How can I set up light for filming an interview?

You can set up lighting for an interview in a broad range of ways.

All different lighting techniques provide various forms of expression and evoke different emotions.

One of the common used lighting techniques used in filming an interview is the three point lighting setup. In three point lighting you use 3 sources of light being the key light, the fill light and the back light.

Key light

The dominant source of light falling on your interviewee is called the key light.

Your subject should be at a 45° angle from your main light, which should be a soft light that is tilted slightly downward to hit the subject from above.

Fill light

Your fill light comes next, and it can either be a light source or a reflector. Large glossy surfaces that bounce light are called reflectors.

To reflect light back into the subject's face and fill in the shadows, position the fill light or reflector at a 45° angle to your subject on the opposite side of the key light.

Back light

At last, there is the back light. The back light is necessary to distinguish the interviewee from the background. 

Place your back light out of frame behind your subject and right across from your key light. You should be able to see the light hitting on your subject's shoulders, hair and neck.

This way you will have a perfectly lit subject for filming your interview.

If you would like any help from our professionals with setting up light in video production settings, please contact us.