30/04/2025
Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of stepping into the role of DOP across a range of incredible projects—commercials, corporates, and music videos. One thing has stood out time and time again: you can have the most advanced camera in the world, but without a solid understanding of lighting, your footage won’t stand out from today’s smartphones.
Lighting is what truly separates cinematic visuals from average content. Here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way:
1. Shape the light, don’t just blast it. Use flags, grids, or barn doors to control spill and add depth to your scene.
2. Light for mood, not just exposure. Ask yourself what emotion the scene is meant to convey—and use color temperature, softness, and contrast to support it.
3. Use practicals to enhance realism. Lamps, screens, or car headlights in-frame can ground your scene and give you motivated sources to build from.
4. Don’t be afraid of shadows. Darkness adds mystery and dimension. Purely flat lighting rarely feels cinematic.
5. Work with motivated sources. Think about where light would naturally come from in the scene, and enhance it. Make it feel intentional.
Big thanks to Tapan at .media for the behind-the-scenes shots. We’ve recently transitioned all our lighting to —and it’s been a game changer.
