Film techniques

What colour temperature is a typical candle?

~1800K

What colour temperature is a tungsten household bulb?

~3200K

What colour temperature is sunrise/sunset?

~2500–3500K

What colour temperature is warm LED lighting in a house?

~2700–3200K

What colour temperature is fluorescent office lighting?

-4000–4500K

What colour temperature is an overcast day?

~6500–7500K

What colour temperature is direct midday sunlight?

~5500K

Q: What colour temperature is heavy shade?

A: ~7000–9000K

Q: What colour temperature is blue hour?

A: ~9000–12000K

Q: What colour temperature is an overcast snowy day?

A: ~8000K+

Q: You're filming outdoors at noon on a sunny day. What WB should you set?

A: ~5500K

Q: You're filming in a house lit only by warm lamps.

A: ~3200K

Q: You're filming someone under fluorescent office lights.

A: ~4200K

Q: You're filming outside under thick grey clouds.

A: ~6500–7000K

Q: You're filming in deep shade on a sunny day.

A: ~7000K

Q: You're filming by candlelight.

A: ~1800–2200K

Q: You're filming at golden hour.

A: ~4000K (depending on how warm you want to preserve it)

Q: You're filming at blue hour.

A: ~9000K

Q: You're filming indoors under tungsten lights using 5600K WB. What will happen?

A: The footage will look orange/warm.

Q: You're filming outside in sunlight using 3200K WB.

A: The footage will look blue.

Q: You accidentally use Auto WB during an interview and the camera keeps changing colour.

A: The colour will shift during the shot.

Does a larger aperture let in more or less light?

More light.

Does a smaller aperture let in more or less light?

Less light.

Is f/1.4 a large or small aperture?

Large aperture.

Is f/2 a large or small aperture?

Large aperture.

Is f/2.8 a large or small aperture?

Large aperture.

Is f/4 a large or small aperture?

Medium aperture.

Is f/5.6 a large or small aperture?

Medium aperture.

Is f/8 a large or small aperture?

Small aperture.

Is f/11 a large or small aperture?

Small aperture.

Is f/16 a large or small aperture?

Small aperture.

Is f/22 a large or small aperture?

Very small aperture.

Which creates a shallower depth of field: f/1.8 or f/11?

f/1.8.

Which creates a deeper depth of field: f/16 or f/2?

f/16.

Which lets in more light: f/2 or f/4?

f/2.

Which lets in more light: f/2.8 or f/8?

f/2.8.

Which produces more background blur: f/1.8 or f/8?

f/1.8.

Which keeps more of the image in focus: f/11 or f/2?

f/11.

Which aperture is better for portraits: f/2 or f/16?

f/2.

Which aperture is better for landscapes: f/11 or f/2?

f/11.

Which aperture is better for group photos: f/8 or f/1.8?

f/8.

If you want a cinematic blurry background, should you use a large or small aperture?

Large aperture.

If you want everything from foreground to background in focus, should you use a large or small aperture?

Small aperture.

Opening the aperture makes the image...

Brighter.

Closing the aperture makes the image...

Darker.

If you shoot at f/1.4, focusing becomes easier or harder?

Harder.

A shallow depth of field means...

Only a small part of the image is in focus.

A deep depth of field means...

Most of the image is in focus.

If your background is distracting, should you use a wider or narrower aperture?

Wider aperture.

If you want both people in an interview to stay sharp, should you use f/1.4 or f/5.6?

f/5.6.

True or False: Smaller f-numbers create more background blur.

True.

True or False: f/16 lets in more light than f/2.

False.

True or False: A wider aperture decreases depth of field.

True.

True or False: A smaller aperture increases depth of field.

True.

What does increasing ISO do to your image?

Makes it brighter.

What does decreasing ISO do to your image?

Makes it darker.

Higher ISO usually increases...

Image noise.

Lower ISO usually produces...

Cleaner images.

Which ISO is cleaner: ISO 100 or ISO 6400?

ISO 100.

Which ISO is noisier: ISO 800 or ISO 6400?

ISO 6400.

When filming outdoors on a sunny day, should ISO usually be high or low?

Low.

When filming in a dark room, should ISO usually be higher or lower?

Higher.

If possible, should you brighten a scene by adding light or increasing ISO?

Adding light.

If you can open your aperture instead of raising ISO, which is usually the better choice?

Open the aperture.

True or False: Raising ISO lets more light enter the camera.

False.

True or False: ISO only changes how sensitive the image appears.

True.

Which generally produces the cleanest image: ISO 100 or ISO 3200?

ISO 100.

If your footage is very noisy, what camera setting should you check first?

ISO.

If you have enough light, should you keep ISO as low as possible?

Yes.

True or False: Increasing ISO creates more detail.

False.

If your room is dark but you can add another light, should you raise ISO first?

No.

If you cannot add more light and your image is too dark, what exposure setting might you increase?

ISO.

True or False: High ISO is always bad.

False.

True or False: Every camera has an ISO where it performs best.

True.

Which type of light produces soft shadows: hard light or soft light?

Soft light.

Which type of light produces sharp shadows: hard light or soft light?

Hard light.

Is an overcast day an example of soft or hard light?

Soft light.

Is direct midday sunlight usually soft or hard?

Hard light.

Which lighting direction usually creates the most dramatic look: front light or side light?

Side light.

Which lighting direction is commonly used for silhouettes?

Backlight.

Which light helps separate a subject from the background?

Backlight.

Which lighting is generally more flattering for interviews: soft light or hard light?

Soft light.

Which lighting is commonly used in horror films: soft light or hard light?

Hard light.

If someone has harsh shadows under their eyes, should you make the light softer or harder?

Softer.

If the sun is directly overhead, what is one simple way to improve the lighting?

Move into open shade.

Golden hour light is generally soft or hard?

Soft.

Midday sunlight is generally flattering for faces: True or False?

False.

Cloudy days usually make lighting easier or harder for interviews?

Easier.

What is the brightest natural light source during the day?

Direct sunlight.

What creates more contrast: hard light or soft light?

Hard light.

What creates less contrast: hard light or soft light?

Soft light.

A larger light source generally creates softer or harder light?

Softer light.

Moving a light closer usually makes it softer or harder?

Softer.

Moving a light farther away usually makes it softer or harder?

Harder.

If your subject blends into the background, what type of light can help separate them?

Backlight.

If one side of a person's face is much darker than the other, what type of lighting are they likely under?

Side lighting.

If you want a clean, natural documentary interview, should you generally choose soft or hard lighting?

Soft lighting.

If you're filming outside at noon, where can you find naturally softer light?

Open shade.

True or False: The sun is always the best-looking light source.

False.

True or False: Clouds act like a giant natural diffuser.

True.