Lighting Workshop for filmmakers and videographers – Do you want to improve the lighting on your films using pro lights, or just know more about lighting before you start making films? Most people rent lights for their shoots, but which lights should you rent? Do you know how to get the correct exposure? Your f-stops from your greyscale? You Kelvins from your Gammas? Your Gobos from your HMI’s? Your Dedo’s from your ND? Learn the meaning behind the lingo of a pro-lighting person and get your hands dirty setting them up!
This one-day Lighting Workshop will introduce participants to the principles of lighting using different professional lights, giving them a better understanding and confidence to deal with diverse lighting situations. The course is led by professional videographer and photographer John Hunt, you will be encouraged to rig and use the lights yourselves.
This is a follow-on course for people with some previous experience, such as a Film Oxford beginner’s course. (e.g. Introduction to Digital Video or Introduction to Filmmaking – online course)
Lighting Workshop Tutor – John Hunt

John Hunt is a professional photographer, filmmaker and educator. In video production, he works as a director of photography, director, camera operator, and editor and is a qualified member of the British Institute of Professional Photography. As an educator, John has a degree in photography and film, a PGCE and is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Authority. He is presently undertaking an MA in Film, Photography and Media at the University of Leeds. John has taught lens-based media at higher, further and secondary level as well as in the private sector. He presently works part-time as a lecturer in photography at the University of Northampton. John embraced digital technology very early with the first Nikon and Canon digital cameras and is passionate about all forms of story-telling, from a single image to a feature film.
Lighting Workshop Course Outline 10am-5pm
Course registration and introduction.
Why lighting? Understanding light.
Overview of lighting roles in film.
Exposure, F stops and depth of field.
Reading Wave Form monitors or histograms on your camera.
Brief overview of Gamma. What are we seeing on a monitor or LCD screen?
Different types of light.
Three-point lighting. You will have the opportunity to rig lights yourselves.
Hard Sources and Soft Sources of light – What are the differences and how do we use them? How to change a hard source into a soft source.
Lunch
After lunch we will rig lights inside and weather permitting, outside as well.
Colour Temperature. Understanding Kelvin. The difference between Tungsten, Fluorescent and LED lighting. You will be able to rig different lights.
Inverse square law
Location Lighting – if weather conditions allow we will try to light outside. What are the problems here?
Practical lighting
Health and Safety
Loading – How important you understand current, amps.
Safety – Lighting can be very dangerous. Taking care – Assessing risks.
Review. What we have learnt and where do you go from here?
Course finish
Early booking discount & concessions for Lighting Workshop?
Early Booking – Book early to get a 10% reduction on the full price course fee. See the date at the top of this page (usually two weeks before the course start date, but may vary).
Concessions eligibility – UK based Students, NHS workers and people on some means-tested benefits. Evidence is required, such as a student card, NHS staff card or benefits letter.
Means-tested benefits – JSA, Income Support; Working Tax Credit (not child tax credit); Council Tax Benefit (not student/single person/reduction due to disability); Housing Benefit; Pension Credit (guarantee); Unwaged Dependent of these benefits & Universal Credit.
All Film Oxford Classroom-based courses are subsidised by Oxfordshire Adult Learning
If you like Lighting Workshop – other courses course you may also like:
Five Week Cinematography – Online Course