Interview Videography - How to capture your subject perfectly!
There are a wide range of different people in different aspects of life being recorded for interview purposes. Ranging from academical minds being interviewed following a new breakthrough in their fields, to the newest social media celebrity talking about their latest business idea, recording and sharing this information to the world is becoming more and more important. People have created very profitable and successful careers from interviewing people, and becoming the best in this field requires using the best equipment available. Using the appropriate lighting equipment can help to make any recording stand out and become more appealing to the viewer. In this Blog, we take a look into what equipment would be best for this type of videography, and offer the best support to create a success lighting set-up for interview videography.
Lighting
Let’s start with the most important piece of equipment for this particular set-up, the lighting. As this would be a recording rather than just a quick shot of the subject, continuous lighting would be the only option as it would allow you to see exactly what lighting is being produced and help to better adjust this to suit your subject. Whilst fluorescent bulbs would be suitable, LED lighting would be the optimum choice as it offers a better quality of light whilst using less power on average. As most interviews are conducted in different spaces, having lights that are adjustable are also very important, as you may find that you require full power for one particular space, but then only 50% power for a different. As most interviews are performed in an indoors environment, mains power lighting should be more than enough for this type of videography, but having lighting that can also be used with battery power would be a big plus.
Example Products
LED100B MKIII: The new and improved LED100B MKIII has been updated and upgraded with the newest features. Being a Bi-colour light, it offers the user the ability to use either Daylight or Tungsten, helping to match the light to any specific shoot. What makes it different from other Bi-colour lights, is that whereas most lights split the power output evenly between each light type, i.e. 50W Daylight and 50W Tungsten, the LED100B MKIII offers the full power output to each light type, so no fear of losing power whilst switching. The 97+ CRI and TLCI helps to create a vibrant lighting which makes sure to offer an accurate colour representation of the subject and can be adjusted to further offer an accurate lighting as it is dimmable from 100% to 10% power. The built-in heatsink and newly improved cooling fan help to keep the light cool and running, whilst only offering an unnoticeable sound of less than 18dB. The S-Type fitting mount also that addition of the most common fitting modifiers on the market, helping to create many different types and styles of lighting.
VNIX1500S: This LED Light Panel comes with 1520 built-in super-bright LEDs which offer a total output of 90w and can be controlled all the way from 100% down to 10%. The benefit of using LED lighting is that is runs much cooler and has a much longer life expectancy than bulbs such as CFL Fluorescent bulbs. This light comes with a set of barndoors included, which gives the ability to focus and control the angle of the light beam. Whilst being designed to be used with mains power mainly, attached to each unit is a V-Mount Battery Plate, allowing it to be used with battery power from V-Lock Batteries. Also included in each unit is a DMX Output, meaning that it is possible to attach multiple units to a DMX Console and control these this way, perfect for larger and more professional lighting set-ups.
LENNO256S Panel: The LENNO256S Panel is a 30x30cm square light panel that offers a 40W maximum power output. One feature this unit has compared to others is that it has a flexible body, meaning that it can be bent and moved into tight and usually unreachable spaces, offering even more lighting possibilities. The ability to control the power from maximum 100% power all the way down to 10% allows the choice for the best lighting for any subject being recorded. Included with each unit is a mains adapter, allowing to use the light from mains power, but also comes with Sony NP-F series battery plate attached, allowing it to be powered by Sony NP-F series batteries. There is also the possibility to attach a V-Mount battery plate, which would offer even longer battery power for each unit.
Modifiers
The use of modifiers is a big part of proper and professional lighting. Modifiers help to create different lighting effects, help to control the strength of the light being produced, help to control the angle and spread of the light being produced and main other valuable features. The use of products such as softboxes and beauty dishes are wonderfully helpful to better aim the light at any given subject, whilst the diffusion that these include can help to soften the light to sit more gently on the subject’s skin. Products such as gels and reflectors and can be used to create different effects to the shoot, helping these to stand out and become more eye-catching to the viewer.
