Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
Want Cinematic? Forget about the Camera and Lens. Cinema cameras are not what you should be focusing on for filmmaking and good cinematographers know this. The big movie-look Youtubers so badly want to emulate has nothing to do with anamorphic lenses, shooting RAW, at 120fps, f1.2 or f1.4 blurry backgrounds with soft bokeh or gimbal stabilization or color grading with LUTs with high dynamic range. No. What makes things look cinematic is what goes IN FRONT of the camera and a big part of that is the Lighting, and we are not talking about RGB lights here! Nosiree Bob. This video is about what goes in front of the lights- namely the myriad of diffusion choices used by big movie gaffers, grips, DP and lighting departments. Good photography and video is SO much more than just using a softbox.
Here's a video I did on getting a similar look outdoors with NO LIGHTS youtu.be/tqT7samSjsw
The Audio Series part 1: youtu.be/yQOHtUwa60g
video on making mannequin head youtu.be/ZExM_L-9sBg
Sample of most popular diffusion: Rosco Tough White amzn.to/3YHlc1H
Here are the types featured in this video, listed in order from those that let the most amount of light through to those that let the least amount of light through. Note- the softest shadows usually come from diffusion that eats the most light. (note: numbers after each item are light meter readings from diffusion taped to 14" Magnum reflector at 3 ft. Standard softbox-silk material has a reading of 8)
Rosco 3020— Light Opal Tough Frost 16.1 has hotspot
Rosco R104 tough silk 16.0
Lee 265— 1/4 Tough Spun Frost 11.6
Rosco 3010— Opal Tough Frost 11.5
Rosco 3040 11.4 Powder Frost
Rosco 3022— 1/4 Tough Spun- 11.4 hotspot
Rosco 3007— Light Tough Spun 11.3
Rosco 3015— Light Tough Silk (has lines/streaks in 1 direction) 11.3
Lee 252 1/8 white diff 11.2 1/10 stop more light than 3028
Rosco 3028 11.1 Tough 1/4 White Diffusion little bit softer than Lee 252 (1/8) ECLR250 is better
Lee 410— Opal Frost 11.1 hotspot
Rosco 3009— Light Tough Frost 11.0
Lee R250 half White diffusion 11.0 NICE tiny bit softer than 3028 and 252 and even 3027 tiny bit softer than 251. E-CLR 250 might be a teeny tiny bit softer but almost the same
Rosco 3027 11.0 Tough 1/2 White Diffusion GOOD R250 might be a tiny bit softer
Lee 251 1/4 white diff 11.0 NICE I like better than 252
Rosco E-CLR 250 half white diffusion 8.09 NICE !!! REALLY soft pattern, no hotspot identical to 3027 (E-CLR is Rosco European color standard vs the Cinegel US standard eg 3027) shadow better than 3028 teeny tiny bit softer than R250
Lee 263— Hampshire Frost 8.09
Rosco R103 tough frost 8.08
Rosco 3001—Light Tough Rolux- 8.07 nice smooth pattern, no hotspot whatsoever, Not bad
Rosco 3006—Tough Spun-8.04 “comfy hard light” slight feathering, lots of punch
Rosco 3034 1/4 Light Grid cloth 8.03 REALLY SOFT SHADOWS
Rosco 3032 Light Grid cloth 1/2 (or half grid) 8.02 REALLY SOFT SHADOW GREAT PATTERN better than 3062
Rosco 3064 8.02 Silent 1/4 Grid Cloth- slight feathering, lots of punch I like 3027 better
Rosco 3026 Tough White Diffusion- 8.02 2/10 more light than typical softbox
Standard softbox material 8.0 really nice shadows
FULL SILK DIFFUSION (4x4 real silk) 8.0 similar to softbox but a bit punchier
3062 Silent 1/2 Grid Cloth 5.67 REALLY SOFT SHADOW, GREAT but less 3/10 less light than sock. Same results as Lee 216R full white diffusion. I like 3032 better
Lee 216R Full White Diffusion 5.67 Softer than softbox but eats up bit more light
14" 70 Degree Magnum Reflector used in video amzn.to/4qTU0IY
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Who am I youtu.be/FsDLn9ySY9w
The Hollywood Movie I made youtu.be/w4q0_uSIOJw
Behind the scenes of my movie youtu.be/sbk3QaIQtKM
DVD of the movie I made markusproducts.com/shop/dvds/to-the-ends-of-time-movie.html
The Book Dreamchaser (behind the scenes of the making of the movie To the Ends of Time) markusproducts.com/shop/books/printed-books/dreamchaser-markus-rothkranz-autobiography.html
My 1994 movie "To the Ends of Time" streaming on Amazon markusproducts.com/shop/dvds/to-the-ends-of-time-movie.html
Our Health channel is http://www.thehealthylife.com
The Markus and Cara Instagram page is instagram.com/markusandcara
Cara's personal Instagram is instagram.com/iamcarabrotman
See photoshoot images of Cara at http://www.shortsillustrated.com
Thank Markus for his service- donate: paypal.me/ThankMarkus
Want Cinematic? Forget about the Camera and Lens. Cinema cameras are not what you should be focusing on for filmmaking and good cinematographers know this. The big movie-look Youtubers so badly want to emulate has nothing to do with anamorphic lenses, shooting RAW, at 120fps, f1.2 or f1.4 blurry backgrounds with soft bokeh or gimbal stabilization or color grading with LUTs with high dynamic range. No. What makes things look cinematic is what goes IN FRONT of the camera and a big part of that is the Lighting, and we are not talking about RGB lights here! Nosiree Bob. This video is about what goes in front of the lights- namely the myriad of diffusion choices used by big movie gaffers, grips, DP and lighting departments. Good photography and video is SO much more than just using a softbox.
