Lighting A Virtual Cocktail Class

Once the bar was complete, I set up my camera for a test run. The light was terrible - I needed better light. I went down to the local National Camera Exchange to buy a light. Upon talking to the experts there, I realized how little I knew about lighting the set for my Virtual Cocktail Classes. When performing things on camera, like making craft cocktails, I needed a main light, a fill light, and a backlight. I needed to take readings, adjust distances, look for shadows, fill dark spots, and most likely I have to do more stuff. Being a private bartender who gives mixology classes for fun to other people was much harder than making a perfect Martini or an awesome Old Fashioned.

Starting a company where you need to do everything in front of a camera takes more investment than I thought. I suppose every business owner goes through the same thing, right? “All I need to do is open the door and I’ll start making money!” Wrong! While content is key for the cocktail classes I will be giving, the quality of production is important as well. I ended up buying 3 nice lights that function as the main lighting for the classes. A few weeks later, I realized that I would probably need a back-up light in case something went wrong right before a class. My second trip to National Camera Exchange involved me getting a more expensive light where the brightness is digitally controlled so I can find the exact number that gives the perfect light (I found it to be 34).

The good news about the lighting scenario is that when other people come to film me for guest spots or when photographers shoot photos for the website, the lighting is no problem. Just another day in the setting up of Virtual Mixology Classes. At least I’ll be mildly well-versed in set production once Hollywood finds me and offers me the next bartender appearance in James Bond!