How I Light a Corporate Interview with Two Lights

Here's something that surprises a lot of people when I show up to film a corporate interview: I usually only need two lights.

Not a truck. Not a full grip package. Not a studio. Just two good lights and a few minutes to look at the room properly. Most of the corporate video work I do here in Winnipeg happens in real offices, boardrooms and the odd storage closet that somebody swears is "the quiet room." So over the years I've gotten pretty good at making ordinary spaces look cinematic without taking over someone's whole floor.

This week I'm walking you through exactly how I handle corporate interview lighting. If you're a comms person filming your own leadership team, a fellow shooter, or someone trying to figure out what a production company actually does on set, this one's for you.

Step 1: Turn the overhead lights off

This is the single biggest change, and it costs nothing.

Office ceiling lights are designed to light desks, not faces. They come straight down, which puts shadows in people's eye sockets, makes them look tired, and adds that flat, fluorescent "security camera" feel. They can also flicker on camera.

So the first thing I do when I walk into a room is ask if we can kill the overheads. Suddenly the room goes moody, and now I'm in control of where the light comes from instead of fighting it.

Step 2: Pick your angle before you place your lights

Before any gear comes out of the bag, I figure out where my subject is sitting and what's behind them. I'm looking for depth. I'd much rather put someone a good distance in front of a hallway, a bookshelf or a window than push them right up against a blank wall.

Here's a wide frame from a recent interview. The draped backdrop behind her adds texture and warmth without pulling attention away from the person talking.

A wide frame from a recent two-light interview setup, with the subject set in front of a draped backdrop.

Space behind your subject does a lot of the work for you. It lets the background fall a little darker and softer, and it makes a small room feel bigger on screen.

Step 3: Big, soft key light at roughly 45 degrees

My first light is the key, and it does most of the heavy lifting. I put it on the side of the subject's face that's turned away from the camera, at about 45 degrees and a little above eye level. (Lighting the far side of the face is often called short lighting, and it's the quickest way I know to add shape and make an interview look more polished.)

And here's the close-up from that same interview. Shooting from an angle, with the background falling off into darker tones, gives the frame a lot more depth than a straight-on shot.

An angled close-up from a recent two-light interview shoot.

The key here is soft. A bare light is harsh and unflattering. I put mine through a big softbox or diffusion and bring it in fairly close to the subject. The closer and bigger the source is relative to the person, the softer and more flattering the light gets. It wraps around the face instead of slapping it.

A quick gut check: look at the eyes. If you can see a nice catchlight (that little reflection of the light in the eyes), you're in good shape.

Step 4: Add your second light, a fill or a backlight

With just a key, the other side of the face falls into shadow. Some shadow is a good thing. It's what gives a face shape and keeps the shot from looking flat. My second light is how I decide what happens next, and it's usually a fill or a backlight, depending on the look:

• Fill light: a softer, dimmer light on the shadow side that gently lifts it, so the face stays shaped but the shadows don't go too deep. Great for a brighter, friendlier corporate look.

• Backlight: a light placed behind the subject that adds a subtle edge along the hair and shoulders, separating them from the background. Great when you want a little more depth and a more cinematic feel.

Most corporate clients land somewhere in the middle. You want people to look approachable, not like they're in a crime drama.

Step 5: Optional extras: a bounce or a practical

Two lights get you most of the way there, but a couple of cheap extras can help.

• A bounce: a white foam board or a collapsible reflector can pick up some of the key light and add a touch of fill, which is handy if your second light is busy being a backlight.

• A practical: a light that's actually in the shot, like a desk lamp or a warm string light on a shelf. It isn't really lighting your subject. It's there to give the background some life and separation, and I'll often borrow whatever lamp the office already has.

Step 6: Watch your exposure and your white balance

Once everything's in place, I set my exposure for the subject's face, not the room. Then I set white balance so skin tones look natural, and I make sure my two lights aren't fighting each other on colour. If a practical in the background is a little warmer, that contrast can actually look really nice, as long as the face looks right.

Here's a close-up from a different interview, also lit with two lights. Getting the face exposed properly is what makes everything else in the frame feel right.

A close-up from a different two-light interview setup.

Why good corporate interview lighting matters for your business

Here's the honest reason I'm sharing this. A lot of businesses and nonprofits assume a professional-looking video needs a huge setup, so they either put it off or settle for something filmed under the office lights on a phone.

Good interview lighting isn't about how much gear you have. It's about knowing where to put the two lights you've got. When your CEO, your staff or your clients look good on camera, people take your message more seriously. Simple as that.

That's a big part of what I do at Visual Theory Films, my Winnipeg video production company. I come into your space, make it look great without disrupting your whole day, and make sure the people on camera feel comfortable. Whether it's a corporate interview, a nonprofit story, an event or a commercial, the goal is the same: real people, looking their best, saying something worth hearing.

Shooting a wide and a close-up of the same person, like in this interview, gives you options in the edit and keeps longer answers from feeling static.

A wide frame from that same two-light interview.

Want help with your next interview video?

If you've got a project coming up in Winnipeg or anywhere in Manitoba, or you're a producer looking for a DP or editor, I'd love to hear about it. Send me a quick note at hello@visualtheoryfilms.com with what you're working on (or reach out through my contact page), and I'll get back to you with some ideas on how we can make it look great.

Curious about the budget side? I broke that down in Understanding Corporate Video Pricing.

Talk soon,

Denis