Mr. Beast’s Financial Landscape

Have you ever wondered how much a YouTuber might make by just uploading a video? Does it intrigue you how the famous YouTubers became famous in the first place?

Well quite reasonably, YouTube has given so many artists a platform to showcase their talent and earn easily. One such YouTuber is Mr. Beast, who has not only earned a lot but also has been an inspiration to many for making creative content and generating income.

We will now go through the life of Mr. Beast and know how much Mr. Beast earns, what his net worth is, and how you can be a successful YouTuber in a few simple steps.

1. How to create quality content with Wondershare Filmora

Part 1: Who is Mr. Beast?

Jimmy Donaldson, famously known as Mr. Beast, is a sensational young talent who got renowned due to his YouTube channel. His content comprises mainly Gameplay Videos, Worst intros, and much more. He’s also appreciated for his philanthropy and his deep love for charity.

Here’s a quick biography of Mr. Beast.

Mr. Beast’s (Jimmy Donaldson) Biography
Real Name	Jimmy Donaldson
Age	24 Years
Gender	Male
Height	6 feet 3 inches
Nationality	American
Profession	YouTuber, Content Creator
Net Worth	$40 Million
Monthly Income and Salary	$3 Million
Yearly Income in India Rupees	$30 Million

After getting an overview of who he is, the following article will reveal what makes Jimmy so famous on YouTube and how much money Mr. Beast makes from YouTube.

Part 2: Mr. Beast YouTube Income

Mr. Beast is the second most known YouTuber in the world, in terms of the number of subscribers. He has established himself as a successful YouTube at such a young age by earning around $30 million yearly, which makes his bank accounts boil.

Mr. Beast’s YouTube income is around $3 Million per month, which mostly goes back into making the videos. Most of his income is generated through ads, sponsored posts, and brand deals.

Mr.Beast’s YouTube Stats
Total Videos Uploaded	728 videos
Subscribers	104 million
Overall Video views	16.6 Billion
Last 30 Days’ views	340.7 Million
Estimated Monthly Earnings	$ 550.31K - $ 1.7M
Estimated Yearly Earnings	$12 Million

As you know, YouTube operates on a cbasis. This means per 1000 views, you can expect to make $3-$10. By estimated calculations, Mr. Beast makes $500,000 -$1 million per video.

The data represents Mr. Beast’s YouTube earning of last 6 years. His earnings were substantially low since the start of his YouTube career in early 2017 when he posted his first video of counting 100,000 . However, it began to increase with time.

Part 3: Why is Mr. Beast Trending on YouTube?

Mr. Beast is known for going above and beyond for his YouTube content. He also runs other YouTube channels, besides Mr. Beast, that are mainly based on Philanthropy, Gaming videos, Short Videos, etc that also account for his huge income. Some of the reasons why he is so successful are

A Relentless amount of work and effort:

Mr. Beast has put in a relentless amount of work and effort into his videos. He has been making videos at the age of 13.

Specified target audience:

Mr. Beast makes videos that are based on enduring challenges and cash prizes to the winners. The audience of his videos, the contestants specially, are those people who are in need of money or are low-paid workers, waiters and Uber Drivers etc.

Engaging Videos:

The most unique thing about Mr. Beast’s videos is that he has the least appearance in them. He mostly focuses on something that the viewers can engage with: the contestants, the unique and expensive video sets and the storyline. If you have to watch a video just to learn a way to earn a $100,000, won’t you do it?

Here’s the typical flow of a MrBeast video:

1. He introduces a challenge
2. He then explains the rules
3. He announces a reward (Cash/ Merchandise/ Car)
4. He then follows the contestants as they face the challenge
5. Lastly he gives the winner lots of money

Skillfully Edited Videos

Mr. Beast’s carefully crafted videos have a unique element of motion graphics throughout his video that not only make the video colorful and interactive. Moreover, each clip is only seconds long, which creates a fast yet exciting pace for his content, that makes you hooked to the video.

Have a look at his most viewed video that captured around 245 million views. It showcased a Real-life Squid Game challenge!

