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Matt Workman

Travel in time with these three cinematic lighting setups to simulate different times of day

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The natural light entering our room changes quite dramatically throughout the day. The colour, contrast, overall tone and mood changes as our little planet spins about its axis. Creating artificial lighting setups to simulate those different times of day isn’t always that easy. But if you learn to recognise the characteristics of light, you can reverse engineer and rebuild it.

This video from Matt Workman at the Cinematography Database illustrates three cinematic lighting techniques. The bright daytime, the golden sunset, and the blue glow of night. Each different setup uses the same set, illustrating just how much of a different the light makes. The principles shown will work equally as well for stills or video.

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How pro cinema lens techs test their camera lenses with a projector

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When most of us are testing out new lenses, it’s often a very subjective thing. And our testing exercises are rarely very scientific. In fact, we may not even notice some issues until we’ve had a lens for a few months. Then, one day, the problem pops up, clear as day. For cinematographers that rely on a certain level of technical excellence in the equipment, though, it’s a big deal.

They want to know that a lens can stand up to the task. That multiple lenses used to shoot a scene from multiple angles are consistent. Rental houses also want to be sure that equipment comes back to them in the same condition as when it left. So, they take things a little more seriously. This video from Cinematography Database shows off some of the process, and what they’re looking for when testing.

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How to get cinematic lighting without electricity

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Most of my shoots, whether for stills or video, are out on location. Often, those locations are out in the middle of nowhere. So, I rely on portable battery powered everything, including lights. This means we don’t always get the power we’re able to in the studio with mains powered lights, but it doesn’t mean we’re out of options.

In this video from DSLRguide, filmmaker Simon Cade talks us through some different setups using portable battery powered lights. He shows us how to simulate both moonlight and sunlight, as well as complementing and overcoming issues with practical lights. He also shows a great way to build a good flaming torch to either light a shot or be the subject of it.

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How to light real world objects with “flat design” style drop shadows

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The “flat design” style drop shadows seem to have become a big thing lately. Whenever I check out my YouTube feed, I always seem to see a new tutorial on how to do it in Photoshop, Illustrator or After Effects. It’s easy to see why. It’s a pleasing look. It complements a flat design with a sense of realism, depth and context. This is the first time, though, that I’ve seen it done for real, with actual objects.

In this video from the Cinematography Database, Matt Workman teams up with Greg from Lens Pro To Go to show us how it’s done. Starting off with a simple overhead setup, they take us through the entire process. They break the process down into individual steps and build it up one light at a time. This lets you see exactly how each light is contributing to the scene.

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Cinematography Database YouTube Show cancelled over Copyright issues

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The Cinematography Database was one of the more recent YouTube shows I really started looking forward to the each week as new episodes were released. Now, the creator of the show, Cinematographer Matt Workman, has been forced to shut down the show in its current format over Copyright issues.

In the latest video to the Cinematography Database channel, Matt explains what happened, his decision to end the show in its current format, and possible plans for the future.

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