In the world of YouTube content creation, every element contributes to the success of a video, and background lighting for YouTube videos is a good addition. It refers to the strategic placement and adjustment of lights to enhance the visual appeal and professionalism of your YouTube videos. It helps content creators improve the video quality, captivate audiences, and establish a distinctive visual identity. In this article, we will delve into its definition, explore its benefits for YouTube videos, and provide practical tips on how to set it up to achieve optimal results.
What is background light for YouTube video?
Background light is light that illuminates the background. This changes the brightness and even the color of the backdrop. It makes light effects and spots appear on the background or makes it more uniform and calm.
A model does not exist in a vacuum. Even a white shadowless background is also a technique, a conscious decision. Therefore, the model and the background are not opposition, but a single whole, which together creates the composition of the YouTube videos.
The use of background lighting is icing on the cake in some YouTube videos, commonly found in the category of assessment, knowledge sharing, unboxing, and even beauty food. In this type of video, there are two ways to play with the background light. One is the light effects and spots on the background, and the other is the flat lighting that relies entirely on the light to create the background.
What are its benefits in YouTube videos?
Background lighting in YouTube videos offers several benefits that can significantly enhance the overall quality and viewer experience:
It enhances video quality
Proper background lighting ensures that the subject is well-lit, reducing shadows and highlighting important features. This leads to a clearer, sharper, and more visually appealing video.
It sets the mood and tone
Lighting is crucial for setting the right mood and tone for your video. Whether you’re aiming for a bright and cheerful vibe or a moody and dramatic atmosphere, background lighting can help you achieve the desired effect.
It gives YouTubers a professional appearance
A well-lit video gives off a professional look, which can help build trust with your audience. It signals that the creator has invested time and effort into producing high-quality content, which can increase viewer engagement.
It improves the visibility of details
Background lighting can bring out the details in the video, making it easier for viewers to see and appreciate the content. This is especially important for videos that include product reviews or tutorials where clarity is key.
It gives creative expression to YouTube videos
With the use of practical lights, such as lamps, signs, and LED strips, creators can add color and ambiance to the background, allowing for creative expression and a unique video style.
By carefully selecting and setting up background lighting, YouTubers can create videos that are not only visually appealing but also convey their message more effectively and professionally.
How to get background lighting for YouTube videos?
Color backgrounds are a great way to catch people's attention. They make boring spaces look better and are pretty easy to set up by using RGB video lighting. Here we will share some step-by-step tips to help you level up your setup.
Step 1: Invest in the lighting equipment for setting up background lighting for YouTube videos
In the realm of video production, background lighting plays a pivotal role in enhancing visual appeal and setting the tone. To ensure great visuals in your YouTube channel, you need three video lights.
Firstly, consider incorporating an RGB LED light to infuse the scene behind you with dynamic and captivating colors, adding depth and atmosphere to your footage. Secondly, strategically position a rim light to create separation between yourself and the background, accentuating your presence and adding dimension to the frame. Finally, ensure proper illumination of the subject with a key light, which serves as the primary source of illumination, highlighting facial features and ensuring clarity.
Step 2: Properly place the key, fill, and background lights for YouTube studio
The placement of background lighting for YouTube videos matters. So does the key and rim light. Here are the tips for you to place them properly.
First, position your RGB light directly behind you, allowing a small space between yourself and the backdrop. This enables the light to illuminate the space effectively.
Next, introduce a rim light at a 45-degree angle behind you, elevated above, and angled downwards towards your head and shoulders. Observe how this accentuates your outline, effectively separating you from the background.
Finally, add a key light positioned at a 45-degree angle in front of you. Slightly raise it and angle it downwards to illuminate more of your figure while minimizing background interference.
Step 3: Adjust the brightness and color temperature to ensure natural and well-exposed background
Begin by setting your key light to a brightness level between 20 and 30, then make adjustments accordingly. Should your key light be overly bright, it may spill into the scene, potentially washing out the background color. This also requires a reduction in exposure to prevent overexposure.
Conversely, if your key light is too dim, increasing the ISO of your camera may introduce graininess to your image. Achieving the ideal balance requires experimentation and creativity, so don't hesitate to explore different settings to find what works best for your production needs.
For best color results, set your key light, rim light, and camera's white balance to 5600 kelvin. This is the color of daylight and will help your color tones look more realistic.