Example Products
90cm Octagonal Easy-Open Softbox: This softbox comes with a simplified setup mechanic, as it is the same as an umbrella, simply push the rods until it is held in place by the latch and it is ready to go. The silver interior helps to bounce the light around the inside of the softbox, helping to give accurate and evenly spread light across the entirety of the inside of the softbox and reflect all the light towards the subject with no spill. Two layers of diffusion are also included to help to offer a more precise and feathered lighting, helping to make it softer on the subject. And the removable honeycomb grid helps to further reduce the spread of light and to focus it further on the subject.
VNIX1500 Softbox: This softbox is specifically designed to be used with the VNIX1500 LED light panel. As it provides an extra layer of diffusion, it helps to provide and softer and more pleasing quality of light, with more natural shadows and less specular highlights. Attaching the softbox to the light is simple and easy to achieve, as it simply needs to be slid over the barndoors and these will then hold it into place over the lighting.
Stands
In order to hold the lights and the modifiers in place at the same time, a stand would be required. Most people would think that stands are simple and all do the same thing, but they do actually differ in many different ways. The stands need to be able to hold up quite a substantial amount of weight, so being strong and sturdy is required. But whilst being strong and sturdy, they can’t become too heavy and difficult to manoeuvre, so trying to find the perfect balance between these things is important. Some stands also offer different ways of lighting, such as boom arms and wall mounts, so looking into the requirements for any particular shoot is necessary to achieve the best quality.
Example Products
2 in 1 Reclined Boom: The 2-in-1 Reclined Boom Stand has two different ways to be used. Its main purpose would be a Boom stand that can reach up to 200cm maximum length and hold a maximum weight of 5KG. The included sandbag can also be attached to the opposite side of the boom in order to offer even more stability and protection from any accidental damage. The other purpose for this is that the boom arm itself can be placed into the lower section of the stand to make it an extra-long light stand, ranging from 120cm to 400cm. These two options mean that there are many different options and set-ups available for lighting and offers a wide range of possibilities.
190cm Foldable Stand: Weighing only 1.2KG, this stand is lightweight and easy to move around the subject whilst also making transportation much easier. Even with the small weight, it is still a very strong stand, as it has the ability to hold up to 3KG maximum load. Another benefit is that it is possible to shrink the stand down to only 49.5cm at its lowest, meaning that lighting up any sized or shaped subject is much easier and gives the user much more freedom than usual stands.
Backgrounds
Backgrounds can be used to add a different dimension to any shoot and can help to make the whole production look much cleaner and professional. Whilst trying to help your subject look the best they possibly can, you may find that they would work better against a specific coloured background, so making sure you have a wide range of options to choose from can definitely help to improve an interview. Some interviews are conducted in a constant space, so being able to find a background that can withstand being in constant use and display is important. But there are times when it isn’t possible to constantly have a background out on display, so finding different solutions and types of backgrounds can help resolve this issue.
Example Products
2x2.3m Black/White Collapsible Background: This background can be used to help create a smooth and professional looking shoot for any interview videography. Being 2m by 2.3m allows it to cover a vast space, perfect for single or multiple person shoots. Even with this being such a large background, it is very convenient in its ability to fold down to approximately 1/3rd of its size and stored in its included carry case, to help with portability and storage when not in use. The durable and sturdy double-riveted frame combined with the 100% highest quality muslin cloth means that this background can be used constantly and vigorously without the need to worry about replacing it after a short period of time.
Collapsible 2x2.3m Dual Side Background Board (Black/White)
2.8x3m Telescopic Background Stand with Black/White/Green Muslin Backdrops: This background kit comes with everything required in order to create a professional and high-quality background for any shoot. The background stand comes with two air-cushioned stands that are designed to offer extra protection when adjustments are needed and can range from 1m at their lowest up to 2.8m at their maximum. Also included in the background stand is a Telescopic Crossbar, which is able to hold up to a maximum weight of 8KG and can be extended between 1.2m and 3m, allowing it to be used with a wide variety and different sized backdrops. But included in the kit are three different backgrounds featuring different colours, 1x White, 1x Black and 1x Green, and they are all made from the highest quality muslin cotton, making them rugged enough to take the harshest of treatment whilst also still creating a professional and clean look.
