Before you say a single word the background in your video is already speaking for you. A dark background that looked like a stage curtain didn’t set the business tone I wanted. Choosing a lighter, structured, background now sends the right message from the very first frame. It also turned out they are easier to work with.

Image: Andrew Biss compares the difference in tone between a business-like light background created using panel blinds, and the more theatrical effect given by heavy dark blue curtains. [If your RSS reader doesn’t show the YouTube video embedded above then please visit the original post in your browser.]

You see a lot better than your camera

Changing from a dark to light background projects a more business-oriented impression, but there is also a technical reason due to the limited dynamic range of video cameras.

Camcorders are sensitive, but their sensitivity pales compared to your eyes. What looks good to you will look different to your camera.

Cameras have a limited dynamic range and don’t cope well with scenes that mix very bright and very dark areas. This is the origin of a best practice: use a light background for light-skinned people, and a dark background for darker-skinned people.

I am light-skinned so a very dark background is difficult to light and expose properly. A lighter background gives a better image and does not need so much extra lighting.

Up-close lighting for tight spaces

For this video I used 2 lights (I will show you my lighting setup in an upcoming video). For the moment I will share that both lights are just out of frame and very close to me.

With the lights so close I only needed 155W of extra lighting. If the lights had been twice as far away I would have needed 620W to get the same light level.

Keeping the lights very close saves on power (good for the environment), but the most important benefit is it is easier to find somewhere to record in a tight office environment.

Next time

In the next video I will take a short detour and briefly talk about getting great audio. Spend a little on an external microphone and you will dramatically increase the perceived quality of your business web videos.