Lighting for Film: Simple not Plain with Bill Megalos

Bill Megalos

high-impact, low-budget lighting.

Day 1
  • 14 video lessons
  • 4 hours and 45 minutes of class content
  • Streaming access on desktop and mobile browsers
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee
Young filmmakers are often taught to de-prioritize lighting. They are told that lighting takes too much time, money, and expertise to have any profound effect on their work. Lighting for Film: Simple not Plain with Bill Megalos changes that.

In Lighting for Film, Bill will show you how to light technically, instinctually, and cinematically. You will learn how to light for both interior and exterior work and how the simplest lighting techniques can produce the most dramatic effects. 

You’ll learn how to:

  • Produce story-altering lighting effects with minimal equipment
  • Light for both of interior and exterior content
  • Choose instruments that suit your budget and filming goals

Bill will teach professional lighting techniques you can use on your own or with a crew that defy the everyday budget and common-wisdom of filmmakers having to tell a story "in the dark."

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Course Instructor

Bill Megalos

Bill Megalos

Bill Megalos has taught filmmaking at SVA in New York City, the Univ. Of Southern California, and is currently on the faculty of the Maine Media Workshops in Rockport, Maine. He has also taught filmmaking workshops in Asia, Africa, Europe and Central America.

See instructor's classes

  • Dana C. Jan 11, 2022

    Bill is extremely knowledgeable and does an excellent job demonstrating lighting a scene and various ways to achieve a different mood or effect. This is not a class on specific equipment brands (i.e. what to buy), he does discuss and demonstrate different types of equipment, how to use c-stand effectively (c-stand), gobo arm/head, lighting safety: amps, volts, circuits, etc. Basically he goes into the necessary background information you need to understand and prepare for lighting setup at any location. Then he goes through various lighting scenarios, shots and scenes to demonstrate how you can get that effect at various times of day or locations. Then he tweaks it again to show a different example or angle. This was a great class! I didn't feel like Bill was talk at the student but actually engaged them and even though I was not there, I felt engaged. I'm now going to watch his other class offered. I only hope that he considers doing more classes since I like his style!

  • Joe S. Jan 28, 2021

    Great class, learned a lot. Would highly recommend!

  • Abel R. Feb 8, 2018

    great class! i've struggled with proper lighting and he broke it down in a matter of minutes. very simple and easy to understand. i would recommend this to someone that is still trying to find their "voice"

  • Don H. Dec 2, 2017

    This is a wonderful class with a very knowledgeable and experienced instructor. It starts with the principles you need to understand and then walks you through the process of actually doing the work on set. You can see what it takes to accomplish the work. I will be watching this over and over to let it all soak in. Thank you Bill for putting this together.

Showing 4 of 4 reviews

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