Filming in a room with no good light

Turn the ceiling light off

This feels backwards, but a ceiling light is the worst possible source for a face: it comes from directly above, so it puts shadow in your eye sockets and under your nose, and it is usually a different colour from every other light in the room.

One controlled light in front of you beats one uncontrolled light above you, every time.

Never mix colour temperatures

A warm bulb and a cool window in the same shot gives you an image the camera cannot white-balance — one half of your face goes orange and the other goes blue.

Pick one source. If you are using a panel, close the curtains. If you are using the window, turn the bulbs off.

Get the light close

A small panel at arm's length is a soft, flattering source. The same panel across the room is a hard, ugly one. Softness is about how big the light is relative to your face, and moving it closer is free.

Put it slightly above eye level and about 45 degrees to one side, not flat on. Flat light removes all the shape from a face.

Fix the background separately

Once your face is lit, the wall behind you will look dead. A small RGB light stick pointed at the wall adds a colour wash that separates you from the background and makes a plain bedroom read as a set.

This is the single cheapest trick that makes home footage look designed rather than accidental.