Between YouTube and the Film Set – Interview with Eirik from Living Room Gear Demos on the Cameo S4 IP

Anyone searching YouTube for high-quality guitar gear videos will, sooner or later, come across Eirik and his channel, Living Room Gear Demos. Over more than ten years, this self-proclaimed “gear nerd” has produced over 1,000 videos centred on his favourite instrument. Alongside his role as a YouTuber, Eirik has also built a career as a professional cinematographer. With the Cameo S4 IP, he’s recently found an LED softlight that supports him in both fields. We spoke with Eirik about his journey as a YouTuber, the look of his videos, and his work as a cinematographer for external clients.

Eirik, you have a very successful YouTube channel all about guitar gear. When did you start it and what was the reason behind it?

Eirik: I started my YouTube channel in 2013. At that time, I was an active musician with a huge interest in guitar gear and enjoyed watching YouTube videos about guitars and new gear. Around the same time, I began experimenting with still photography and filming, and eventually, I realized I could combine my interests in filming and guitar gear. That’s when I decided to start a YouTube channel focused on guitars and new gear.

How have your videos changed in terms of quality and look over the years? Was this also specifically related to new or better equipment?

Eirik: I’ve never attended film school or taken any photography lessons, so when I started on YouTube, I knew nothing about making good-looking videos. In the beginning, I’d say my videos clearly suffered from a lack of knowledge about cameras and lighting. But after learning by doing, the quality eventually improved. Over the years, I’ve probably watched thousands of videos on lighting and camera techniques and eventually picked up some tricks.

In those 11 years on YouTube, the advancements in gear have also been significant. When I started, good-quality LED lights were hard to find. The selection, quality, and availability of lighting equipment now are much better, and this has also helped improve the quality of my videos. The same goes for camera gear—the equipment available today is so much better than when I started!

Where and how do you shoot your videos nowadays? Can you describe your current video and lighting setup?

Eirik: I have a studio and storage room that serves as both my YouTube studio and the base of my cinematography business. My main light source for years has been a powerful light panel, which is currently a Cameo S4 IP Softlight. In addition to that key light, I use a handful of small practical lights to create a more natural look. I also use several tube lights as fill lights and for backlighting.

As for cameras, my main camera is an Arri Amira. This is of course an investment for me as an owner/operator cinematographer, but I also use it for YouTube. Which is kind of over the top, but fun.

What do you attach particular importance to when it comes to the look of your videos?

Eirik: When I started on YouTube, I wasn’t shy about showing my fixtures in the image, which is a typical YouTuber thing to do. Nowadays I’m all about motivated lighting and making everything look as natural as possible. So, I try to motivate my key light with a window or other natural sources. I hide most fixtures unless it’s a practical one. I do this because that’s how I do it as a cinematographer. I find that motivated lighting is the most important mindset I have on set, or in my own studio. I’m also a huge fan of lenses that add a lot of character. Vintage lenses for example are great for adding some life and character to a look.

You recently worked with the Cameo S4 IP Softlight for the first time. Where and how did you use it?

Eirik: I’ve used it for a while in my studio for my YouTube videos. But I recently brought it to my first job where I was hired as the DoP. This was a two-camera interview setup in a building that was in the midst of a renovation. The director wanted an image that looked naturally lit. I used the S4 IP as my key light, motivated by the windows on camera left.

What was challenging about this project? How did you deal with it as a cinematographer?

Eirik: It’s always challenging when the director says they don’t like an image that looks artificially lit, and they want it to look like no fixtures were used. In these cases, the gaffer and I need to work even harder to make everything look as natural as possible.

I also like to mix soft light with hard light. The S4 IP was the primary source for the soft key light. To create a more natural look, I decided to shoot a hard light through the window in the back, imitating sunlight. This adds a natural feel and texture to the image.

What do you particularly like about the S4 IP?

Eirik: The S4 IP is an excellent fixture for this setup and many other situations! I particularly appreciate the power it provides; even in a large frame or room like this, I only used it at around 70%. I also love that it includes temperature and magenta/green correction. Since I often mix different fixtures, brands, and natural light, being able to match the various light sources is essential. I don’t think I could ever go back to using a light that doesn’t have magenta/green correction!

Which S-series accessories did you use and for what purpose?

Eirik: I used the softbox. I planned to use the S4 with both the softbox and the snapgrid, but after the interview subject arrived, I decided to add another layer of diffusion between the S4 and the subject. We set up an 8×8 1/2 grid cloth to make the light even softer. Normally, I’d be satisfied with just the S4, with or without the softbox, but in this case, we added the 8×8 to make the light source resemble the window even more.

In general: How does your work as a cinematographer for external projects differ from your video production for YouTube?

Eirik: I’d say it’s ten times more challenging! Everything needs to look much better, and you have no time to make it happen. When working on YouTube, I love spending half a day setting up lights and cameras. I experiment with different setups, which allows me to learn a lot in the process. At the end of the day, those details are mostly for me; most YouTube viewers aren’t too concerned if I use a 1/2 grid or a 1/4 grid cloth in my setup.

With external projects, you might have the privilege of a technical scout to see the location and plan as best as you can. But when it’s time to film, rigging needs to happen so fast that you don’t have time to second-guess your decisions. If it doesn’t look good when your time is up, there’s not much you can do other than adjust levels. Having a strong team and an experienced gaffer really helps. In general, as much experience as possible is valuable, and good gear makes a difference.

Do you have any tips for beginners who want to achieve a good look in their videos? What should they pay particular attention to?

Eirik: Learn as much about lighting as you can. Mastering it is a huge task but try to absorb as much technique and experience as possible. If you’re struggling with it, consider working with an experienced gaffer. As a cinematographer, you’re the director of photography, which includes more than just lighting. But a good gaffer should have extensive knowledge about lighting a scene, and I find it very informative to watch and learn from someone with that expertise.

Another tip I find useful is lighting the room before focusing on lighting the person in the frame. For example, running a fixture through a window elevates the room’s ambience and adds texture to the image. This can even end up being your key light—the S4 is perfect for this since it’s both soft and powerful enough to be placed outside a window.

Finally, my last tip is to always shoot from the shadow side whenever possible. I wish I knew this a long time ago!

Eirik, thank you very much for your time!

The following Cameo products are used by Eirik from Living Room Gear Demos:

#Cameo  #ForLumenBeings  #EventTech  #ExperienceEventTechnology

---

Further information:
youtube.com/LivingroomGearDemos

cameolight.com
adamhall.com