Thank you so much for this video. I was searching for videos to learn about lighting setup and TH-cam recommended your video to me. I've watched quite a few lighting tutorials but I have to say yours is the best! Keep those videos coming because you're great at this. I learned a lot and can't wait to have a go setting my equipment up in my small room this week. I'm going to sign up to your free course and I've subscribed. Looking forward to learning more from you, Julie 😊
Heather, gotta say, you picked a tough nut to crack with that room. Impressed that you nailed a good solution first try. (Agreed, 2nd setup just didn't sit right). You're the expert and I'm the beginner who wasn't standing in the room evaluating, but as a 3rd try, I would have considered turning 90° and use the window as a fill light out of frame, create a-darkish-semi-interesting bkgd (I'm imagining a large musical scale slightly in bokeh-hey, maybe Gobo. No, I know: How about a hanging portrait of Beethoven at his piano-not the dog, the man). Besides, that window won't help for nighttime filming but a simple foam core board white reflector could sit in front of the window at night as a "stand-in" fill light. This is such a great video for the thinking process involved and I loved how you stepped through it. I'm trying to figure out how best to set up my first-ever studio 12'x12' space now, without any of the handicaps you faced in this room, and you really helped me with where to start. Thank you! P.S. On a safety note, a C-stand arm can be dangerous and care should be taken to set it up. I know this only by watching many YT C-stand videos. @4:51, as you stand on the same side of the arm as the grip head tightening-knob, notice the camera mount is on your left. In this position you will be turning the knob/handle clockwise to tighten the arm to the C-stand so the camera/light/heavy-thing needs to be on the right-hand end of the arm. This way, the weight of the object will be working to further tighten the grip head preventing it from loosening and crashing to the piano. Unlikely to happen with just your smartphone as the object on the wrong end but next week maybe someone decides to add a 10 lb light there and... So, granted, in this particular instance, small risk, but better to get in the safer habit for all instances. Sure don't want to see you injured and unable to make more videos! 😊
That's a good 3rd option, and I had considered it, but there was an office area that typically gets a bit messy in the right hand side (lil nook, you can see in the opening shot I think). So, to keep it simple, I went with the one I did, but yes, ideally that's what I wanted as well! :D And thanks for the safety tip! I know it was the wrong way to go about it, and technically it's only a phone like you said. I'll try to be better about that next time. :D Just was excited in the moment I guess, haha :D But I'm really happy to hear it's been helpful for you! Your space sounds big enough to do some cool things in. :D If you need any help at all, feel free to reach out any time
@@FellowFilmmaker I also watch Gerald Undone, Potato Jet and Caleb Pike... I think one of them recommended you or maybe TH-cam suggested, can't remember but I've been subscribed since sometime last year.
@@FellowFilmmaker A little bit. Mostly I play acoustic guitar. (Which, I’ve just recorded using a sennheiser MKH 416 and it sounds immense!) Love your vids. Keep up the great work 🤙🏽
The little things in the shot make the difference in the final video. I would've gone with the first option but my second guessing self would've tried something else cause why not... This explained is so helpful. straight and to the point. Keep the videos coming!!
Haha, yessss on the second-guessing self! It's one reason I walk around with a camera in hand first, so I don't keep guessing if it's really the best. :D And more is coming, don't worry!
@@FellowFilmmaker Def looking forward to it... come to think of it, I will possibly have to start using my point-&-shoot to get some ideas when I'm at different locations.
Certainly! Do you have a specific type or style in mind for the next one? And hello to you in Austria! I've always wanted to visit. What part of Austria are you from?
Your videos are so helpful without over complicating things. I’m a music producer who’s trying to figure out how to light my home studio properly so this helps a ton. Yourself and Gerald Undone are my favorite channels on TH-cam. Keep up the awesome work!
Love hearing this! And wow, so exciting for you! What have you worked on it so far? Or are you just planning right now? You're always welcome to reach out if you need help, btw
@@FellowFilmmaker My space is not too small, BUT I usually just film in one corner of the room. Too much gear/junk laying around. Need to clean up a bit (MOVE THE MESS TO A DIFFERNET SPOT) and find some new angles. Probably going to try that for my next video.
