5 Cinematic Shots You Can Make With Minimal Lighting

We interviewed ‪@nnekaj‬, a creator crafting stunning visuals through her 100 Questions series, answering questions from strangers through intimate, poetic video essays. Enter the Digital Spaghetti Film Festival here:   / digital-film-161820010  , where 3 winners will have their 15s films screened in Times Square. Full rules & details below. Download our free Creator Field Guide full of DIY production tips, lighting tricks, and low budget production hacks:   / we-made-field-163186351   This is episode 3 of our series exploring what it means to be "Cinematic." Watch all episodes here:    • The "Cinematic" Series   Join our free Patreon for livestreams with creators, monthly newsletters, BTS, exclusive episodes, and a community of 9k+ creators & artists helping each other learn and grow:   / digitalspaghetti   0:00 - Who Is Nneka Julia? 0:26 - Why She Uses Fishing Line 2:15 - This Lens Creates Dreamy Shots 5:03 - What Does "Cinematic" Mean? 5:52 - Film Festival In Times Square 6:33 - Lighting With A $15 Lamp 8:31 - Shooting With Only 1 Light 9:26 - A Better Way To Show Text Messages 12:08 - Why Use Black & White 12:44 - Choosing The Right Set 15:35 - Nneka's 3 Tips To Be More "Cinematic" ✅ Digital Spaghetti Film Festival Entry Rules & Guidelines Must be 18+ to enter Submit your 15-second film by 11:59PM PT on July 24, 2026 via the webform on the Digital Spaghetti Patreon page or via the link in our bio:   / digital-film-161820010   One submission per creator Film must be EXACTLY 15 seconds Horizontal format only (16:9, 2.35:1, etc.) Must originate from in-camera footage (not fully AI-generated) You must own or properly license ALL music, footage, photos, fonts, and likenesses appearing in your film No NSFW, hateful, illegal, misleading, or infringing content 🎬 Judging Criteria: Originality/Creativity — 40% Cinematic Quality & Story — 40% Technical Execution — 20% 🏆 Three (3) winners will be notified by email by a Digital Spaghetti judge panel on July 31st, 2026 to receive: ✈️ One (1) round-trip economy-class airfare ticket to New York City 🏨 One (1) night of hotel accommodations 🎥 Your film screened in Times Square No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. This contest is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn or X. ------ Digital Spaghetti is an interview show that dives deep into how your favorite creators actually make their videos. For more ways to grow your creative business, visit   / patreonforcreators   Send us fan mail! Digital Spaghetti PO Box 410777 San Francisco, CA 94141