Cheap Lighting Tricks - Camera Tricks Lessons Lighting tricks are the basis of many interesting effects in videos and photographs. Unfortunately, many filmmakers and photographers lack the budget to buy some of the flashier equipment, which leads to improvisation a lot of the time. Cheap lighting tricks are put together from items that most people wouldn't normally think could create the effects we see on camera.
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Filters
• A filter is a material that you hold in front of a light to change the color or to create some sort of effect. Professional filters are expensive pieces of equipment, though, so sometimes filmmakers have to improvise with inexpensive items. Plastic cups (the kind that are colored but still clear) can make interesting color filters if the light is focused enough to go through them. If you need to achieve a swimming effect, then filling one of these cups with water or some other liquid and then sloshing the cup in front of the light is another way to get some odd effects with cheap materials.
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Soft Lighting
• Soft lighting is what you need when you want to have dim lights on the scene (so that the camera can actually shoot something), but you don't want it to look like there's lighting. Christmas lights (the tightly rolled, white variety) can make for some good lighting. This is especially true if you need to light a car's interior. These Christmas lights can also be put in places that normal lighting won't fit, such as just under the lip of the dashboard, where they'll provide light without actually getting in the shot and ruining the effect the light is producing.
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Lampshades and Lanterns
• An easy way to soften up a bright light (which can be important if you don't have the money to go and buy new, softer lights for your scenes) is to use lampshades. Plain lampshades can mute the brightness of a harsh light and turn it soft for more mood. Japanese lanterns (which are usually fairly cheap and made of paper) are another option for toning down a bright light. If you need to tone it down and add color, then make sure that you get a colored lampshade that both softens and adds the proper color tone. Cheap Lighting Tricks - Camera Tricks Lessons Click here Special Effects