So surprised to see video about piano shooting here haha! Really inspiring, learned a lot, thanks! The real problem of shooting for many pianist is the overhead top-down angle, which is really not easy to setup. In this video you could see it’s not really cover all 88-keys, that’s one issue. And if u want this angle to have the same video quality with others, you wouldn’t wanna use smartphone. Especially for people who need to shoot constantly for long period, or even do livestream or online teaching, there’s also focus checking issues and battery problem with this angle. It’s really hard to solve all these problem in simple way 😔.
Agreed, the top angle did cut off. I could raise it higher, OR use the super wide lens on the camera. I considered it, but forgot to grab that shot while I was there. A phone isn't the perfect solution, its a get started solution (which was the aim in this case). Personally, I'd go with a monitor and camera out feed if I were doing a livestream or long recordings. :D Just depends on the needs of course. :D
Interesting video. I struggle with this. My room is tiny and it’s really hard to have that nice out of focus background. That room certainly looked challenging!
Great video. Would love to see more videos like this with different spaces. Great to hear the thought that goes on in your design. Appreciate the video. 🤙
@@FellowFilmmaker Maybe more living room settings. Wish I had an empty room, but I'm assuming most creators don't have the dedicated space for filming. But I really like your approach to finding the best setup for the location relative to the space.
When you held the ND gel up in front of the window it was amazing how much it helped while you were pretty much just motioning with the gel. The slats of the blinds immediately became obvious and the view of the window was not so blown out. It was actually a really good demonstration of what ND gels can do for a window. I've been hesitating getting ND gels for windows but this video really displays the benefit of having them. Beats having to blast the room in competing light. Having the piano and talent on an angle to the camera, and angled in the room, definitely makes the shot composition much more interesting, as well as how you balanced the back wall dressing on either side of the talent to balance it out. Nice way to utilize a blown out window. Would be interesting to see the same shot with the window covered in appropriate ND gel (size/intensity) as well.
Agreed, blasting a bright keylight into the subjects face for long stretches is not the best for their eyes. I wish very much I had brought the right size and strength! Perhaps I'll be able to do an update shot later on :D Thanks for the great comment
A small room definitely creates some challenges no matter what you’re doing. I like how your videos are always informative and also lots of fun. Good job. 😊
Thanks Jeff! And yes, small spaces create a plethora of challenges. Not that larger ones don't, but you certainly have size/space issues in small ones Glad you're enjoying the content, all thanks to your support over on Patreon and kind comments like this :D
Really good video! Reminds me of one of Parker's TH-cam guides! When it comes to blown out windows I shoot on RED cameras and use lots of lighting equipment so I don't usually have to worry about dynamic range haha.
Nice job! I maybe would prefer to pull the audio from the piano directly to a pc or another recorder so in case there is noise from the room or outside you can use that one
Thanks, I'm struggling right now to turn my small space into a shooting area for 3 distinct looks that I can switch between quickly. Your tips are helpful (as always!)
Cool, I like a darker setup myself :D Feel free to reach out via email with your particular questions or issues and I'll see if I can help you out, if you like I'm gearing up for more content around studios, so at the very least knowing your struggles will help with content I create :D
Any advice on lighting and camera setup on a desk for streaming? How close can I actually keep my desk to the wall? What kind of mounts would you go with for cameras/ lights in that setting? Thanks! Really love the way you explain things :)
I certainly couldn't fit a full response here in the comments on this (might be worth a video to make) Each streamer has a different need I'd say, but some things certainly apply all around. For lighting: A good keylight is necessary. I like a two light setup (one for a keylight and one for a backlight to keep separation). Depending on the light, the budget, etc. will determine how much space it takes up and thus how far the desk will be. For my setup I get away with 14 inches from the wall, but that's cuz I have a sound blanket setup to keep the audio good. Camera: You can use anything, but not everything gives amazing quality. I like to use DSLR cuz it gives a nice blurry background PRO look. So, that one is dependent on what you already have, or what you want to invest into the setup. Mounting, once again depends on what you buy. I've got my camera and monitor setup on a desk monopod stand. While my light is on a light stand. My microphone I boom overhead from an assortment of grip gear. Hope that gives some ideas. You can check out my studio tour to see how things are setup a bit. You're welcome to reach out to me if you need specific help on your setup, I do consults for folks who need help with studio/lighting setups. :D
@@FellowFilmmaker Oh rad, thank you for the long reply! If you end up making a video about this I'll definitely check it out. I'm moving into a bigger studio space so I have some options, but it's hard for me to visualise what the set up will look like before I can put it together (but also obv don't wanna buy a bunch of gear just to see how it'll fit and then having to sell/ return things). Also good to know about your consulting (although it'd probably be next year by the time it becomes relevant for me). Anyway, thanks again and have a nice day :)
Hi Heather: Thanks for this great video. The results you were able to achieve were amazing. Thanks for the solid advice. Your channel is both informative and entertaining to watch. This video was very useful, as not everyone has unlimited space to use for lighting, and you demonstrated how to gain superior results even with substandard conditions. Thanks and Regards, Keith
Agreed. It feels flat too, which to some might be ok, but flat to me is so... sad? Video in general ends up being 2d so when we can 'fake' a 3d look with lighting, angles, composition, etc. it just makes it feel right.... feels 'cinematic' :D Yeah?
