Curtis Judd 5/30/21 Curtis Judd 5/30/21

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.

Curtis Judd 5/23/21 Curtis Judd 5/23/21

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.

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:

Curtis Judd 5/16/21 Curtis Judd 5/16/21

Litepanels Gemini 1x1 Hard LED Panel Light - Pro-level Video Light Review

In this episode, we have a look at the new Litepanels Gemini 1x1 Hard LED panel. This pro-level light packs a punch with more output than any other 1x1 panel I’ve tested. In addition, it includes two diffusers to soften the light making this a very versatile light. The color modes, controls, and overall design make this the best 1x1 LED panel light I’ve used to date.

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

- 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.

Curtis Judd 3/9/21 Curtis Judd 3/9/21

Aputure F10 Fresnel & 2 bay Battery Power Station

In this episode, we take a look at the new Aputure F10 Fresnel lens mount as well as the 2-bay Battery Power Station which can power the Aputure Nova P300C and the Amaran 100 and 200 series lights.

Support my work creating videos by donating.

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

- Aputure F10 Fresnel - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store

- Aputure F10 Barn Doors - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store

- Aputure 2-bay Battery Power Station - Aputure

- Aputure Nova P300C RGBWW panel light - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store

- Aputure 600D Bowens mount light - Aputure, B&H

- Aputure 300X Bowens mount light - Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Aputure 300D II Bowens mount light - Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Aputure 120D II Bowens mount light - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

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

- Amaran 200D Bowens mount light - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

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

- Aputure Light Dome SE - Aputure

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

- Earthworks SR314 Microphone - B&H, Sweetwater

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

- Sigma 24-70mm EF f/2.8 DG OS HSM ART Lens - B&H, Amazon

- Schneider Radiant Soft filter - B&H

- Canon C200 camera - B&H

- Canon EF 24-105 f/4L IS 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.

Curtis Judd 3/9/21 Curtis Judd 3/9/21

Innovative Single-Point RGB & Zoom Light: Godox SZ150R

In this episode, we take a look at the new Godox SZ150R RGB and white, zoom-able LED light for video. This is probably the most innovative light I’ve seen in a few years with a single point light source, RGB and tungsten to daylight color tuning as well as the ability to adjust the beam angle from 20 to 65°. Let’s take a closer look!

Support my work creating videos by donating.

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

- Godox SZ150R single point RGBWW Zoom LED light - B&H, Amazon

- Godox SL150W II single point daylight LED light - B&H, Amazon

- Aputure Spotlight Mount (Leko style attachment with Bowens mount) - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Aputure Fresnel 2X - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Sekonic C-800 Photo spectrometer - B&H, Amazon

- Earthworks SR314 Microphone - B&H, Sweetwater

- Allen & Heath SQ5 Digital Audio Mixer - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

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

- Sigma 24-70mm EF f/2.8 DG OS HSM ART Lens - B&H, Amazon

- Schneider Radiant Soft filter - B&H

- Canon C70 camera - B&H

- Canon RF 24-70 f/2.8L IS USM 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.

Curtis Judd 2/21/21 Curtis Judd 2/21/21

Lupo Kickasspanel Full Color RGBWW LED Light - Versatile Small Light

In this episode, we take a look at the new Lupo Kickasspanel RGBWW LED light. This little professional grade light is designed for on-camera use (e.g., news, walk-up interviews, documentary) but for my corporate video work, I’ll use it more as a hair, rim, or background light. Because of its lensed LED design, it can throw light a lot farther than most other small LEDs on the market, making it a lot more useful. In this review, we take a closer look at the color quality, output, controls, build quality, and powering options.

Support my work creating videos by donating.

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

- Lupo Kickasspanel Full Color - B&H

- Lupo Actionpanel (used as key light in sample shot) - B&H

- Lupo Smartpanel Bi-color on-camera LED Light - B&H, Amazon

- Lupo Superpanel line of pro LED lights - B&H

- Sekonic C-800 Photospectrometer - B&H, Amazon

- Earthworks SR314 Microphone - B&H, Sweetwater

- Allen & Heath SQ5 Digital Audio Mixer - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Canon C200 camera - B&H

- Canon EF 24-105 f/4L IS Lens - B&H, Amazon

- Canon C70 camera - B&H

- Canon RF 24-70 f/2.8L IS USM 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.

