How I Turned a High School Hallway Into a Cinematic Interview Set (With One Light)
What do you do when every school interview starts looking exactly the same?
Library.
Classroom.
Repeat.
You change things up — starting with composition.
Recently, I filmed a series of interviews at a high school in Springfield, Tennessee. Like most school shoots, the default options were the library or a classroom. And while those spaces work… they’ve been done. Over and over again.
I wanted something different. Something with depth. Something intentional.
So I chose a hallway.
And it turned into one of the most cinematic interview setups I’ve shot — with one light and zero pre-scouting.
Now this client ask for this specific look!
Let me break down why it worked.
Choosing the Right Hallway (Not Just Any Hallway)
There were a couple hallway options:
One was short and shallow — not much depth and was closest to the library.
Another had strong leading lines but was a longer walk for interviewees.
I chose the hallway with the strong leading lines, despite it being a longer walk for the interviewees. closest to it.
Working Around Real-World Constraints
Of course, there was one challenge.
The custodian was actively cleaning the hallway.
Instead of panicking or asking her to stop, I worked with it. I set up while she cleaned. I let my client know not to rush the meeting. Interviewees came out one by one once they were finished.
No tension. No chaos. Just flow.
That’s part of being a cinematographer too — adapting without losing vision.
The Lighting Challenge (One Light. That’s It.)
Ideally, I would’ve:
Turned off all the hallway lights
Added a hair light
Used negative fill
Maybe add a gobo for texture if needed
None of that was possible.
The hallway lights had to stay on. The space was tight. There wasn’t room for extra modifiers.
So I did the only thing I could: I matched my key light to the existing hallway lights as best as possible and built the frame around composition.
And it worked.
The Gear Setup (Built for Tight Spaces)
Since space was limited, I kept the setup efficient and intentional.
Camera Kit
Sony FX3
Sony FX30
Sony 35mm 1.4
Sony 50mm 1.4
SmallRig AD-01 Heavy-Duty Tripod with Fluid Head
iFootage Gazelle TC3B with Komodo K5S Fluid Head
Accessories
SmallHD Monitor
SmallRig 50Wh Batteries
Kondor Blue Dummy Batteries
iPad with Sony Creators App for monitoring & control
Audio Kit
Rode NTG3
Sony XLR-K3M
Accessories
NEEWER Boom Pole
Auray Boom Pole Holder
Shock Mount
25ft XLR Cable
NEEWER Metal Light Stand
15lb Sandbag
Lighting Kit
Amaran 200x
Aputure Light Dome Mark III
Accessories
Chrome C-Stand
Extension Cord
That’s it.
One medium-sized key light. No extra diffusion. No hair light. No fill.
Just intentional placement.
Why This Worked (And Why Clients Loved It)
I truly believe this batch of interviews turned out so strong because of one thing:
COMPOSITION.
The leading lines from the lockers created depth.
The second camera angle used intentional negative space.
The environment reinforced the story — these are educators. The lockers visually reminded viewers where they are and why they matter.
It didn’t look like “just another school interview.”
It felt cinematic.
And I know I sound like a broken record, but I will die on this hill:
Composition is key.
You can have three lights and no intention — and the frame will still feel flat.
Or you can have one light and strong composition — and suddenly it feels elevated.
After this shoot, my client asked to film all remaining interviews in hallways whenever possible. Even when we went to a school with pod-style layouts instead of traditional hallways, they wanted that same intentional depth.
That wasn’t because of the gear.
It was because of the frame.
The Bigger Takeaway
When you’re walking into a location sight unseen, you don’t have the luxury of building an elaborate lighting setup.
But you always have control over composition.
So:
Build your shot around leading lines.
Use depth intentionally.
Embrace negative space.
Let the environment reinforce the story.
Then build your lighting around that.
That’s how you transform a basic frame into something that feels professional — and if you’re intentional enough — cinematic.
As always, that’s it for this week’s breakdown.
I hope this behind-the-scenes look helps you see how powerful composition really is when creating interviews that stand out.
If you want to watch the video of this breakdown click here!
And remember — I love you even though I don’t know you.
See you in the next one.