I do edit some of my work in Davinci, but for TH-cam videos I'm typically running it through FCPX just because I'm really speedy in that program. I like Davinci for it's control in colors and advanced features that FPCX is missing (wire removal for one). I also shoot on a 6kpro, so davinci makes sense for that :D
Great video!! - Although this is not a small room... It is a big room, compared to my studio space!! No way that big softbox would fit in my space! Great tips though!!
I was like, “she’s putting the c-stand arm in backward - it could unscrew and open accidentally under the weight” and then you put an iPhone at the end and I was all, “oh, never mind then..”
But who’s came first??🤣🤣 lol good stuff!
Haha, I think we both posted at 12PM on the dot! And since we're both EST, well maybe it's a tie :D
Really, really, so well presented.
Happy to hear that! :D
Good looking composition with the angled piano.
Agreed, better than front on
Thank you so much for this video. I was searching for videos to learn about lighting setup and TH-cam recommended your video to me. I've watched quite a few lighting tutorials but I have to say yours is the best! Keep those videos coming because you're great at this. I learned a lot and can't wait to have a go setting my equipment up in my small room this week. I'm going to sign up to your free course and I've subscribed. Looking forward to learning more from you, Julie 😊
Thanks for the kind comment, so glad you found the channel! :D Hope your setup goes well
I’m glad i found you. You are now my go-to resource!
Heather, gotta say, you picked a tough nut to crack with that room. Impressed that you nailed a good solution first try. (Agreed, 2nd setup just didn't sit right). You're the expert and I'm the beginner who wasn't standing in the room evaluating, but as a 3rd try, I would have considered turning 90° and use the window as a fill light out of frame, create a-darkish-semi-interesting bkgd (I'm imagining a large musical scale slightly in bokeh-hey, maybe Gobo. No, I know: How about a hanging portrait of Beethoven at his piano-not the dog, the man). Besides, that window won't help for nighttime filming but a simple foam core board white reflector could sit in front of the window at night as a "stand-in" fill light.
This is such a great video for the thinking process involved and I loved how you stepped through it. I'm trying to figure out how best to set up my first-ever studio 12'x12' space now, without any of the handicaps you faced in this room, and you really helped me with where to start. Thank you!
P.S. On a safety note, a C-stand arm can be dangerous and care should be taken to set it up. I know this only by watching many YT C-stand videos. @4:51, as you stand on the same side of the arm as the grip head tightening-knob, notice the camera mount is on your left. In this position you will be turning the knob/handle clockwise to tighten the arm to the C-stand so the camera/light/heavy-thing needs to be on the right-hand end of the arm. This way, the weight of the object will be working to further tighten the grip head preventing it from loosening and crashing to the piano. Unlikely to happen with just your smartphone as the object on the wrong end but next week maybe someone decides to add a 10 lb light there and... So, granted, in this particular instance, small risk, but better to get in the safer habit for all instances. Sure don't want to see you injured and unable to make more videos! 😊
That's a good 3rd option, and I had considered it, but there was an office area that typically gets a bit messy in the right hand side (lil nook, you can see in the opening shot I think). So, to keep it simple, I went with the one I did, but yes, ideally that's what I wanted as well! :D
And thanks for the safety tip! I know it was the wrong way to go about it, and technically it's only a phone like you said. I'll try to be better about that next time. :D Just was excited in the moment I guess, haha :D
But I'm really happy to hear it's been helpful for you! Your space sounds big enough to do some cool things in. :D If you need any help at all, feel free to reach out any time
You are awesome. This is the easiest channel to watch. So approachable and credible.