$456,000 Squid Game In Real Life!

Feel-Good Element

You might have looked at the creative side of Mr. Beast uptil now, but he is also a very generous human. While helping people in terms of cash prizes, he donates most of his income to his family, friends, and charity.

The keen element of his video is to generate enough engagement that would help him spare the money for the poor, and that is what stands him out.

Bonus Tips: How To Be a Successful YouTuber and Make Videos Like Mr. Beast

Becoming a successful YouTuber like MrBeast is not too complicated. Here are some bonus tips:

Put Efforts

People put loads of effort and money into making the kind of videos that would gain popularity and, in turn, provide them with an excellent earning opportunity.

Understand the Audience

Knowing what the audience demands and how your content can be more engaging are a key to becoming popular.

Hire an expert team

Along with the research, your online presence and how you present yourself are essential. Even though you may lay the foundations of a channel, the team helps you, with their expertise, in making successful content to upload. This would increase the chance of videos becoming popular.

Produce Quality Content

Lastly, creating quality content is essential for a successful YouTuber. Making and editing videos is a straightforward process that can be carried out using various softwares.

Once you deliver your all, patience is all you need since no YouTuber has become trending in a day!

Let us now understand how you can make quality content in Wondershare Filmora.

How to create quality content with Wondershare Filmora

Wondershare Filmora is one of those softwares that are easy to understand and can help make great videos at home.

Here’s a brief outlook on the few steps you need to carry out to make or edit a video and make it more engaging.

Steps to create or edit a video in Filmora:

You need to have downloaded a trial version of Wondershare Filmora before you begin:

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Step1 Import files

By clicking on ‘import,’ you can access the folder to browse the videos you need.

This software gives easy access to videos necessary for the edit and helps you manage them later during the edit. All the files are in the album shown in the left tray, and the ones needed can be displayed in the right window by double-clicking them.

Step2 Insert the video in timelines

To insert a video in the timeline section, drag and drop the files from the media library that will serve as the background video in the first track, then drag and drop another video that you want to add on top of the background video in the second track.

Step3 Alter Speed and Duration Settings

You may alter the duration of the video using the Speed and Duration Settings.

Similarly, if you want to add more than one video together, you can carry out the same process on multiple tracks to share the same frame.

Step4 Adjust the size and positioning of the video

You can also access the editing interface to adjust the position of the video on top. Simply drag the sliders on the interface to change the size, direction and position of the video.

Step5 Advance editing

Some advanced editing can also be done to make the video more impressive. Double-click the video to open the editing panel. You can carry out multiple tasks like

1. Applying motion effects

2. Adjust the tone of video

3. Change the colors of video

4. Play with the audio.

Filmora also has the feature of applying masks to the video; these come in different shapes and positions and can be adjusted accordingly.

Step6 Add effects, stock video, elements, and transitions from Filmora’s vast library

Filmora has additional features like stock photos and video footage that can be added to enhance the beauty of the video content.

Effects:

Go to the top menu and click on effects; you can find many of them; they are categorized in the left vertical menu.

Stock Videos:

Go to the official site of Filmora video stocks . There are a large number of video templates, stock videos, images, and audio files.

You can also access the stock videos from Pixels, Giphy, Pixabay, and Unsplash without leaving the Filmora Software. Go to the Stock Media section in the top menu to access these.

Now you can easily find content to make your videos attractive.

Elements:

Filmora has an extensive stock of Elements; with the proper use of Elements in YouTube videos, you can make them engaging and interactive. You already know the importance of interactive videos.

Find multiple elements from the Element section beside the effects and transition section in Filmora.

Transition:

Transition smoothens the video, especially when various clips are combined. Use transitions from the Filmora Transition section and set the stage for the next scene, convey the mood and smoothen your YouTube video.

The presence of this library reduces the labor of finding images on the internet, makes them accessible to the user, and makes the video interesting.

Step7 Export and save the video

The video is saved by simply clicking ‘ Export.’ You can always share the video online or offline, either publish directly on social media or save it on your computer for later upload.

