SalesMail Blog

Hey there video connoisseurs! In the video below, we're diving into the world of lighting to optimize your video mail game. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, we've got tips to make you shine.

Lighting holds the power to transform your video mail messages from ordinary to extraordinary. It's not just about being visible; it's about being seen in the best possible light —literally! Good lighting ensures clarity, enhancing your facial expressions, gestures, and overall presence on screen. It sets the stage for professionalism, making your message clearer and more engaging. 

Ultimately, quality lighting is your secret weapon to stand out, leave a lasting impression, and establish a strong connection with your viewers, making them eager to engage with your video content. 

How-to Lighting:

To start, keep the light in front of your face. We want to see you, and having light behind you will make it easy to see the light, but difficult to see you. Second, use diffused light – light that is even across your entire face. Harsh shadows are suboptimal because they can create uneven areas of light across your face. With that in mind, using diffused light can help you appear more flattering. In order to accomplish that, there are two key tricks.

First, avoid overhead lighting because it casts those harsh, unflattering shadows. Second, use natural light! The sun is the most diffused light you can use, so take advantage of that. Setting up your camera near a window or even outside is a great hack to get solid lighting. 

Moving up a level in difficulty, rather than just using one light, a lot of video creators use two lights in front of them – one that’s bright (to make sure we can see your face) and one that’s soft (to help mitigate against those harsh, unflattering shadows). This is called a 2-point lighting setup, but there’s a one-light alternative!

Known as a 'ring light', it is just that - a circular (ring) source of light. Although they are only one light, these are a special case because they are specifically designed to produce quality lighting for phones and other small cameras. The effect of the light pouring in from all around the camera lens helps to mitigate the harsh shadows. Similar to natural lighting, it’s kind of a cheat code for low effort-high impact lighting solutions.  

To recap, we started with one diffused light (even if it’s the sun). Then we moved to either a ring light or a 2-point lighting setup. Now, we are going add one more light distantly behind you. The purpose of this backlight is to distinguish the speaker from the background by lighting the background and not the speaker. A super easy trick is to get fairy lights or LED lights and stick them on the back wall. The additional light will distinguish the speaker from the background, allowing us to see your beautiful faces in all their glory.   

Now that you've made it through Boot Camp 101, you can film your videos with the satisfaction of knowing that your ability to make well-lit visuals will make you stand out, grab attention, and build trust. So, let that light shine on your success! 

If you have any questions, either now or in the future, please do not hesitate to reach out to us! Leave a comment down below or click on the contact card below the video!