Film Lighting Workshop: Hands-on Lighting

This is a 2 Day workshop and is conducted in English
Berlin Film Community members pay €269 - save €30 on this course.
Membership costs €30/year and includes 10% off all workshops plus member-only events.
When you purchase this workshop through the BFC website, your first year membership is included in the price and you save on fees.
https://berlinfilmcommunity.com/course.php?slug=film-lighting-workshop

Workshop Info

Lighting transforms a flat, styleless image into one with depth, mood, and emotion. In this workshop, you'll learn the fundamentals of how light works and when to choose one approach over another — through doing, not just watching.

Working together as a class, we'll light several scenes in the same location using HMI, tungsten, and LED lights along with a range of light modifiers. You'll also have dedicated time to experiment, and I'll work with you directly to light a scene of your choosing.

With a class size capped at 12, you'll get real personal attention and enough time to develop confidence without feeling rushed. The course is designed to meet you where you are — whether you've never touched a light or have some experience already.

By the end, you'll have hands-on familiarity with lighting instruments, modifiers, interview setups, and adaptable techniques you can apply across a range of situations.

Lighting a Set

I will show you how I would light several different scenes, ranging from a pleasant conversation to a much more sinister thriller look, as well as a nighttime moody interior scene. I will show you how I would light for the wide shot and then the modifications I would do when going for a closeup.

Lighting on a Budget

You will learn the tools used when working with a limited budget. You’ll be amazed at what you can get with some simple lights, a shower curtain, some garbage bags, and a cheap paper lantern from Ikea.

Lighting a Face

The most common subject that gets lit in films is, as you would expect, the human face. We will light several different looks and you will see how small changes in light angles or height can have massive impacts on how we perceive a character. I will also cover how to set up lighting for an interview set-up and the different looks that can give a face more depth.

Schedule

Day 1:

Saturday, July 25th – 09:00 – 16:00

• The basics of how light works
• Differences between hard and soft light
• High key versus low key lighting

• Lighting exteriors versus interiors, day versus night
• Breaking scenes down to understand lighting choices
• Different tools used in lighting and when and how to use them
• Supervised lighting of two scenes with instruction as we light them
• Q&A

Day 2:

Sunday, July 26th – 09:00 – 16:00

• Breaking down more complicated scenes
• Interview lighting set-ups
• Replicating the scenes and analyzing them
• Supervised free lighting
• Q&A

Workshop Mentor
Alex DePew has spent 17 years in the film industry as a Cinematographer and Gaffer, working on projects ranging from no-budget shorts, music videos, art projects, to ad campaigns for brands like Volkswagen, Loro Piana, and Adidas. He got his start in New York City, his hometown, and has shot all over the world. After moving to Berlin he found his passion for teaching and has taught hundreds of students over the past 9 years. Alex guides you through lighting craft with clarity and enthusiasm, making complex concepts accessible to all.

Alongside Klaus Salminen and Linda Paganelli, he co-leads the Berlin Film Community, now a registered e.V. and home to a community of roughly 17,000 filmmakers and film-lovers. Got questions about the workshop? Reach out at [email protected].