The quality content that you obtain from Filmora can now be used to inspire millions of viewers out there. You are just an upload away!

Final Words

YouTube has made careers of a lot of people under the banner of creative video content that could otherwise go unnoticed.

No doubt, Mr. Beast has become a leading artist on this platform and made a tremendous amount of money through it, which inspires billions of people what they can achieve with a little creativity and loads of passion!

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Part 1: Who is Mr. Beast?

Jimmy Donaldson, famously known as Mr. Beast, is a sensational young talent who got renowned due to his YouTube channel. His content comprises mainly Gameplay Videos, Worst intros, and much more. He’s also appreciated for his philanthropy and his deep love for charity.

Here’s a quick biography of Mr. Beast.

Mr. Beast’s (Jimmy Donaldson) Biography
Real Name	Jimmy Donaldson
Age	24 Years
Gender	Male
Height	6 feet 3 inches
Nationality	American
Profession	YouTuber, Content Creator
Net Worth	$40 Million
Monthly Income and Salary	$3 Million
Yearly Income in India Rupees	$30 Million

After getting an overview of who he is, the following article will reveal what makes Jimmy so famous on YouTube and how much money Mr. Beast makes from YouTube.

Part 2: Mr. Beast YouTube Income

Mr. Beast is the second most known YouTuber in the world, in terms of the number of subscribers. He has established himself as a successful YouTube at such a young age by earning around $30 million yearly, which makes his bank accounts boil.

Mr. Beast’s YouTube income is around $3 Million per month, which mostly goes back into making the videos. Most of his income is generated through ads, sponsored posts, and brand deals.

Mr.Beast’s YouTube Stats
Total Videos Uploaded	728 videos
Subscribers	104 million
Overall Video views	16.6 Billion
Last 30 Days’ views	340.7 Million
Estimated Monthly Earnings	$ 550.31K - $ 1.7M
Estimated Yearly Earnings	$12 Million

As you know, YouTube operates on a cbasis. This means per 1000 views, you can expect to make $3-$10. By estimated calculations, Mr. Beast makes $500,000 -$1 million per video.

The data represents Mr. Beast’s YouTube earning of last 6 years. His earnings were substantially low since the start of his YouTube career in early 2017 when he posted his first video of counting 100,000 . However, it began to increase with time.

Part 3: Why is Mr. Beast Trending on YouTube?

Mr. Beast is known for going above and beyond for his YouTube content. He also runs other YouTube channels, besides Mr. Beast, that are mainly based on Philanthropy, Gaming videos, Short Videos, etc that also account for his huge income. Some of the reasons why he is so successful are

A Relentless amount of work and effort:

Mr. Beast has put in a relentless amount of work and effort into his videos. He has been making videos at the age of 13.

Specified target audience:

Mr. Beast makes videos that are based on enduring challenges and cash prizes to the winners. The audience of his videos, the contestants specially, are those people who are in need of money or are low-paid workers, waiters and Uber Drivers etc.

Engaging Videos:

The most unique thing about Mr. Beast’s videos is that he has the least appearance in them. He mostly focuses on something that the viewers can engage with: the contestants, the unique and expensive video sets and the storyline. If you have to watch a video just to learn a way to earn a $100,000, won’t you do it?

Here’s the typical flow of a MrBeast video:

1. He introduces a challenge
2. He then explains the rules
3. He announces a reward (Cash/ Merchandise/ Car)
4. He then follows the contestants as they face the challenge
5. Lastly he gives the winner lots of money

Skillfully Edited Videos

Mr. Beast’s carefully crafted videos have a unique element of motion graphics throughout his video that not only make the video colorful and interactive. Moreover, each clip is only seconds long, which creates a fast yet exciting pace for his content, that makes you hooked to the video.

Have a look at his most viewed video that captured around 245 million views. It showcased a Real-life Squid Game challenge!

$456,000 Squid Game In Real Life!

Feel-Good Element

You might have looked at the creative side of Mr. Beast uptil now, but he is also a very generous human. While helping people in terms of cash prizes, he donates most of his income to his family, friends, and charity.

