You’re planning a live video stream. How can you make sure the lighting is perfect?

1 Assess your environment

Before you set up your lighting equipment, you need to assess your environment and the natural light sources available. Depending on the time of day, the weather, and the direction of your windows, you may have different levels of brightness, contrast, and color temperature in your room. You want to avoid harsh shadows, glares, and reflections that can distract your viewers or make you look unflattering. You also want to balance the ambient light with your artificial light sources, so that your video looks natural and consistent.

2 Choose your light sources

The next step is to choose your light sources and position them strategically. You can use different types of lights, such as softboxes, ring lights, LED panels, or lamps, depending on your budget and preference. The most common setup is to use a three-point lighting system, which consists of a key light, a fill light, and a backlight. The key light is the main light source that illuminates your face and creates shadows. The fill light is a softer light that fills in the shadows and reduces the contrast. The backlight is a light that shines behind you and creates a separation between you and the background.

4 Test your lighting

The last step is to test your lighting and make any necessary adjustments. You can use a monitor or a smartphone to preview your video and check how it looks from different angles and distances. You can also ask for feedback from a friend or a colleague who can watch your live stream and give you suggestions. You want to make sure that your lighting is flattering, consistent, and appropriate for your content and audience. You also want to avoid any changes in lighting during your live stream, such as switching on or off lights, opening or closing curtains, or moving around.

5 Follow best practices

To ensure your lighting is perfect for your live video stream, you should follow some best practices that can improve your video quality and performance. These include using a tripod or stable surface to mount your camera, a microphone or headset to improve audio quality, a plain or simple background that does not distract from you, props or accessories that complement your content and personality, a timer or cue card to keep track of time and script, and a call to action or question to engage your audience and encourage interaction.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?