For shot to shot continuity, try to keep working in the same lighting conditions. For example: if you are videoing a drama on two separate days and it is sunny one day and raining the next, the lighting will look different and this can be tricky when editing and linking the shots. So film shots that are to appear consecutively at the same time. (There are other logical reasons for doing this: you have all your cast there and you won't have to return to the same location again).

The same problems arise when filming animation, so make sure your lights are in the same position and all windows are blacked out.

cloud cover

100% cloud cover is often the easiest condition to film in. It won't give you the lushest results, but they should at least be consistent, and you can film from all angles without much tweaking. (Obviously 100% dark black ominous cloud cover is not so good)

bright sunlight

Bright sunlight can give sumptuous cinematic results, but it's tricky to use and you are often better in some form of shade. A high budget feature might use a huge white awning, but dappled sunlight through trees, a brolly, or the shade of a big building can help your film.

If you do film on a bright day:

  • Try not to film in the middle of the day, early morning and evening are usually more subtle
  • Don't believe the old adage about keeping the sun behind the camera this tends to flatten things and make your actors squint
  • On closeups - use bounced light to help illuminate faces and fill in shadows cast by the sun
  • Use manual exposure to stop the autoexposure function wreaking havoc, making one face bleach out and the reverse shot shadowy
  • Don't allow direct sunlight to catch your lens
  • So check how clean your lens is