The keen element of his video is to generate enough engagement that would help him spare the money for the poor, and that is what stands him out.

Bonus Tips: How To Be a Successful YouTuber and Make Videos Like Mr. Beast

Becoming a successful YouTuber like MrBeast is not too complicated. Here are some bonus tips:

Put Efforts

People put loads of effort and money into making the kind of videos that would gain popularity and, in turn, provide them with an excellent earning opportunity.

Understand the Audience

Knowing what the audience demands and how your content can be more engaging are a key to becoming popular.

Hire an expert team

Along with the research, your online presence and how you present yourself are essential. Even though you may lay the foundations of a channel, the team helps you, with their expertise, in making successful content to upload. This would increase the chance of videos becoming popular.

Produce Quality Content

Lastly, creating quality content is essential for a successful YouTuber. Making and editing videos is a straightforward process that can be carried out using various softwares.

Once you deliver your all, patience is all you need since no YouTuber has become trending in a day!

Let us now understand how you can make quality content in Wondershare Filmora.

How to create quality content with Wondershare Filmora

Wondershare Filmora is one of those softwares that are easy to understand and can help make great videos at home.

Here’s a brief outlook on the few steps you need to carry out to make or edit a video and make it more engaging.

Steps to create or edit a video in Filmora:

You need to have downloaded a trial version of Wondershare Filmora before you begin:

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Step1 Import files

By clicking on ‘import,’ you can access the folder to browse the videos you need.

This software gives easy access to videos necessary for the edit and helps you manage them later during the edit. All the files are in the album shown in the left tray, and the ones needed can be displayed in the right window by double-clicking them.

Step2 Insert the video in timelines

To insert a video in the timeline section, drag and drop the files from the media library that will serve as the background video in the first track, then drag and drop another video that you want to add on top of the background video in the second track.

Step3 Alter Speed and Duration Settings

You may alter the duration of the video using the Speed and Duration Settings.

Similarly, if you want to add more than one video together, you can carry out the same process on multiple tracks to share the same frame.

Step4 Adjust the size and positioning of the video

You can also access the editing interface to adjust the position of the video on top. Simply drag the sliders on the interface to change the size, direction and position of the video.

Step5 Advance editing

Some advanced editing can also be done to make the video more impressive. Double-click the video to open the editing panel. You can carry out multiple tasks like

1. Applying motion effects

2. Adjust the tone of video

3. Change the colors of video

4. Play with the audio.

Filmora also has the feature of applying masks to the video; these come in different shapes and positions and can be adjusted accordingly.

Step6 Add effects, stock video, elements, and transitions from Filmora’s vast library

Filmora has additional features like stock photos and video footage that can be added to enhance the beauty of the video content.

Effects:

Go to the top menu and click on effects; you can find many of them; they are categorized in the left vertical menu.

Stock Videos:

Go to the official site of Filmora video stocks . There are a large number of video templates, stock videos, images, and audio files.

You can also access the stock videos from Pixels, Giphy, Pixabay, and Unsplash without leaving the Filmora Software. Go to the Stock Media section in the top menu to access these.

Now you can easily find content to make your videos attractive.

Elements:

Filmora has an extensive stock of Elements; with the proper use of Elements in YouTube videos, you can make them engaging and interactive. You already know the importance of interactive videos.

Find multiple elements from the Element section beside the effects and transition section in Filmora.

Transition:

Transition smoothens the video, especially when various clips are combined. Use transitions from the Filmora Transition section and set the stage for the next scene, convey the mood and smoothen your YouTube video.

The presence of this library reduces the labor of finding images on the internet, makes them accessible to the user, and makes the video interesting.

Step7 Export and save the video

The video is saved by simply clicking ‘ Export.’ You can always share the video online or offline, either publish directly on social media or save it on your computer for later upload.

The quality content that you obtain from Filmora can now be used to inspire millions of viewers out there. You are just an upload away!

Final Words

YouTube has made careers of a lot of people under the banner of creative video content that could otherwise go unnoticed.

No doubt, Mr. Beast has become a leading artist on this platform and made a tremendous amount of money through it, which inspires billions of people what they can achieve with a little creativity and loads of passion!

