I’m sure you’ve noticed, that actor’s eyes always seem to have this sort of sparkle to them. And this might be due to their glamorous star qualities, but it’s also because directors intentionally add this little detail to their actor’s eyes and it’s actually a super easy trick, that you can recreate on a budget.

The basics of lighting

So, you probably know this or have heard of it at some point, but I still want to clarify the basics of lighting a character before we get any further into the topic.

The most basic lighting setup (that is not a bad thing btw, most films and TV shows use this concept in some form) is the ever so famous three-point lighting.

And, as you probably have guessed, it consists of three light sources.

Your main light source will be your key light.

If you’re going for a very basic, very “studio” look, you’ll place this light at a 45° angle and slightly above your subject’s eyeline on one side of their face. Which side this is you can choose freely.

Your key light will be your main light source and the brightest out of all your lights

Now this light needs some support from the other side and this is where your fill light comes in. Traditionally this light will be a less strong light (or even just some type of reflector) placed on the other side of the subjects face, mirroring the key light.

Your fill light is there to soften the shadows created by the key light

Now, the last out of the holy trinity (and my personal favorite) is your backlight. This is a light placed behind and above your subject to create a sort of glowing edge around them, and in my opinion it’s the simplest way to make your image look more “cinematic”.

Now, that we’ve gone over the basics, it can become really interesting…

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Whenever I don’t have the time or space to set up all of these lights or I feel like my lighting looks boring, or I want it to have a specific psychological effect, this is what I do:

The eye light

Okay, so per definition, an eye light or catch light is the little speck of light that appears in your subjects eye and makes them look like they’re glowing from within or just generally more alive. But there is actually so much more to it than a little shimmer in the actor’s eye… And you can very easily create this yourself…

The subconscious psychology

And how to use it in your own film

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The idea

For my first year film school project, I somehow got the idea into my head that I needed a witch to appear from a bath tub in the middle of a garden. That was the scene I imagined in my head, that I built the whole story on.

Okay, I had written it in my script. It was there, in the story, and I needed it to happen.

I had a moodboard with dozens of pictures of bath tubs in obscure places like the woods or a field and I was obsessed with the aesthetic of it.

BUT HOW DO YOU GET A BATH TUB IN A GARDEN ?

I knew that I had two options: Either find a garden that has a bathtub or put a bathtub in a garden. And I strongly believed that the first option was the more promising one.

So I started location scouting. I went around the allotment garden complexes in my city peeking into gardens to see if somebody had a bathtub standing around. After all, it’s not that uncommon for people to use old bath tubs as flowerbeds or decoration, right?

I started ringing on doorbells and giving out my contact information. I did this for a few weeks without any luck.

And one day, as I was taking a walk around the area where my parents live, I spotted, completely by chance, a small, overgrown garden with a mystical little house and A BATH TUB IN THE FRONT YARD.

I was so excited, it felt like the indie filmmaking gods were on my side. So I rang the doorbell. Nothing happened, nobody home. So I rang the only neighbors’ doorbell. Nobody home. So I waited.

I’d hung around that spot for about an hour when a car pulled up the road and parked in front of the two houses. I immediately went up to the person, a friendly looking middle aged man, and asked him if he lived in the bath tub house. He told me he was the neighbor and that he could pass my contact on to the person living in the bath tub house!

I was so excited! I thought I had finally found my perfect location…

But I never got a call.

I was kind of disappointed but even more stressed out because the shooting date was only weeks away at this point.

I didn’t know what to do anymore. I had this idea in my mind that I really wanted to happen because it felt like the core of my story.

But I was losing faith… and time.

I genuinely started to consider writing the scene out of the script and getting the whimsy from somewhere else. I just felt like this was the more realistic option.

But honestly, f realistic*

One evening, after location scouting with my production designer, Hannah, and still no luck, I was feeling somewhat defeated. I seriously considered just cutting the scene out.

But Hannah had a different plan. She took me by the shoulders and looked me in the eyes and said:

“No, Bella, we’re doing this. Look, I’m sure there are cheap bath tubs for sale on willhaben.” (the biggest austrian online second hand market place).
“We can just take your parents’ big car and get it.”

So we did just that. Within literally five minutes, we had found a pink bath tub selling for 5€, twenty minutes away. “If this is not a sign.” Hannah said.

Her unwavering confidence in this project shifted something in me.

I felt the power of friendship and solidarity. The power of making a film together.

So the next day, we went to get the bathtub. It was extremely heavy and we had to carry it down 4 flights of stairs and fit it into my parents’ car - which it did (to a millimeter).

Then we put it into my garden, shot the scene and it was perfect.

And I’m still so glad I pushed through. Not only because my vision was realised exactly how I imagined it, but because it gave me so much confidence to think big. To not put off ideas as unrealistic.

It gave me the confidence to commit to my ideas, because once you do this, there is no alternative. And this feeling is insanely powerful.

And when you pair this feeling with a few friends who are just as committed as you are;

It. will. work.

And this is what independent filmmaking is all about. Never underestimate the power of working together and always always keep your confidence in the project. You got this.

<3 and watch the final project here:

When most people think about movies and a film crew, they think about the director, the actors and maybe the director of photography, but there are a huge number of other departments and jobs that usually go unnoticed by the audience.

So let’s shine a little light on the extraordinary work of film crew members the public usually doesn’t hear about. Star…

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If you’ve ever been on a film set, you know that before the take and before the director (or the AD) says „Action“, there is a lot being said by many people very quickly. And this can be very confusing. So, let’s clear things up.

Note: This chain of command changes depending on the production, the crew and country. But it’s almost always something like t…

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I get daily messages from you guys asking me how you can start working in the film industry without any connections — so today I’m going to share 7 things I would do if I was just starting out. Along with a little bit of my Story.

Personality over Skill

A good friend of mine, who is a professional DoP, recently told me that he values the Vibes that People bring to Set far more than how experienced they are at their job. Which doesn’t mean you shouldn’t always strive for improvement in your craft and be serious about what you do. But that making good connections and generally being a joy to work with can get you FAR in this business.

But let’s start at the beginning…

When I was 19 years old and had just landed back home in Europe after 6 months in South America, I was looking to go to University. At that point I had absolutely no idea that I was going to end up making films, and I began studying theater,- film,- and media studies because it was something that had always fascinated me.

I made my first 5 minute short film in University and I remember saying to the girl that made it with me: „I have no idea how to make a movie“. And that didn’t change until about 3 years later.

But I kept going and learnt one very important lesson;

Film is a people game.

For me, this is the absolute beauty of it. After all, making a film is a group effort, so you need to know the group.

So get to know the people. Surround yourself with film people as much as possible. Be in as many rooms as possible, meet as many people as you can and eventually something is going to lead to something. Take EVERY opportunity. Something that might feel unnecessary to you might introduce you to someone who will introduce you to someone who will hire you… You truly never know.

So here are the 7 things I would immediately do to meet people in film:

1. Work or volunteer at a film festival near you - no matter the size.

2. Go to film related events in your city - look it up; Workshops, Discussions, Screenings, Info Days, Networking Events, etc. You’ll be surprised how much you weren’t aware of.

3. Research production companies in your area - the small ones. CALL THEM, introduce yourself and ask if they need help. I know this takes some courage, but I promise, most people are generally nice and have been in your position before.

4. (A bit unhinged) If there is a film school in your city,

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