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Videoconferencing: Making Your Bandwidth Count

October 21, 2002
By Mike DeMaria

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1. Choose your setting. Make sure the subject isn't so close to the camera that he or she can't get in the frame. And the background shouldn't be distracting to the viewer. Overhead lighting can affect the subject's appearance as well, and fluorescent lights will cast different colors than incandescent lamps. (Proper lighting is complex: We recommend you consult a book or other guide for a more detailed explanation.)

2. Set up the key light. This is the most important--and brightest--light. The key light should be higher than the subject and to his or her side. It should be positioned at approximately a 30- to 45-degree angle away from the camera, too. The vertical angle from the key light and the floor should also be about 45 degrees. If it's too low, shadows will show up on the backdrop and the light will be in the subject's eyes.

3. Set up the fill light. The fill is used to remove some of the harsh shadows and lines created by the key light. Place it on the opposite side of the key light, and lower. This light should be softer and less bright--about half the intensity--so use a diffuser, such as a white sheet, or bounce the light off a nearby wall.

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4. Set up the backlight. The backlight is placed directly behind the subject, facing the camera, and shines down on the person's hair and shoulders. If you can't hang this light behind the subject, use lights on each side--just out of frame. This creates a white halo around the subject, separating him or her from the background, and enhances depth.

5. Set up background lights, if necessary. These light up the background so the subject doesn't appear to be in shadows. Another tip: Consider what colors the subject is wearing. Someone wearing a black shirt in front of a black background could look like a floating, severed head. Make sure there's some contrast between the subject and the background.