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Illuminate Your Content Creation

Lighting Tips for Vlogging: How to Light

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

One of the best things you can do for your video quality is to ensure you have great lighting. Viewers find poor lighting distracting and it’s hard for them to see how great your content is if they are busy thinking about why your video is so dark. By creating a great lighting set up you can ensure that the people watching your videos are only thinking about how much they’re enjoying them.

Going outside and using natural light is the cheapest way to get a lot of light for your videos. If your vlog is not suited to the great outdoors then you need to get more strategic. You can turn on all the lights in your living room and still end up with a dark, grainy, video.

Video Lighting Basics: Three Point Lighting

The most common technique of lighting a scene is called three-point lighting. It involves three different sources of light in the shot and is used by portrait photographers, which is also a great method for lighting your vlog.

The brightest source of light is also known as the key light which need to be high quality. A window will work, but if you do not have access to one where you are filming then consider an LED panel light or a softbox light like the ones used in portrait photography.

This first light will create a dramatic shadow across half of your face. You want to reduce this shadow, but not get rid of it completely.

Rather than setting up another light source on the opposite side of the camera, put up a reflector to bounce some light back onto your face. This reflector is called your ‘Fill Light’.

The fill light is less bright than the primary source of light and it is placed on the side opposite to the key light. Its purpose is to reduce shadows produced by the key light and the reflector will need to be mounted on a stand.

The final step to creating three point lighting is to set up another light behind you. This is your ‘Backlight’, and it will help you stand out from your background. Backlight or Hair light is always placed behind and above the subject to create separation between the subject in the shot and the background. This basic lighting technique can be applied in almost every scene you shoot, which is why it is important to keep an open mind and to continue experimenting with possible light setups.

Watch Video! Top Lighting Tips for Vlogging

Lightning Tips for Aspiring YouTube Videographers

Becoming the master of light will take some time and practice, so it is crucial to remain curious and anxious to learn new tricks throughout that process if you want to continually become better. These tips will help you make the first steps on that journey.

1. Focus Your Key Light

Try to focus your Key Light so that it lights only you and not your background. Do this by mounting anything that can cast a shadow onto your Key Light to control the area where the light hits. If you are using a window for your Key Light then you can use a curtain. If you use a softbox light then your light will already be somewhat focused.

2. Use Natural Lighting

The light provided by the Sun is still the best light source, you can have in your video. The trouble is that natural light changes quickly, which makes it highly unpredictable. The best way to deal with this challenge is to come prepared to the set and to get the shot you want as quickly as you can.

3. Try DIY Lightning

Literally, anything from candles to LED light bulbs can serve as a source of light in a shot. You just need to pay attention to the light temperature, because warmer light sources may highlight reds and yellows that can make your footage look less realistic.

4. Use Lightning Kits

This is by far the best option if you want to be in complete control of the light on your set. You can adjust the intensity of the lights, use filters, diffusers and all sorts of other accessories to create the light that flatters the subjects of your videos. The only downside is that you’ll have to spend a considerable amount of money if you want to have a professional lighting kit.

5. Set up reflectors

Sets of reflectors are often under $50, so they are fairly affordable. However, some vloggers choose to forgo purchasing reflectors and make their own out of tinfoil.

If your strong main light is too hard on your eyes then you can use a translucent ‘reflector’ to soften it. Set your translucent reflector, or other screen, up in front of your main light to diffuse it.

If you are hosting a beauty vlog then you might consider a slightly different set up. Instead of having your main light off to one side set it up directly in front of you so your entire face is lit evenly. It is still a good idea to use fill lights in this set up to give you some dimension, and a backlight is even more essential for helping you stand out from the background. The even light hitting your face will also make you look flat if you do not use a backlight.

If you are using all of the lighting options available to you and your video still looks too dark then you can try brightening it by opening up the aperture of your camera lens/setting a lower f-stop. Letting more light into your camera can help your footage look brighter, although you also run the risk of making things look overexposed/ washed out if you are not careful.