Appreciate that, thank you! :D How'd you find the channel, btw?
@@FellowFilmmaker I also watch Gerald Undone, Potato Jet and Caleb Pike... I think one of them recommended you or maybe TH-cam suggested, can't remember but I've been subscribed since sometime last year.
That's cool! Glad you're enjoying the channel
You’re great on the piano! Those were some skills 🤙🏽
Haha, well thank you! I only ever got one lesson in my life, and that was a long time ago :D
Do you play?
@@FellowFilmmaker A little bit. Mostly I play acoustic guitar. (Which, I’ve just recorded using a sennheiser MKH 416 and it sounds immense!) Love your vids. Keep up the great work 🤙🏽
That's cool! :D And thank you, more to come
Aww…I was hoping to sign up for the piano lessons. 🙃
Thanks for the great setup and lighting details.
You could sign up but never learn anything - a really great program, if I say so myself
Thanks for the comment, glad you enjoyed the video
@@FellowFilmmaker 😂
The little things in the shot make the difference in the final video. I would've gone with the first option but my second guessing self would've tried something else cause why not... This explained is so helpful. straight and to the point. Keep the videos coming!!
Haha, yessss on the second-guessing self! It's one reason I walk around with a camera in hand first, so I don't keep guessing if it's really the best. :D
And more is coming, don't worry!
@@FellowFilmmaker Def looking forward to it... come to think of it, I will possibly have to start using my point-&-shoot to get some ideas when I'm at different locations.
Nice! Good ole point and shoot can be good for something! :D
awesome video, please more of that ;-) thank you from austria
Certainly! Do you have a specific type or style in mind for the next one?
And hello to you in Austria! I've always wanted to visit. What part of Austria are you from?
Your videos are so helpful without over complicating things. I’m a music producer who’s trying to figure out how to light my home studio properly so this helps a ton. Yourself and Gerald Undone are my favorite channels on TH-cam. Keep up the awesome work!
Love hearing this! And wow, so exciting for you!
What have you worked on it so far? Or are you just planning right now?
You're always welcome to reach out if you need help, btw
Im the one who asked to do this video,just awsome!!!!!!😃😃😃😃
Nice!!! :D
So good...all around...I will figure out a way to both utilize and support your work 👊🏼
Awesome! Thank you!
Hope you find lots of useful things here on the channel
Love the first angle and how you made this small space work.
Thanks so much! Hope it was helpful
Nice Video... Good walk through! That was a tough setup... Small room and not a lot of options.
for sure! That dumb fan really made it hard, haha! :D do you have a small space?
@@FellowFilmmaker My space is not too small, BUT I usually just film in one corner of the room. Too much gear/junk laying around. Need to clean up a bit (MOVE THE MESS TO A DIFFERNET SPOT) and find some new angles. Probably going to try that for my next video.
Haha, love the move the mess to a new spot! :D
And it's always exciting to try a new angle. I feel like I change mine every 6-9 months :D
Great breakdown
Thanks Jared
So surprised to see video about piano shooting here haha! Really inspiring, learned a lot, thanks! The real problem of shooting for many pianist is the overhead top-down angle, which is really not easy to setup.
In this video you could see it’s not really cover all 88-keys, that’s one issue. And if u want this angle to have the same video quality with others, you wouldn’t wanna use smartphone. Especially for people who need to shoot constantly for long period, or even do livestream or online teaching, there’s also focus checking issues and battery problem with this angle. It’s really hard to solve all these problem in simple way 😔.
Agreed, the top angle did cut off. I could raise it higher, OR use the super wide lens on the camera. I considered it, but forgot to grab that shot while I was there.