Here's a video I did on getting a similar look outdoors with NO LIGHTS youtu.be/tqT7samSjsw
The Audio Series part 1: youtu.be/yQOHtUwa60g
video on making mannequin head youtu.be/ZExM_L-9sBg
Sample of most popular diffusion: Rosco Tough White amzn.to/3YHlc1H
Here are the types featured in this video, listed in order from those that let the most amount of light through to those that let the least amount of light through. Note- the softest shadows usually come from diffusion that eats the most light. (note: numbers after each item are light meter readings from diffusion taped to 14" Magnum reflector at 3 ft. Standard softbox-silk material has a reading of 8)
Rosco 3020— Light Opal Tough Frost 16.1 has hotspot
Rosco R104 tough silk 16.0
Lee 265— 1/4 Tough Spun Frost 11.6
Rosco 3010— Opal Tough Frost 11.5
Rosco 3040 11.4 Powder Frost
Rosco 3022— 1/4 Tough Spun- 11.4 hotspot
Rosco 3007— Light Tough Spun 11.3
Rosco 3015— Light Tough Silk (has lines/streaks in 1 direction) 11.3
Lee 252 1/8 white diff 11.2 1/10 stop more light than 3028
Rosco 3028 11.1 Tough 1/4 White Diffusion little bit softer than Lee 252 (1/8) ECLR250 is better
Lee 410— Opal Frost 11.1 hotspot
Rosco 3009— Light Tough Frost 11.0
Lee R250 half White diffusion 11.0 NICE tiny bit softer than 3028 and 252 and even 3027 tiny bit softer than 251. E-CLR 250 might be a teeny tiny bit softer but almost the same
Rosco 3027 11.0 Tough 1/2 White Diffusion GOOD R250 might be a tiny bit softer
Lee 251 1/4 white diff 11.0 NICE I like better than 252
Rosco E-CLR 250 half white diffusion 8.09 NICE !!! REALLY soft pattern, no hotspot identical to 3027 (E-CLR is Rosco European color standard vs the Cinegel US standard eg 3027) shadow better than 3028 teeny tiny bit softer than R250
Lee 263— Hampshire Frost 8.09
Rosco R103 tough frost 8.08
Rosco 3001—Light Tough Rolux- 8.07 nice smooth pattern, no hotspot whatsoever, Not bad
Rosco 3006—Tough Spun-8.04 “comfy hard light” slight feathering, lots of punch
Rosco 3034 1/4 Light Grid cloth 8.03 REALLY SOFT SHADOWS
Rosco 3032 Light Grid cloth 1/2 (or half grid) 8.02 REALLY SOFT SHADOW GREAT PATTERN better than 3062
Rosco 3064 8.02 Silent 1/4 Grid Cloth- slight feathering, lots of punch I like 3027 better
Rosco 3026 Tough White Diffusion- 8.02 2/10 more light than typical softbox
Standard softbox material 8.0 really nice shadows
FULL SILK DIFFUSION (4x4 real silk) 8.0 similar to softbox but a bit punchier
3062 Silent 1/2 Grid Cloth 5.67 REALLY SOFT SHADOW, GREAT but less 3/10 less light than sock. Same results as Lee 216R full white diffusion. I like 3032 better
Lee 216R Full White Diffusion 5.67 Softer than softbox but eats up bit more light
14" 70 Degree Magnum Reflector used in video amzn.to/4qTU0IY
Subscribe and tell your friends about MarkusPix.
Who am I youtu.be/FsDLn9ySY9w
The Hollywood Movie I made youtu.be/w4q0_uSIOJw
Behind the scenes of my movie youtu.be/sbk3QaIQtKM
DVD of the movie I made markusproducts.com/shop/dvds/to-the-ends-of-time-movie.html
The Book Dreamchaser (behind the scenes of the making of the movie To the Ends of Time) markusproducts.com/shop/books/printed-books/dreamchaser-markus-rothkranz-autobiography.html
My 1994 movie "To the Ends of Time" streaming on Amazon markusproducts.com/shop/dvds/to-the-ends-of-time-movie.html
Our Health channel is http://www.thehealthylife.com
The Markus and Cara Instagram page is instagram.com/markusandcara
Cara's personal Instagram is instagram.com/iamcarabrotman
See photoshoot images of Cara at http://www.shortsillustrated.com
Thank Markus for his service- donate: paypal.me/ThankMarkus