Curtis Judd 1/16/21 Curtis Judd 1/16/21

Amaran 100d & 200d LED Lights: Affordable Aputure Single Point Lights

Aputure makes some great LED lights for video and film production, but as time marches on, it seems like they’re offering more and more lights aimed at larger budget productions. That changes now with their new Amaran 100d and 200d lights. In today’s episode, we take a look at these new more affordable Aputure Amaran lights.

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:

- Amaran 100d LED Light - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Amarain 200d LED Light - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Aputure Light Dome SE - Aputure

- Aputure 120d mkII LED Light - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Aputure spotlight mount (used to make the pattern on the background) - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Aputure Nova P300C LED Panel Light - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store

- Aputure Soft Box for Nova P300C - Aputure, B&H, DVE Store

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

- Sigma 24-70 EF f/2.8 DG OS HSM Lens - B&H, Amazon

- Canon C70 cinema camera used for BTS shots - B&H

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

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

Curtis Judd 12/27/20 Curtis Judd 12/27/20

Lights for Livestreams: GVM 800D RGB LED Lights

In today’s episode, we have a look at the GVM 800D-RGB LED lights for livestreaming. These little, affordable lights are both bi-color white lights, but also full RGB. So you can use them to light your beautiful face or to create super saturated, stylized colored backgrounds. In this episode, I used the two light kit with desk-mount stands which is very useful for those streaming in small rooms where you don’t have a lot of space for light stands. Just attach the stands to the edge of your desk and you’re set to stream.

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:

- GVM 800D-RGB two light kits - B&H, Amazon

- Earthworks SR314 Microphone (my favorite for my voice for livestreams) - B&H, Sweetwater

- Aputure MC lights to create the color in the background - Aputure, B&H, Amazon

- Lupo Smartpanel Dual Color used as a hair light - B&H, Amazon

- Westcott 5in1 reflector to diffuse the key light - Amazon

- Canon C200 camera - B&H

- Canon 24-105 f/4 L lens - B&H, Amazon

- Canon C70 camera - B&H

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

The intro and outro music for this episode is from Musicbed - “For the Kids” by Utah. Get the best music for your videos at Musicbed: http://share.mscbd.fm/curtisjudd

Curtis Judd 12/14/20 Curtis Judd 12/14/20

Aputure 600D Pro LED Light

In today’s episode, we have a detailed look at the new Aputure 600D Pro LED light fixture for video and photo. This is Aputure’s most powerful, single-point LED light with a Bowens mount. In fact, it looks like Aputure is aiming to make a light as powerful and versatile as a Joker 800 HMI fixture which is a staple in larger budget film production. Join us as we have a look at the photometrics, features, and pros & cons.

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:

Aputure 600D Pro - Aputure, B&H
Aputure 300x LED Light - Aputure, B&H, Amazon
Aputure Light Dome 2 soft box - Aputure, B&H, Amazon
Aputure Nova LED Panel Light - Aputure, B&H
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K - B&H, DVEStore, Amazon
Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 DG OS HSM Art Lens for Canon EF - B&H, Amazon
Canon C70camera - B&H
Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L lens - B&H, Amazon

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.

Curtis Judd 12/11/20 Curtis Judd 12/11/20

Godox ML60 Small, Single-point LED Light

In today’s episode, we have a detailed look at the small, very portable Godox ML60 LED Light. This is miniature version of the COB single-point-source LED lights like the Godox SL or VL series. This one is made for smaller jobs like a head and shoulders talking head key light, hair light, rim light, or background light. Its reasonable price make it a great option for those on a budget who need good color quality and a small soft or flood light which can fit in tight spaces.

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:

- Good ML60 LED Light - B&H, Amazon

- Godox AD-S60S 60cm Softbox - Amazon

- Godox S2 Speedlite Bracket for Bowens - B&H, 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

- Canon C70camera - B&H

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

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.