London · Case study for filmmakers, photographers and beauty brands
“On set it's stands, flags and cables. On screen it's a face, a bottle and one idea per shot.”
Two campaigns for Code8 Beauty, the London makeup brand, filmed by Joshua Swain: a Kelly Rutherford film shot in a London hotel with a single light, and a studio campaign for Code8's Day to Night Foundation with models of different ages and skin tones. This beauty campaign behind the scenes puts each set next to its final film and breaks down what changed on the way from set to screen: the lighting, the framing, the product moments and the edit.
Code8 Day to Night Foundation · final film frame
01 · Two briefs
Two Code8 campaigns, two very different sets
The two shoots sit at opposite ends of beauty production. One follows a well-known face through real locations, with light and kit kept to a minimum. The other is a controlled white studio where every frame exists to sell one product and its claims. Comparing them is a quick way to see which decisions belong to the set and which belong to the edit.
| Kelly Rutherford x Code8 | Day to Night Foundation | |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | A hotel in London, including the bar and a suite, plus street scenes in the film | White studio, white background |
| Talent | Actress Kelly Rutherford | Models of different ages and skin tones, all in white shirts |
| Light | One Aputure 300D for the whole shoot | Large round softbox, a rectangular softbox, black flags and a silver bounce |
| Camera | Sony A9 Mark III, Sony 28-70mm f2, DJI RS4 Pro gimbal | On a tripod, as seen in the behind-the-scenes clip |
| Story | A day in her routine, "beauty but simple" | One product, one claim per shot |
| Time | Shot in three hours, edited in one day | A 15-second vertical film |
02 · Campaign 1 on set
Kelly Rutherford x Code8: one light, one gimbal, three hours
Behind the scenes in the hotel suite · the same scene in the final film
The Kelly Rutherford x Code8 campaign was filmed on a Sony A9 Mark III with the Sony 28-70mm f2, with all movement on a DJI RS4 Pro gimbal, and the entire shoot was lit with one Aputure 300D. The shoot took place in a hotel in London and was completed in three hours. The story behind the campaign, and who Kelly is to the brand, is in the Kelly Rutherford x Code8 campaign post; this one is about the craft.
Look at the pair above. On set, the suite is full: a light on a stand with a large round modifier, the gimbal on the coffee table, crew and bags at the edges. On screen, none of it exists. The close-up is tight enough that the room becomes soft colour behind her, and the one source reads as gentle light falling across her face and hand. That's the trick with a single-light shoot: put the light where the face needs it, then frame so the rest of the room can't give the game away.
One light, moved, not added
With one source you move it for each scene rather than building a new set-up. It's fast, and it keeps the look consistent across rooms.
Side light for the bar
In the behind-the-scenes Short, the bar scene is described as shot from the side for a more dramatic look: profile, glass, warm practicals behind.
A zoom on a gimbal
A 28-70mm lets you go from a wide of the room to a close-up of an application without rebalancing for every lens change.
Use what the location gives
A hotel bar already has warm lamps and depth. The added light only has to do the face.
03 · Campaign 1 in the edit
From a shot list to a one-day edit
Kelly Rutherford x Code8 · frame from the final film
The behind-the-scenes Short opens on the planning: a visual deck with reference frames for each scene and a shot list with the shot size and location written against every line. That's what makes a three-hour shoot possible. Nobody stands around deciding what to film next, and the editor knows what every clip is for.
Post-production, including the full edit, was completed in one day. On a fast turnaround like this, the edit follows the plan rather than searching for a story: product application close-ups, Kelly moving between scenes, and the wider moments that give the film its pace. The final cut is horizontal, while the behind-the-scenes was cut as a vertical Short. If you need both shapes, plan for them from the start; the vertical-first shooting guide covers how.
