Basic Lighting for Audiovisual Projects
A course by Enrique Silguero, Director of Photography
Joined May 2012
Learn to use light as an emotions generator in your cinematic pieces
Joined May 2012
Simply put, a cinematographer brings a director's vision to life using light. It's their job to give a piece its desired aesthetic by mastering lights, shadows, color, and composition to establish a narrative and generate the emotion that the director wants to awaken in the viewer.
In this online course, learn basic cinematic lighting techniques with Enrique Silguero, director of photography with extensive experience in TV and film, advertising, and music videos. By the end of the course, you'll understand the work of a cinematographer and be ready to start creating incredible visual components for your audiovisual projects.
What will you learn in this online course?
14 lessons & 13 downloads
- 99% positive reviews (491)
- 13,139 students
- 14 lessons (3h 14m)
- 13 additional resources (8 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: Spanish, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish
- Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Romanian · Indonesian
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Carry out three projects: adapt a space for an interview with artificial or natural light, create a small set for a fictional shoot, and do an outdoor shoot.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone interested in learning how to light their audiovisual projects.
Requirements and materials
You'll need a camera that records video, a wide-angle lens, a normal lens and a telephoto lens, 3 LEDs and 2 reflectors, and a computer with DaVinci (free) installed.
If you don't have all this material, don't worry, you can also do it with your mobile and the lights in your house. You will be able to do most of the lessons, although there will be things that will be a little more difficult.
Reviews
Enrique Silguero
A course by Enrique Silguero
Enrique Silguero is a cinematographer from Salamanca, Spain, with experience in film, television series, documentaries, music videos, short films, and commercials. In his words, his specialty is telling stories through light, shadow, color, and composition.
His work can be seen on the main Spanish television networks: Ministerio del Tiempo on TVE, Cuarto Milenio on Cuatro, el Capítulo 0 on #Cero on Movistar Plus. He has worked on music videos for La Oreja de Van Gogh, Miguel Bosé, and Malú. In advertising, his clients include Sony, Coca-Cola, Adidas, and Iberdrola.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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Presentation
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Influences
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U2
Preparing our project
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The keys of light
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The style book
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U3
Lighting basics
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The narrative language of optics
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Light quality: Choosing the type of lights
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Direction of light: The expressive power of light.
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The contrast and the zonal key
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The classic lighting scheme with three lights and the use of color
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U4
How to give a cinematographic look to your projects and to illuminate outdoors
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Creating your own style The expressive use of light and framing.
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Lighting in a real setting
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Illuminating for fiction: cinematographic aesthetics and the continuity of light.
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Outdoor lighting day
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U5
Color correction
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Keys to creative color grading
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FP
Final project
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X Introduction to photography direction for video
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
You’ll master classic and creative lighting techniques, control hard and soft light, use professional lighting setups, and apply color grading and composition to craft your own unique visual style in film and video.
This course is designed for those with basic photography or video knowledge looking to deepen their skills in lighting and cinematography at an intermediate level.
All you need is basic photography or video experience and access to a camera. Professional gear isn’t required, as the course teaches techniques that work with simple, everyday equipment.
The course covers lighting setups, using natural and artificial light, contrast control, color grading, composition, creating a style guide, lens selection, and creative techniques for film and video.
Hard light creates sharp shadows and high contrast, while soft light produces gentle shadows and smooth transitions, helping shape the mood and visual expression of each scene.
Yes, the course includes techniques for lighting with accessible tools like household lamps or paper lanterns, making it adaptable to any budget or project.
It’s a classic technique that uses key, fill, and back lights to shape subjects and add depth, resulting in balanced, professional-looking images.
There is a lot of great knowledge and industry insider information in this course!
excelente y muy detallista el profe
La lumière étant une clé indispensable dans une bonne narration, ce cours concentre beaucoup d'information utiles pour une meilleure compréhension.
Clair, net et précis !
Aulas super práticas e dinâmicas de fácil aprendizagem, super combinou com o que estava procurando. só agradecer ao professor pela disponibilidade.
El compromiso del profesor durante todo el curso es para destacar. Se nota que trabaja con pasión y esmero y lo transmite a todos los que vemos las lecciones. Un 10.
Una mención especial a todos los que actuaron de modelos con paciencia y buena voluntad!!