Start with the camera, not the lamp
Before anyone lifts a stand, decide where the camera sits and what it sees. A news desk is usually framed as a medium close-up, so the presenter's face, shoulders and a slice of the set behind are all that matter. Stand where the presenter will sit, look towards the lens, and note which direction the room's windows and doors face. Daylight leaking in from the side will fight your lamps, so close blinds or plan around them.
Measure the distance from the desk to the back wall as well. That gap decides how much separation you can build later, and it is the figure I ask for first when planning a set. Anything under two metres is workable but needs care with spill. Write the measurements on a simple floor sketch and mark the camera position, the desk and the presenter's seat. Every lamp placement that follows comes from that sketch, which saves a lot of shuffling once the stands are up.
- Sketch the floor with camera, desk and seat marked
- Measure desk to back wall
- Cover or avoid window light
Place the key light first
The key light is the main source and gives the face its shape. Put it slightly off the camera axis, roughly thirty to forty-five degrees to one side, and raise it so it falls on the presenter from just above eye level. A softbox or a large diffused panel is kinder than a bare lamp because it wraps light around the face and softens skin texture. Switch it on alone, with the room lights off, and watch the shadow under the nose and chin.
Adjust until that shadow is gentle and points down and away from the camera, not straight across the cheek. Keep the key close enough to stay soft but far enough to avoid hot spots on a forehead. Ask the presenter to move their head slightly, as they will on air, and check the light still holds. Mark the stand's feet with tape so the position can be repeated on the next recording day.
Fill the shadows without flattening the face
With the key set, the side of the face away from it will look dark. Fill light lifts that side so detail is visible, but too much fill makes everyone look flat and washed out. Place a weaker, softer source on the opposite side of the camera, or use a white reflector, and aim for a key-to-fill ratio of about two to one for news. That keeps a sense of shape while staying comfortable for a viewer watching a long bulletin.
Check the result on the camera monitor rather than with your eyes, because the sensor sees contrast differently from you. If glasses are worn, nudge the key higher or further round to move reflections out of the lens. Dark skin and pale skin sit differently under the same light, so test with the actual presenters where you can. A small change in height or angle usually fixes what extra lamps only complicate.
- Aim for a gentle ratio, not an even wash
- Judge on the monitor
- Check for reflections in glasses
Separate the presenter from the background
A back light, placed behind and above the presenter and aimed at the shoulders and hair, draws a thin bright edge that lifts them away from the set. Keep it modest. If the edge glows like a halo, lower the output or flag it. Choose a spot that does not shine into the lens, and use barn doors or a flag to shape the beam so it lands only where you want it.
The background deserves its own light. A separate lamp on the set wall or panels, set a little lower than the key, gives depth and stops the presenter sitting against a dark hole. Aim it so it does not spill onto the desk or face. If the set has a logo or a screen, light those evenly and avoid glare. Brightness behind should stay below the face, so the eye goes to the person, not the scenery.
Balance colour and exposure across the set
Mixed lamps are a common source of awkward skin tones. Use fittings of the same colour temperature throughout, and set the camera white balance from a white card held at the presenter's position under the final lighting. If a window or practical lamp stays in shot, either gel your lights to match it or remove it from the frame.
Then set exposure with the lights on and the presenter in place. Look at the waveform or zebras if your camera offers them, and keep the face comfortably below clipping. Stand the lamps on stable bases, tape down cables and check heat near curtains or paper. Take a short test recording, play it back on a proper monitor, and note anything that bothers you, such as a bright patch on the desk or a shadow from the microphone boom.
- Match lamp colour temperature
- White balance on a card at the face
- Record a short test and review it
Record the plan so it can be repeated
Once the picture looks right, photograph the set from the camera position and from the side, and note each lamp's height, distance, angle and dimmer level on your sketch. A studio that can recreate Monday's lighting on Thursday saves time and keeps the look consistent from one bulletin to the next. Label stands and keep spare bulbs and cable ties in a labelled box.
Revisit the plan when something changes, such as a new desk, a different presenter or a repainted wall. Small adjustments are normal, and the notes make them quick. When a set feels too complicated to settle alone, a second pair of eyes helps. A short visit to look at the floor, measure the distances and propose a simple plan often resolves what hours of trial and error have not.
Good news lighting is mostly patience and notes: fix the camera position, set the key, add gentle fill, separate the presenter from the wall, and match colour across the set. Work in that order, check on the monitor, and write down every position once it looks right. A repeatable plan is worth more than an elaborate rig, because the same face, lit the same way each day, is what viewers notice as steady, professional production.
