Film Lighting Workshop: Hands-on Lighting

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Note: In order to attend you must register and pay at
https://berlinfilmcommunity.com/lighting
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Level: Beginner.
The workshop is conducted in English and costs 299€.
Membership
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, your first year membership is included in the price. To find out more info about the Berlin Film Community visit our website.
https://berlinfilmcommunity.com/

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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.

This workshop will have a very limited class size of 12 people to ensure that everyone gets personal attention as well as to allow for a decent amount of time so that all participants can feel comfortable and not rushed. I have tailored this course to make it flexible enough to accommodate people with absolutely zero experience as well as for people who have done some lighting.

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 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. Below are some examples from the interview set-up from the last workshop.

Lighting With Different Budget Levels
You will learn the tools used when working with a limited budget. You’ll be amazed at he lighting you can achieve using common items found in Ikea. We will of course also go over how to work with bigger lighting instruments and more power.

Safety On Set
As rigging lights and handling them can be dangerous, I will go over how to handle hot lights, and how to keep from overloading circuits. Please bring a pair of workman’s gloves to be able to handle hot lights.

As a group you will be handling the lighting equipment with me there to supervise and instruct. While you can’t learn everything you need to know about lighting in two days, by the end of the workshop you will have enough of an understanding to ask the right questions, learn through observation, and find like minded people with whom you can practice lighting.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the workshop, reach out to me at alex@berlinfilmcommunity.com.

Schedule:
Day 1:
Sat. Sept. 26th – 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:
Sun. Sept. 27th – 09:00 – 16:00

Breaking down more complicated scenes
Interview lighting set-ups
Analyzing and replicating scenes
Supervised free lighting
Q&A

The workshop is conducted in English.
No previous experience is required.
Please bring a pair of work gloves to handle hot lights.

About the Workshop Leader
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 alex@berlinfilmcommunity.com.