Reviewing shots is the process of analyzing your current lighting work. Like an artist who is stepping back from the canvas to get a sense for the overall picture. Reviewing your own shots, shots you are working on for days maybe weeks, is anything but a easy task. The longer you work on them the more you will get lost in small details and will ultimately loose the overall picture.

There a few helpful ways though reviewing your shots and getting a fresh view of your own work and discover areas of possible improvements.

• take a break from your desk, go for a coffee, get some fresh air,…
• flop the image. Where do your eyes go?
• view luminance from image. Is the most important element clearly readable?
• resize image to thumbnail size. Do you get a clear read from everything? Is your eye still going to what’s important?
• squint your eyes. Again, do you get a clear read? Good separation? Nothing of importance blends into the background?
• view it together with surrounding shots. Does it work in the edit? Shots tying in nicely? Continuity?
• ask someone who works on same sequence for general but also sequence specific notes
• ask someone who doesn’t work on the same sequence for general notes
• take a look at keyshot / already approved shots
• ask your lead/supervisor

A personal checklist acting as a friendly reminder is very helpful for your personal review process. The checklist could include the following items:

• clear read of acting/action?
• good read on eyes/mouth?
• Levels okay?
• Enough depth?
• Separation between important elements of shot e.g. actor/character and background
• ties in with shot before and after
• eye trace in place and working
• Continuity working
• sequence and show specific notes applied