If you are stuck shooting in low light conditions it is best to use a lens with a wider aperture/lower f-stop. This will make the best of the light you do have.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

One of the best things you can do for your video quality is to ensure you have great lighting. Viewers find poor lighting distracting and it’s hard for them to see how great your content is if they are busy thinking about why your video is so dark. By creating a great lighting set up you can ensure that the people watching your videos are only thinking about how much they’re enjoying them.

Going outside and using natural light is the cheapest way to get a lot of light for your videos. If your vlog is not suited to the great outdoors then you need to get more strategic. You can turn on all the lights in your living room and still end up with a dark, grainy, video.

Video Lighting Basics: Three Point Lighting

The most common technique of lighting a scene is called three-point lighting. It involves three different sources of light in the shot and is used by portrait photographers, which is also a great method for lighting your vlog.

The brightest source of light is also known as the key light which need to be high quality. A window will work, but if you do not have access to one where you are filming then consider an LED panel light or a softbox light like the ones used in portrait photography.

This first light will create a dramatic shadow across half of your face. You want to reduce this shadow, but not get rid of it completely.

Rather than setting up another light source on the opposite side of the camera, put up a reflector to bounce some light back onto your face. This reflector is called your ‘Fill Light’.

The fill light is less bright than the primary source of light and it is placed on the side opposite to the key light. Its purpose is to reduce shadows produced by the key light and the reflector will need to be mounted on a stand.

The final step to creating three point lighting is to set up another light behind you. This is your ‘Backlight’, and it will help you stand out from your background. Backlight or Hair light is always placed behind and above the subject to create separation between the subject in the shot and the background. This basic lighting technique can be applied in almost every scene you shoot, which is why it is important to keep an open mind and to continue experimenting with possible light setups.

Watch Video! Top Lighting Tips for Vlogging

Lightning Tips for Aspiring YouTube Videographers

Becoming the master of light will take some time and practice, so it is crucial to remain curious and anxious to learn new tricks throughout that process if you want to continually become better. These tips will help you make the first steps on that journey.

1. Focus Your Key Light

Try to focus your Key Light so that it lights only you and not your background. Do this by mounting anything that can cast a shadow onto your Key Light to control the area where the light hits. If you are using a window for your Key Light then you can use a curtain. If you use a softbox light then your light will already be somewhat focused.

2. Use Natural Lighting

The light provided by the Sun is still the best light source, you can have in your video. The trouble is that natural light changes quickly, which makes it highly unpredictable. The best way to deal with this challenge is to come prepared to the set and to get the shot you want as quickly as you can.

3. Try DIY Lightning

Literally, anything from candles to LED light bulbs can serve as a source of light in a shot. You just need to pay attention to the light temperature, because warmer light sources may highlight reds and yellows that can make your footage look less realistic.

4. Use Lightning Kits

This is by far the best option if you want to be in complete control of the light on your set. You can adjust the intensity of the lights, use filters, diffusers and all sorts of other accessories to create the light that flatters the subjects of your videos. The only downside is that you’ll have to spend a considerable amount of money if you want to have a professional lighting kit.

5. Set up reflectors

Sets of reflectors are often under $50, so they are fairly affordable. However, some vloggers choose to forgo purchasing reflectors and make their own out of tinfoil.

If your strong main light is too hard on your eyes then you can use a translucent ‘reflector’ to soften it. Set your translucent reflector, or other screen, up in front of your main light to diffuse it.

If you are hosting a beauty vlog then you might consider a slightly different set up. Instead of having your main light off to one side set it up directly in front of you so your entire face is lit evenly. It is still a good idea to use fill lights in this set up to give you some dimension, and a backlight is even more essential for helping you stand out from the background. The even light hitting your face will also make you look flat if you do not use a backlight.

If you are using all of the lighting options available to you and your video still looks too dark then you can try brightening it by opening up the aperture of your camera lens/setting a lower f-stop. Letting more light into your camera can help your footage look brighter, although you also run the risk of making things look overexposed/ washed out if you are not careful.

