a film with the same eyes again. Nor will I ever make a film without precise consultation with my lighting designer. Highly recommend this workshop!