A phone isn't the perfect solution, its a get started solution (which was the aim in this case). Personally, I'd go with a monitor and camera out feed if I were doing a livestream or long recordings. :D Just depends on the needs of course. :D
Interesting video. I struggle with this. My room is tiny and it’s really hard to have that nice out of focus background. That room certainly looked challenging!
Small spaces can be tricky for that for sure! This one was hard to get some softness in the background
Great video. Would love to see more videos like this with different spaces. Great to hear the thought that goes on in your design. Appreciate the video. 🤙
What type of spaces or styles would you like to see?
@@FellowFilmmaker Maybe more living room settings. Wish I had an empty room, but I'm assuming most creators don't have the dedicated space for filming. But I really like your approach to finding the best setup for the location relative to the space.
Cool! I'll see what I can do for the next one! :D
Great video, very informative. Thanks
Happy to hear that! :D
Super helpful !
So happy to hear that!
When you held the ND gel up in front of the window it was amazing how much it helped while you were pretty much just motioning with the gel. The slats of the blinds immediately became obvious and the view of the window was not so blown out. It was actually a really good demonstration of what ND gels can do for a window. I've been hesitating getting ND gels for windows but this video really displays the benefit of having them. Beats having to blast the room in competing light. Having the piano and talent on an angle to the camera, and angled in the room, definitely makes the shot composition much more interesting, as well as how you balanced the back wall dressing on either side of the talent to balance it out. Nice way to utilize a blown out window. Would be interesting to see the same shot with the window covered in appropriate ND gel (size/intensity) as well.
Agreed, blasting a bright keylight into the subjects face for long stretches is not the best for their eyes. I wish very much I had brought the right size and strength! Perhaps I'll be able to do an update shot later on :D
Thanks for the great comment
@@FellowFilmmaker - You're welcome. I really enjoy your videos for the education and your charisma.
This was great. Thx
Happy to! Hope you learned alot
A small room definitely creates some challenges no matter what you’re doing. I like how your videos are always informative and also lots of fun. Good job. 😊
Thanks Jeff! And yes, small spaces create a plethora of challenges. Not that larger ones don't, but you certainly have size/space issues in small ones
Glad you're enjoying the content, all thanks to your support over on Patreon and kind comments like this :D
Really good video! Reminds me of one of Parker's TH-cam guides! When it comes to blown out windows I shoot on RED cameras and use lots of lighting equipment so I don't usually have to worry about dynamic range haha.
Haha yes! When i shoot on my cinema camera, bm 6k pro, it makes a world of difference with dynamic range!
Nice job! I maybe would prefer to pull the audio from the piano directly to a pc or another recorder so in case there is noise from the room or outside you can use that one
Correct, I assume each instructor would do that based on model of piano and needs. But, I would do the same, if it were me.
Wow this video was great! You made things sound very easy to understand I appreciate it!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks, I'm struggling right now to turn my small space into a shooting area for 3 distinct looks that I can switch between quickly. Your tips are helpful (as always!)
Glad I can provide helpful content for you! What looks are you going for?
Hi there, can you do a video on your live set up. It was so slick the other day. Thanks
Sure, working on it! :D
Great video! Really helps to understand your thought process and how you work through the challenges of the room to get great shots.
Glad it was helpful! :D
great thanks for the helping content ❤️
My pleasure! Hope you got something from it! :D
@@FellowFilmmaker
yes i am confused about back light and hoping some help from your side with a video same like this in dark setup
Cool, I like a darker setup myself :D
Feel free to reach out via email with your particular questions or issues and I'll see if I can help you out, if you like
I'm gearing up for more content around studios, so at the very least knowing your struggles will help with content I create :D
@@FellowFilmmaker OMG a bundle of thanks
You're most welcome! :D
It's a really nice space
Sure is! They did a great job styling it, made my job easier
@Fellow Filmmaker Having a space just to be able record your content is a plus
True :) I think this was also an office for them as well, so it's an all purpose space I suppose
Any advice on lighting and camera setup on a desk for streaming? How close can I actually keep my desk to the wall? What kind of mounts would you go with for cameras/ lights in that setting?
Thanks! Really love the way you explain things :)
I certainly couldn't fit a full response here in the comments on this (might be worth a video to make)
Each streamer has a different need I'd say, but some things certainly apply all around.
