Lighting a Natural Looking Commercial

Achieving Natural Commercial Lighting: Behind the Scenes

In this post, I'll walk you through how I achieved a natural commercial lighting look for a recent shoot. As a filmmaker often working solo, it was a refreshing change to focus solely on the lighting for this commercial project. I had the pleasure of collaborating with the talented creatives at CHS on an advertisement for a well-known brand. While I can't reveal too much about the project due to confidentiality, I can share my experience as the Gaffer and the lighting techniques I employed.

The Setup

For this shoot, I worked closely with the Director of Photography (DP) and the Director to create a natural commercial look in an office setting. The crew did a fantastic job of propping and styling the office scene, making my job easier. Here's a breakdown of the lighting setup for this particular shot.

Equipment and Initial Settings

We used a Sony FX6 camera paired with a 50mm cine lens. To match the ambient light from the windows, we set the camera's color temperature to 5600 Kelvin.

Window Light Management

We shot at high noon, with six large windows to the left of the frame. I blacked out the window closest to the set using a blackout curtain, which wasn't very thick but worked perfectly. The sun was directly above the building, so the other windows provided a soft, low ambient light, reducing the contrast ratio of the shadows.

Main Light Source

Given the ample space, I rigged an Aputure NOVA P300c and a 600x with a spotlight attachment, both set to daylight. I directed these lights through double diffusion attached to two C-Stands. This setup created a soft and even light on the set and subject, giving a nice fall-off on the face.

Enhancing Shadows

To emphasize the shadow side on the right, I rigged some negative fill on a C-stand. This technique deepened the shadows slightly, adding extra dimension to the frame.

Adding a Kicker Light

I added a kicker light behind the subject from above using an RGB set to 3200 Kelvin on a C-Stand. This light helped the subject stand out more and provided better separation from the background.

Creating Background Interest

To add detail to the bare wall behind the subject, I used an Amaran 200d with a CTO gel and a gobo attachment. The window-shaped gobo was focused and positioned to mimic sunlight streaming in from the left. This added interest to the back wall, especially for the vertical versions of the scene.

Final Touches

This comprehensive setup resulted in a beautifully lit, natural-looking office scene. I hope you found this lighting breakdown helpful!

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