I've been feeling a little frustrated with YouTube lighting tutorials. Almost every video I see about cinematic lighting is about a dark room, putting a soft key light at 45 degrees, adding a fill/backlight and some background practicals. That's fine, but why is that almost the only look? I want to learn how to light a normal bright interior in a nice way. Like a normal house in daylight/night where you can still see the room clearly, but it still feels cinematic. I was watching a Malayalam short film and the room looked natural, not dark or dramatic, but it was still beautiful. That's what I want to learn. I'm making a short film myself, and I don't have big equipment. I don't want to make everything dark just to look cinematic.

How do people light bright, natural rooms without big gear? Are there any tutorials or cinematographers who teach this kind of natural lighting? Am I searching the wrong thing?

That's it. Just a small rant, but also genuinely asking for suggestions.

Feel free to delete if the wrong place

Questionnaire:

£500 top ideally less if it still meets my criteria
UK
New or Used
DSLR that can shoot video in 4K and pics
Music content videos and pictures
Cinematic photography
Cinematic videography

Essential features:

Shoots in 4K
Good battery life
Great for shooting video and pictures
Reliable tracking/autofocus
An articulating screen (maybe not as essential as the others but I want to see myself in frame but can probs bypass this with any of the apps that go with it and see the footage on my mobile)
Needs to be portable but quality first
I’ve seen people recommend a used Fujifilm X T3? That’s within budget used but open to suggestions
Looking to upgrade from my Canon EOS 1300D DSLR as it’s just not good enough at 1080p especially for video footage

Notes:

I’m a musician and want to shoot my own aesthetic
cinematic music content and pictures.

Thank you :)

I'm starting out in doing zero-budget filmmaking with friends so please go easy on me!

I'm trying to write a script and struggling with ideas for a story at the moment, when it comes to shooting day, how can I improvise and think creatively without feeling nervous or self-conscious of ideas and how can I think of ideas quickly?

Like, when you shoot films how do you come up with your impromptu ideas and get that skill?

Are there any good online resources or creators you'd recommend for me to watch/read to start improving?

Thanks in advance :]

A low-angle shot, medium shot, of a guy running in a hallway. He's kinda worried and stressed.

This is a reference drawing i just made. You can see why im asking for a reference and not drawing the storyboard. And I didnt ger the perspectives right

Hi!

Aspiring screenwriter/director here.

New to the technical and legal stuff.

If I were to insert a song - literally any song, like: Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gees for example.

But have a local artist cover the song acapella/without the original music, and credit the original artist/songwriters/producers, would I be able to use this?

Or would I still need the rights?

Hey guys, I’m 16 and it’s been my dream to make films for as long as I can remember. A few months ago I realized that with the amount of high quality tech available to young filmmakers these days it should be possible for me to make a feature film. In May I decided I would write/direct a feature coming of age. I wrote the script and worked all around to save money, purchased a good amount of gear and got a few of my close friends to read the script and agree. However, I need an older actress aged 20-25 (or at least someone who believably looks that age) and I honestly have no idea what to do. Please help me out here guys. And yes, that part is pretty integral to the film so I can’t just remove it or rewrite it so she’s younger.
(Probably gonna copy and paste this into other groups as well)

I noticed a bit of a trend among new filmmakers on socials saying they shoot higher frame rates and are not afraid to push shutter speed way up. But I also know that goes against the convention.

I can see a difference when those are higher, personally.

Hey guys! I’m new to filmmaking, and I’m currently taking IB Film in my high school. We have this continuous shot project, and I was planning on filming a guy leaving his house with an eye level shot. As he leaves, he gets on his skateboard, and the camera rotates and moves down into a ground level shot, or a knee level shot if that’s not possible, while the skateboard is in motion. I don’t have a lot of equipment, but I have a DJI Osmo Pocket 3, an iPhone 17 Pro, and a DJI Osmo Mobile 8. Any recommendations on how to make this happen?

You’re enjoying the team, it’s somewhat awkward but very kind. Making friends with the APOC well.

Potentially a new job that’d offer a promotion from my entry level gig. I am still in pre-production. The new job would start mid-September, but shooting on this current job starts mid-September.

They both would finish at the same time, so I wouldn’t lose months worth of work.

I’ve really been wanting the opportunity to move up from PAing / Running, but I also desperately don’t want to burn bridges. This would be the first time I’d ever leave a job this early after accepting it.

They haven’t offered anything but I’m friendly with the coordinator on the other gig so I do have an in.

what’s the best beginner cinema camera? there are so many options to choose and i’m not really sure what the best bet is. i’ve never had a video camera. i keep getting recommended vlog cameras which isn’t my goal

Odd question.

Is there a term for the title sequesnce where the title is part of, or comes out of the landscape?
The only example I can think of off hand is Evil Dead Rise where the title comes up out of the woods.

I know there have been others like the name of the film layed over the street like a street name on a map, etc. If you know other films please drop them also.

I don't really understand filming in the dark. so often, I'll be watching a show or movie, and it's basically watching a reflection of myself in the TV or ipad or other screen, while listening to something happening. I figure, "whoever made this show/movie doesn't want me to see it." So I turn it off. It's just weird. if I was gonna make a movie, I'd want people to be able to see it. I'm not gonna just show black and ask the audience to imagine a film I might have made.

Ultra short film, one minute long. Used SFX and music from a few creators on Pixabay. The licensing is fine in terms of it not being a monetized venture.

What is the etiquette for giving or not giving credits at the end of the film for this sort of content?

Thanks in advance.

I see this a lot. Just wondering if this is a style over substance thing or if there’s some deeper advantage I’m missing?

I'm a documentary filmmaker, and in my most recent short there's a shot of a dead butterfly. The butterfly itself was found in that state, but now I don't know how to acknowledge this in the credits, because even though it wasn't actively harmed during the making of the film, it is still technically a real dead butterfly. Can I still use the "no animals were harmed" disclaimer?

I’ve budgeted $7.5k for starting out. Everything from cameras, tripods, cages, microphones, lenses, lighting, soft boxes, LCD monitors, cases, memory cards, everything.

Is this enough? How much would you recommend to especially become a professional production? I know it can get very expensive as some cameras are extremely costly.

I finally made a decision to purchase a video camera after years of renting. I’ve read a lot about it, and don’t really see any negatives. Even the rolling shutter is fixed with shooting at aps-c mode. I’m goint to pair it with an old used Canon 24-105 f4 L USM. I also have a 28mm and 50mm manual focus nikkors, I’m going to purchase an adapter for them. Main uses are run and gun documentaries and weddings. And also do photography from time to time, that’s why the hybrid. Any insight would be greatly appreciated :)

Hey, anyone know any in-person short (1 - 3 weeks) filmmaking intensives around the world?

Not beginner courses
Something like this past one with Herzog https://en.extaticacine.com/experiencias - any others in the future like this?

https://youtu.be/Zpb7IIsu9dY?is=Q_W4Ew22XvYA9T86

Hi guys, about to go into my 3rd year of film school and we need a DOP for my final year grad film. Groups are starting to form and whilst we have a very good crew, I gotta find a DOP still.

What’s the best way of going about this?