DIY Cinematic Lighting: The “Coke Can Trick” vs Depron

Practical lights — those lamps, fixtures, and light sources visible within your frame — are the unsung heroes of cinematic realism. From table lights and barrel shades to goosenecks and bare bulbs, these elements, often provided by the Set Decoration department, are crucial for grounding your scene in reality and establishing mood. However, as any filmmaker knows, what looks good to the eye or serves the set design can often present a significant lighting challenge. A beautiful barrel shade might be perfect for the room’s aesthetic. But if it’s too bright, it can draw the viewer’s eye away from the actors or create unwanted glare. Conversely, it might not provide the quality or direction of light needed to illuminate your talent effectively.

Fortunately, mastering practical lights doesn’t always require expensive gear. Cinematographer Shane Hurlbut, ASC, has shared some ingenious, cost-effective on-set hacks that can give you incredible control over your practicals, particularly the often-tricky barrel shade. Let’s dive into these game-changing techniques.

Watch how the “Coke Can” Trick and Depron Perform

The “Coke Can” Trick: Precision Control for Your Barrel Shades

One of the most common issues with barrel shade lamps is their tendency to spill light uncontrollably, especially upwards onto the ceiling. If the ceiling is white or a light color, this spill bounces back, flattening your image and reducing contrast. It can also create unwanted hot spots on walls. Shane revealed a simple yet revolutionary solution that involves a simple Coke can.

How to Make It: You carefully carve out a portion of the can’s side – typically removing about one-third of its circumference, leaving the remaining two-thirds intact. This creates an opening for light to escape in a controlled manner. Meanwhile, the rest of the can acts as a barrier.

How to Use It: The cut-out can is placed directly over the light bulb within the barrel shade. The magic lies in its adjustability.

“You can rotate it to wherever you would like the light to go,” Shane explains. “So you can only illuminate half of the [area]… I’m able to literally twist that little Coke can [and] aim it exactly where I want.”

This allows you to direct a focused beam onto your actor or a specific part of the set while preventing light from hitting the ceiling or walls.

“If I don’t want that shade to be super hot… I could take that Coke can and angle it so it’s only illuminating me. Shane adds, “The light that’s bouncing around in the shade is a beautiful exposure.”

This technique means the lampshade itself can remain at a pleasing, realistic exposure for the camera, while the practical is actively and precisely lighting your subject. It was a “game changer” for Shane when he first saw a grip use it, and he’s used it ever since. The principle is also adaptable: for larger, hotter bulbs (like 150-watt bulbs), Shane mentions that his crew started using larger energy drink cans, modified in the same way.

Depron: Your Secret Weapon for Soft Spill Control & Flattering Light

While the Coke can trick offers precise directional control from within the shade, another common challenge is managing the light that spills out of the top of an open barrel shade. This is where Depron comes in.

What is it? Depron is a lightweight, rigid polystyrene foam, typically about three millimeters thick.

How to Use It: Cut a hole to match the exact diameter of the barrel shade, and then place it on top of the barrel shade. This custom-cut disc of Depron acts like a lid.

The Benefits: Its impact is manifold. Firstly, it prevents hard, direct light from the bulb from shooting straight up and hitting the ceiling, which, as mentioned, can flatten your scene and reduce contrast.

“It takes that light that would be super hard, that creates that scallop on the wall and makes it super soft, and it doesn’t fly into the ceiling. It kind of creates a nice little room tone within it,” Shane notes.

So, while the Coke can shapes light from within the source, Depron controls the upward spill and softens its quality. It’s an inexpensive trick for lowering contrast and creating a more controlled ambiance. But there’s another significant advantage:

“If anyone stands over the practical, this Depron is a beautiful, soft source to illuminate them so you don’t get all these harsh, underlit shadows,” Shane shares.

This can be an invaluable fix, saving you from unflattering under-lighting without needing to add another light source.

Accessible, Affordable, and On-Set Approved

Both the “Coke can” and Depron techniques are prized not only for their effectiveness but also for their cost-efficiency and accessibility. Soda cans are virtually free, and Depron can be easily sourced from craft stores like Michaels or film expendable supply stores like FilmTools.

These aren’t just theoretical tips. They are proven, practical solutions used by professionals like Shane Hurlbut on active film sets. They empower filmmakers to take control of common lighting challenges, refine the look of their scenes, and achieve more cinematic results without breaking the budget. By managing spill, directing light with intention, and softening harsh sources, these simple hacks can significantly elevate the quality of your lighting and, ultimately, your storytelling.

So, the next time you’re on set faced with a rebellious barrel shade, remember these ingenious tips. A little bit of on-set resourcefulness can go a long way in shaping beautiful, cinematic light.

Conclusion: Beyond the Hack, Mastering Motivated Light

The “Coke can” trick and the strategic use of Depron, as generously shared by cinematographer Shane Hurlbut, ASC, are brilliant illustrations of how simple, resourceful on-set solutions can give you significant power over common practical lighting challenges. These hacks are your first line of defense in taming unruly barrel shades, allowing you to direct light with precision, control spill, and create a more polished, cinematic look without straining your budget. They prove that effective lighting control is often about ingenuity as much as expensive equipment.

But these indispensable techniques are just the beginning. Understanding how to physically control a practical light source is crucial, and it lays the groundwork for a more profound cinematic skill: mastering the art of motivated lighting. This is where you learn to use practicals as the believable origin of light within your scene, while skillfully employing dedicated movie lights to achieve the perfect exposure, mood, and artistic shape.

Motivating Practicals with Movie Lights

If you’re ready to expand on these foundational hacks and delve deeper into the synergy between on-screen practicals and your main lighting units, Shane Hurlbut’s comprehensive lesson, Motivating Practicals with Movie Lights, is your essential next step. This lesson, a key component of our On Set Series: Cinematic Light Sources, takes you further into this critical aspect of cinematography.

In the full lesson, Shane not only reinforces the clever control methods for barrel shades but also explores the nuanced techniques for aiming and augmenting other practicals like gooseneck lamps, drawing from his extensive experience on films such as The Rat Pack and Safety. You’ll fully grasp his core philosophy: “Practicals Motivate, Movie Lights Illuminate!” This means learning how to transform any on-screen lamp from mere set dressing into a powerful storytelling tool that justifies your lighting choices. Thus, it enables you to achieve perfectly balanced exposure and create unforgettable, believable cinematic moments.

Don’t just manage your practicals — make them the cornerstone of a sophisticated and emotionally resonant lighting scheme.

➡️ Ready to master the art of motivated practical lighting? Watch the full lesson “Motivating Practicals with Movie Lights” in the “On Set Series: Cinematic Light Sources” now!