2.8M X 3M Telescopic Background Stand + Chroma Key Green/Black/White Muslin Backdrop
Kits
Having looked through all of these products and equipment that is recommended to achieve a high-quality and professional interview video set-up, it may appear that this will cost a lot. We have Pixapro have seen that this may cause issues for anyone who has a tight budget, so we have designed and created some kits that come with some of the necessary products included. The benefit of these kits is that these usually work out to be cheaper than purchasing all of the items individually, so this could be a huge help to anyone working with financial restraints.
Example Products
VNIX1000S Twin Kit: The VNIX1000S is a 64w Daylight Balanced LED Light panel, which are perfect for use in Videography. Each panel contains 1040 super-bright LEDs capable of creating a colour temperature of 5600K and a brightness of 8,900 Lux @ 1m. The TLCI and CRI of >95 helps to also create a vibrant shoot and makes sure to properly showcase the colours being recorded. Controlling the output of the light itself is possible, as it comes with a dimmer dial capable of adjusting the power from 100% all the way down to 10%, offering the ability to adjust the lighting to suit any given shoot. Whilst mainly designed to be used with mains power, each panel comes with a V-Mount battery plate, meaning that it is possible to use V-Mount batteries and take this light on location if needed. Another useful feature is that each panel comes with DMX output, meaning that it is possible to connect each light to a DMX console and control these together, useful for much large productions. Also included in the kit are two 240cm Air cushioned light stands, which can adjust from 240cm down to 75cm and can hold up to 5KG, which make them perfect for use with the VNIX1000S Light Panels. The air-cushioned feature helps to prevent any possible sudden drop from the stand which could damage any equipment, whilst still being designed to be light-weight and durable.
LED100B MKIII Three Head Boom Kit: The LED100B MKIII is a 100W Bi-Colour LED Light, which is capable of being used in either Daylight Balanced or Tungsten lighting. The huge positive to this light is that whilst most Bi-Colour lights need to split their maximum power output evenly between each lighting, i.e. 50w Daylight Balanced and 50w Bi-Colour, the LED100B MKIII is capable of offering the full power output of 100W for both Daylight Balanced and Bi-Colour lighting. Another benefit to using LED lighting is that this light offers the equivalent power of a 1000W Halogen lamp, whilst only using about 10% of the energy and also running much cooler. The TLCI and CRI are hugely impressive, both offering 97+, helping to offer super-accurate colour reproduction, making it perfect for live interviews as well as pre-recorded. To help with recording, the new and improved built-in cooling fan only registers at less than 18dB, and the heatsink both combined to help with hear dispersion and to keep the light cool over extended periods of time. Each light comes with a Barndoor set, which includes a honeycomb grid and 4 different coloured gels, helping to create a more accurate lighting and to add something a little different to any shoot. Two of the included stands are the 240cm Air cushioned light stands, which can adjust from 240cm down to 75cm and can hold up to 5KG, more than capable of holding a LED100B MKIII with an array of modifiers attached. The other stand is the 2-in-1 Reclined Boom stand, and has two different ways to use this particular stand. The first is as a standard boom stand, with a 2m boom arm that can hold up to 5KG and comes with a counterweight on the opposite end, to help protect against any accidently damage. The second is as a standard light stand, by simply sliding the boom arm into the base stand. By doing this, it is possible to range the height from anywhere between 120cm and 400cm. These different features help to offer a wide range of lighting possibilities, to give the best possible quality to any shoot.
Summary
To help build a career in interviewing and to help create a high-quality production, the best possible equipment is required. And in this Blog, hopefully we have helped to break down exactly what is needed and hopefully we have been able to educate anyone who may have been unsure on what it is that they need to purchase.
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