For lighting:
A good keylight is necessary. I like a two light setup (one for a keylight and one for a backlight to keep separation).
Depending on the light, the budget, etc. will determine how much space it takes up and thus how far the desk will be.
For my setup I get away with 14 inches from the wall, but that's cuz I have a sound blanket setup to keep the audio good.
Camera:
You can use anything, but not everything gives amazing quality. I like to use DSLR cuz it gives a nice blurry background PRO look.
So, that one is dependent on what you already have, or what you want to invest into the setup.
Mounting, once again depends on what you buy. I've got my camera and monitor setup on a desk monopod stand. While my light is on a light stand. My microphone I boom overhead from an assortment of grip gear.
Hope that gives some ideas. You can check out my studio tour to see how things are setup a bit.
You're welcome to reach out to me if you need specific help on your setup, I do consults for folks who need help with studio/lighting setups. :D
@@FellowFilmmaker Oh rad, thank you for the long reply! If you end up making a video about this I'll definitely check it out.
I'm moving into a bigger studio space so I have some options, but it's hard for me to visualise what the set up will look like before I can put it together (but also obv don't wanna buy a bunch of gear just to see how it'll fit and then having to sell/ return things).
Also good to know about your consulting (although it'd probably be next year by the time it becomes relevant for me).
Anyway, thanks again and have a nice day :)
Glad I could help a bit :D
Feel free to reach out anytime you have a question
Hi Heather:
Thanks for this great video. The results you were able to achieve were amazing. Thanks for the solid advice. Your channel is both informative and entertaining to watch. This video was very useful, as not everyone has unlimited space to use for lighting, and you demonstrated how to gain superior results even with substandard conditions.
Thanks and Regards,
Keith
Happy to hear it was useful to you Keith! Hoping to do more soon on things like this
Now you're teaching piano too! Nice!! 🤣👏🤪
You know it! :D Lessons are $2 a minute 😂
@@FellowFilmmaker 😂😂
The first camera angle also feels more relaxed-like. Second feels like it should be more formal.
Agreed. It feels flat too, which to some might be ok, but flat to me is so... sad?
Video in general ends up being 2d so when we can 'fake' a 3d look with lighting, angles, composition, etc. it just makes it feel right.... feels 'cinematic' :D
Yeah?
@@FellowFilmmaker agreed! For sure.
Ummm your amazing at explains and teaching❣️
Well thanks! I try to make everything super easy for folks to understand :D
@@FellowFilmmaker your my fav channel poo on Mckennon & Undone 🤣🤪 Your my go-to ❣️🤓
still testing for my 9x11 room office space... damn why i'm so picky ! Great video tho - loved the ladybugs!
Perfecting a studio takes time for sure! :D
Haha, and yeah, there was a ton of them in there!
Do you edit with DaVinci? I started now coming from Premiere and I love it, but I'm not sure yet if it can be better or not...
I do edit some of my work in Davinci, but for TH-cam videos I'm typically running it through FCPX just because I'm really speedy in that program.
I like Davinci for it's control in colors and advanced features that FPCX is missing (wire removal for one).
I also shoot on a 6kpro, so davinci makes sense for that :D
I call minimalist beautiful space
Glad you enjoyed :D
Great video!! - Although this is not a small room... It is a big room, compared to my studio space!! No way that big softbox would fit in my space! Great tips though!!
Haha good point. It's small in the sense of what is useable with the odd ceiling shape
did you use a lav mic to record this?
yes I did :D
"tame piano frustration" 😂😂😂
:D Haha, expression at its finest
Nice job. However, it seems that the flower drawings are attracting more attention that the main subject.
Good point!
I was like, “she’s putting the c-stand arm in backward - it could unscrew and open accidentally under the weight” and then you put an iPhone at the end and I was all, “oh, never mind then..”
Haha, tricked ya on that
The phone wasnt going anywhere 😁
Verbatim…get rid of the “negative “ space! Hahaha
Haha, didnt even notice, but yeah!
I like a balanced frame :D
@@FellowFilmmaker 😄
Hm...what if the person had a sustain pedal? we have to see legs then. 😆
That is true, haha! But probably not like that :P
9:56 :P
😁🎹