If you are stuck shooting in low light conditions it is best to use a lens with a wider aperture/lower f-stop. This will make the best of the light you do have.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

One of the best things you can do for your video quality is to ensure you have great lighting. Viewers find poor lighting distracting and it’s hard for them to see how great your content is if they are busy thinking about why your video is so dark. By creating a great lighting set up you can ensure that the people watching your videos are only thinking about how much they’re enjoying them.

Going outside and using natural light is the cheapest way to get a lot of light for your videos. If your vlog is not suited to the great outdoors then you need to get more strategic. You can turn on all the lights in your living room and still end up with a dark, grainy, video.

Video Lighting Basics: Three Point Lighting

The most common technique of lighting a scene is called three-point lighting. It involves three different sources of light in the shot and is used by portrait photographers, which is also a great method for lighting your vlog.

The brightest source of light is also known as the key light which need to be high quality. A window will work, but if you do not have access to one where you are filming then consider an LED panel light or a softbox light like the ones used in portrait photography.

This first light will create a dramatic shadow across half of your face. You want to reduce this shadow, but not get rid of it completely.

Rather than setting up another light source on the opposite side of the camera, put up a reflector to bounce some light back onto your face. This reflector is called your ‘Fill Light’.

The fill light is less bright than the primary source of light and it is placed on the side opposite to the key light. Its purpose is to reduce shadows produced by the key light and the reflector will need to be mounted on a stand.

The final step to creating three point lighting is to set up another light behind you. This is your ‘Backlight’, and it will help you stand out from your background. Backlight or Hair light is always placed behind and above the subject to create separation between the subject in the shot and the background. This basic lighting technique can be applied in almost every scene you shoot, which is why it is important to keep an open mind and to continue experimenting with possible light setups.

Watch Video! Top Lighting Tips for Vlogging

Lightning Tips for Aspiring YouTube Videographers

Becoming the master of light will take some time and practice, so it is crucial to remain curious and anxious to learn new tricks throughout that process if you want to continually become better. These tips will help you make the first steps on that journey.

1. Focus Your Key Light

Try to focus your Key Light so that it lights only you and not your background. Do this by mounting anything that can cast a shadow onto your Key Light to control the area where the light hits. If you are using a window for your Key Light then you can use a curtain. If you use a softbox light then your light will already be somewhat focused.

2. Use Natural Lighting

The light provided by the Sun is still the best light source, you can have in your video. The trouble is that natural light changes quickly, which makes it highly unpredictable. The best way to deal with this challenge is to come prepared to the set and to get the shot you want as quickly as you can.

3. Try DIY Lightning

Literally, anything from candles to LED light bulbs can serve as a source of light in a shot. You just need to pay attention to the light temperature, because warmer light sources may highlight reds and yellows that can make your footage look less realistic.

4. Use Lightning Kits

This is by far the best option if you want to be in complete control of the light on your set. You can adjust the intensity of the lights, use filters, diffusers and all sorts of other accessories to create the light that flatters the subjects of your videos. The only downside is that you’ll have to spend a considerable amount of money if you want to have a professional lighting kit.

5. Set up reflectors

Sets of reflectors are often under $50, so they are fairly affordable. However, some vloggers choose to forgo purchasing reflectors and make their own out of tinfoil.

If your strong main light is too hard on your eyes then you can use a translucent ‘reflector’ to soften it. Set your translucent reflector, or other screen, up in front of your main light to diffuse it.

If you are hosting a beauty vlog then you might consider a slightly different set up. Instead of having your main light off to one side set it up directly in front of you so your entire face is lit evenly. It is still a good idea to use fill lights in this set up to give you some dimension, and a backlight is even more essential for helping you stand out from the background. The even light hitting your face will also make you look flat if you do not use a backlight.

If you are using all of the lighting options available to you and your video still looks too dark then you can try brightening it by opening up the aperture of your camera lens/setting a lower f-stop. Letting more light into your camera can help your footage look brighter, although you also run the risk of making things look overexposed/ washed out if you are not careful.