04 · Campaign 2 on set
Day to Night Foundation: the beauty lighting setup
The large round softbox in use · the camera monitor during the group shot
The behind-the-scenes clip is titled "Day 2 Beauty Lighting in 2 Easy Steps". It's a small white studio, and what you can see on set is simple:
Key: a large round softbox, close to the model, giving soft, wrapping light on the face.
Shape: tall black flags either side of the set, so the white room doesn't flood the face with light from everywhere and the cheekbones keep some shape.
Bounce: a round table topped with a silver reflector in front of the models, sending light back up under the chin and eyes.
Group shot: a rectangular softbox on a tall stand for the three-model frame.
Camera: the monitor reads 1/100, f/5.6, ISO 250 and 5000K at 24p, with face-tracking autofocus.
Two of those details are worth copying. f/5.6 keeps a face sharp from eyelashes to ear on a tight close-up, which matters when the product is sitting on the skin. And a fixed white balance means every model and every shade of foundation is recorded the same way, so the edit doesn't have to fight skin tones between shots. For more on how texture and application shots sell a product, see skincare and beauty content that converts.
05 · Campaign 2 set vs screen
Foundation commercial video: behind the scenes next to the final film
Behind the scenes
Final film
Play them together. The set is wide: flags, stands, a reflector table and three models standing together. The final film never shows any of it. Every shot is a tight close-up against a clean white background, and the white shirts blend into it, so all that's left is skin, hands and the bottle. The models' different ages and skin tones do the work that a voiceover would otherwise have to do: the same foundation, shown on very different faces.
The edit gives each on-screen claim its own shot, and the picture matches the words:
| On-screen line | What the picture shows |
|---|---|
| Day to Night Foundation | Face and bottle together, so the name and the product land at once |
| Long-lasting · 12H all-day wear | The bottle held beside the face, model smiling to camera |
| Demi-matte | A deeper shade of the bottle held against a deeper skin tone |
| Natural-look finish | A swatch on the hand and dots of product on the cheek |
| Enriched with hyaluronic acid & vitamin E | The applicator on skin, then fingers blending it in |
| Anti wrinkle agent | An extreme close-up of the eye area, fine lines and all |
| (no text) | The final model, hands framing her face, holding the look |
That last shot is the lesson in restraint. The film ends without a claim, on a face with real lines and a finished base, and lets the result speak.
06 · What to copy
From set to screen: a checklist for your next beauty shoot
1. Write the claims list before the shot list. Each claim needs a picture that proves it: a swatch, an application, a close-up of the result.
2. Decide how much light you really need. One well-placed light carried the Kelly Rutherford shoot; a studio pack shot needs a key, flags and a bounce.
3. Frame out the set. If a stand or a flag could creep into a wide, shoot tighter.
4. Lock white balance and exposure for skin, and keep them fixed across models.
5. Shoot the behind-the-scenes on purpose. Both campaigns got a vertical BTS piece that teaches something, which is content in its own right.
6. Leave the edit a clean ending: a shot with no text that holds on the result.
Shooting in London? The London commercial shoot guide covers permits, lighting and a brief template.
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Code8 films and behind the scenes
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FAQ
Common questions
What is the best lighting setup for a beauty commercial?
A large soft key close to the face, black flags to keep shape in the cheeks, and a silver or white bounce under the chin. That's the setup visible on the Code8 Day to Night Foundation shoot.
Can you film a beauty campaign with one light?
Yes. The Kelly Rutherford x Code8 campaign was lit entirely with one Aputure 300D, moved for each scene, with the framing kept tight so the room did the rest.
How do you film a foundation commercial?
Give every claim its own shot: the bottle by the face, a swatch, the application, fingers blending, and a close-up of the finished skin. Use models with different skin tones and keep white balance fixed.
Why show behind the scenes of a beauty campaign?
It shows how the result was made, which builds trust, and a short vertical BTS cut is useful content on its own for the brand and the crew.
Written by Joshua Swain, who films beauty, fashion and commercial campaigns in London and Dubai. See the Kelly Rutherford x Code8 project page.