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FilmSkool — a free film school

Cheap Video Lighting Hack | Cake Pan Light by Daniel Schiffer

A build-and-test video recreating Daniel Schiffer's famous cake-pan DIY light modifier, comparing it against commercial softboxes. A fun, budget-conscious entry point into light shaping.

Nick Zamudio · 9 min · Beginner · LGT · Lighting · 2019

What you take away

Any reflective, curved surface can double as a cheap beauty-dish-style modifier — the physics matters more than the price tag.

Watch it

Filed under

Made for almost nothing

Films to study for light

Books on lighting

Kit for this lesson

Panasonic LUMIX S5 II — Full-frame, open gate, phase detect at last
Panasonic LUMIX S5 IIX — The S5 II with raw out and ProRes internal
Sony a7 IV — The all-round full-frame hybrid
Canon EOS R6 Mark II — The affordable full-frame RF hybrid
Rode Blimp — Wind protection and a shock mount in one
Sennheiser MKE 600 — The 416’s affordable cousin

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How to Light a Night Scene with Shane Hurlbut ASC [Part 2: Matching Urban Light] — Filmmakers Academy · 14m · Intermediate
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Lighting & Filming Darker Skin Tones with ARRI Signature Primes — B&H Photo Video Pro Audio · 12m · Intermediate
The Easy Way to Not Suck at Lighting — Luc Forsyth · 31m · Intermediate
How to Light a Cinematic Scene with Only Natural Light — Filmmakers Academy · 11m · Intermediate
Hollywood VS Indie Filmmaking (With Shane Hurlbut, ASC) — Brady Bessette · 19m · Intermediate
Lighting for Film: The Complete Beginner's Guide — Luc Ung · 27m · Beginner
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