If you are stuck shooting in low light conditions it is best to use a lens with a wider aperture/lower f-stop. This will make the best of the light you do have.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

One of the best things you can do for your video quality is to ensure you have great lighting. Viewers find poor lighting distracting and it’s hard for them to see how great your content is if they are busy thinking about why your video is so dark. By creating a great lighting set up you can ensure that the people watching your videos are only thinking about how much they’re enjoying them.

Going outside and using natural light is the cheapest way to get a lot of light for your videos. If your vlog is not suited to the great outdoors then you need to get more strategic. You can turn on all the lights in your living room and still end up with a dark, grainy, video.

Video Lighting Basics: Three Point Lighting

The most common technique of lighting a scene is called three-point lighting. It involves three different sources of light in the shot and is used by portrait photographers, which is also a great method for lighting your vlog.

The brightest source of light is also known as the key light which need to be high quality. A window will work, but if you do not have access to one where you are filming then consider an LED panel light or a softbox light like the ones used in portrait photography.

This first light will create a dramatic shadow across half of your face. You want to reduce this shadow, but not get rid of it completely.

Rather than setting up another light source on the opposite side of the camera, put up a reflector to bounce some light back onto your face. This reflector is called your ‘Fill Light’.

The fill light is less bright than the primary source of light and it is placed on the side opposite to the key light. Its purpose is to reduce shadows produced by the key light and the reflector will need to be mounted on a stand.

The final step to creating three point lighting is to set up another light behind you. This is your ‘Backlight’, and it will help you stand out from your background. Backlight or Hair light is always placed behind and above the subject to create separation between the subject in the shot and the background. This basic lighting technique can be applied in almost every scene you shoot, which is why it is important to keep an open mind and to continue experimenting with possible light setups.

Watch Video! Top Lighting Tips for Vlogging

Lightning Tips for Aspiring YouTube Videographers

Becoming the master of light will take some time and practice, so it is crucial to remain curious and anxious to learn new tricks throughout that process if you want to continually become better. These tips will help you make the first steps on that journey.

1. Focus Your Key Light

Try to focus your Key Light so that it lights only you and not your background. Do this by mounting anything that can cast a shadow onto your Key Light to control the area where the light hits. If you are using a window for your Key Light then you can use a curtain. If you use a softbox light then your light will already be somewhat focused.

2. Use Natural Lighting

The light provided by the Sun is still the best light source, you can have in your video. The trouble is that natural light changes quickly, which makes it highly unpredictable. The best way to deal with this challenge is to come prepared to the set and to get the shot you want as quickly as you can.

3. Try DIY Lightning

Literally, anything from candles to LED light bulbs can serve as a source of light in a shot. You just need to pay attention to the light temperature, because warmer light sources may highlight reds and yellows that can make your footage look less realistic.

4. Use Lightning Kits

This is by far the best option if you want to be in complete control of the light on your set. You can adjust the intensity of the lights, use filters, diffusers and all sorts of other accessories to create the light that flatters the subjects of your videos. The only downside is that you’ll have to spend a considerable amount of money if you want to have a professional lighting kit.

5. Set up reflectors

Sets of reflectors are often under $50, so they are fairly affordable. However, some vloggers choose to forgo purchasing reflectors and make their own out of tinfoil.

If your strong main light is too hard on your eyes then you can use a translucent ‘reflector’ to soften it. Set your translucent reflector, or other screen, up in front of your main light to diffuse it.

If you are hosting a beauty vlog then you might consider a slightly different set up. Instead of having your main light off to one side set it up directly in front of you so your entire face is lit evenly. It is still a good idea to use fill lights in this set up to give you some dimension, and a backlight is even more essential for helping you stand out from the background. The even light hitting your face will also make you look flat if you do not use a backlight.

If you are using all of the lighting options available to you and your video still looks too dark then you can try brightening it by opening up the aperture of your camera lens/setting a lower f-stop. Letting more light into your camera can help your footage look brighter, although you also run the risk of making things look overexposed/ washed out if you are not careful.

If you are stuck shooting in low light conditions it is best to use a lens with a wider aperture/lower f-stop. This will make the best of the light you do have.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett