F26: How To: Lighting Part 1

Good lighting can make or break your film. Don't be left in the dark, learn how to master lighting with this two-day beginner-friendly workshop.

This workshop provides a focused introduction to the science, craft, and artistry of lighting for film, photography, and digital media. Participants learn how light behaves, through reflection, absorption, transmission, refraction, and scattering, and how the human eye perceives light and colour. Core concepts such as colour theory, colour temperature, and the psychological impact of colour are explored to strengthen creative decision-making.

Participants gain practical skills in exposure, f-stops, contrast ratios, the inverse square law, footcandles, and evaluating light quality using CRI, TLCI, TM-30, and SSI. The course also covers essential electrical fundamentals, power distribution, cable safety, and on-set lighting roles.

Through hands-on exercises, students practice key lighting techniques including naturalism, Rembrandt lighting, near- and far-side keying, hard and soft light shaping, bounce, and diffusion. By the end of the workshop, learners will be equipped to design, control, and execute effective lighting setups for professional visual storytelling.

More information on our industry professional instructor, Carlos Aparicio: "With nearly eight years of experience in the audiovisual industry, I’ve had the privilege of working across two countries and contributing to a wide range of productions, from broadcast television and commercials to feature films and independent projects.

Emotion is at the core of my creative process. Whether behind the camera or in post-production, my goal is always to evoke a genuine response from the audience, one that lingers long after the screen fades to black.

As a proud Mexican, my heritage has profoundly shaped my artistic identity and my work ethic. It has influenced how I approach every challenge on set, reminding me of the resilience, warmth, and passion that fuel my craft.

I fell in love with cinema as a child, captivated by the emotions it could awaken. That fascination became my purpose: to recreate that same sense of wonder and connection for others, one frame at a time."