Relight Scene
Relight Scene lets you change the lighting of an existing image or short video without rebuilding the shot from scratch. Use it to add golden hour, create a cinematic grade, move the key light, turn a flat frame into a moody scene, or test lighting directions before committing to a look in the edit.
When to Use Relight Scene
Use Relight Scene when the shot is structurally right, but the lighting is not.
Make a flat frame feel cinematic with contrast, mood, and direction
Turn midday into golden hour, perfect for real estate, travel, or lifestyle edits
Create a clean studio look from a usable but uneven product or portrait frame
Add a backlight or rim light to separate a subject from the background
Preview lighting directions before sending the image into Motion Director or AI Transitions
Match a generated still to the tone of the edit before turning it into video
Apply a relit reference frame back onto a short video so the moving clip follows the same lighting idea
Relight Scene is strongest when the original frame already has good composition and recognizable detail. If the frame is blurry, badly exposed, heavily compressed, or missing important subject detail, relighting cannot fully rescue it.
How the Workflow Works
Relight Scene has two paths:
Image
The image opens directly in the lighting configuration step, then generates a relit image
Stills, generated frames, thumbnails, product shots, portraits
Video
You pick one representative frame, relight that frame, then optionally apply the lighting to the whole short video
Short clips where one lighting look should carry through the shot
Getting Started
Step 1: Add an Image or Video
Relight Scene opens with an asset loader that accepts an image or a video.
You can start from:
Upload
Recents
Timeline / frame sources supported by the Studio loader
Use an image when you want a single finished still. Use a video when you want to relight a moving shot.
Step 2: If You Use Video, Pick the Hero Frame
For video, Relight Scene first asks you to scrub through the clip and capture a frame.
This captured frame becomes the lighting reference. The workflow relights that frame first, then uses it as the visual guide when applying the look back to the video.
Pick a frame that shows:
The main subject clearly
The important background elements
The lighting problem you want to solve
A representative moment from the clip, not a motion-blurred in-between frame
Direction vs. Style
Relight Scene has two modes:
Direction
You want to move the light source
Custom multi-light rig: Key, Fill, Hairlight, and Accent lights positioned freely around the subject
Style
You want a complete lighting mood
Golden hour, studio, overcast, daytime, nighttime, cinematic
Direction is about where the light comes from. Style is about what the shot should feel like.
Direction Mode
Direction mode gives you an interactive 3D light stage. Your image appears centered in a stage with orbit rings — visual guides representing the sphere of directions a light can occupy. Drag a light gizmo anywhere on that sphere to set the light's direction: in front of the subject, to the side, above, below, or behind.
Lighting Controls Panel
Expand the Lighting Controls panel below the stage to configure the selected light:
Type
Key, Fill, Hairlight, Accent
Sets the cinematic role of the light in the rig
Color
Color picker + H / S / L sliders
Neutral white for standard lighting; colored for gels or creative looks
Depth
In Front / Behind
Places the light on the near or far side of the subject on the Z axis
Intensity
0–100% slider
Controls brightness relative to the other lights in the rig
Light Types
Key
The dominant main light — defines shadow direction and subject form
Start every rig with a Key; it establishes the direction and character of the whole look
Fill
A softer secondary light that lifts the shadows the Key creates
Add a Fill to prevent Key shadows from going too dark or harsh; keep intensity below the Key
Hairlight
A rim or back light above-behind the subject that separates it from the background
Use on any talking-head or portrait where the subject risks blending into the background
Accent
An edge or color light for creative highlights
Use with a colored gel for neon, editorial, or dramatic looks; or as a neutral edge for added depth
Tap + Add Light to add a second or third light. Each light is configured independently. Up to 3 lights are supported in a single rig.
Two-Step Preview Workflow
After configuring your rig, Direction mode generates a lit still preview first. Review the still, tweak light positions, types, colors, or intensity, and regenerate as many times as you need. Once the still looks right, click Apply Lighting to Video to apply the rig to the full clip.
Rig Guidance
Build around the Key first
Start with a single Key light. Position it where the main illumination should come from and get the angle and intensity right before adding more lights.
Add a Fill to control shadow depth
Place a Fill on the opposite side of the Key to lift the shadow side without flattening the look. Keep Fill intensity below the Key — typically 30–50%.
Use a Hairlight for subject separation
Position a Hairlight above-behind the subject. A neutral or slightly warm white at moderate intensity creates a thin highlight along the hair and shoulders that keeps the subject reading clearly against the background.
Use Accent lights for color
Set an Accent light to a deep blue, amber, magenta, or any creative hue using the Color picker. Keep intensity moderate so it complements — rather than overpowers — the Key and Fill.
Style Mode
Style mode applies a complete lighting atmosphere.
Golden Hour
Travel, lifestyle, real estate, beauty, outdoor scenes
Warm sunset glow, long shadows, amber color
Studio
Product, headshots, ads, thumbnails, clean explainers
Soft-box light, balanced exposure, polished commercial feel
Overcast
Documentary, natural realism, outdoor matching
Soft diffused light, low contrast, no harsh shadows
Daytime
Bright social edits, upbeat content, outdoor scenes
Clear natural daylight, vibrant color, high-key energy
Nighttime
Mystery, tension, cool moods, dramatic scenes
Blue moonlight, deep shadows, low-key darkness
Cinematic
Trailers, music videos, narrative edits, dramatic posts
High contrast, teal shadows, warm highlights, moody grade
Model Notes
Relight Scene uses two models depending on what you generate.
Relit Image
Nano Banana 2
Relights the captured image or source still
Relit Video
Kling O3 VFX (kling-o3-pro-edit)
Applies the approved lighting look to the original short video
Image Relighting
The relit image is usually the most controllable part of the workflow. You can regenerate the still until the lighting idea works before spending time on the video pass.
Video Relighting
For video, the workflow first creates a relit image. If you like it, click Apply Lighting to Video.
Kling O3 VFX receives:
The original source video
The relit image as a visual reference
A lighting prompt based on the selected direction or style
The video pass is more expensive and slower than the image pass, so treat the image result like a proof before applying it to the video.
Approve the relit frame before generating the video. If the still result has the wrong mood, wrong shadows, or a changed identity, the video pass will inherit that problem.
Working With Images
For images, the flow is simple:
Load an image
Choose Direction or Style
Generate Relit Image
Compare before and after
Click Done to save the image to chat
Use image relighting before:
Motion Director, when you want to animate a better-lit still
AI Transitions, when your start and end frames need a consistent mood
Cinematic Lab iterations, when you have the right scene but want a better lighting direction
Thumbnail or hero-image creation, when the subject is good but the shot lacks polish
Working With Video
For the video, the flow is:
Load a 3-10 second video
Scrub to a representative frame
Capture the frame for relighting
Choose Direction or Style
Generate the relit image
If the image works, click Apply Lighting to Video
Compare original vs. relit video
Click Done to save the relit video to chat
Video relighting works best when:
The camera movement is simple
The subject stays visible
The lighting change is plausible across the whole clip
The clip is already edited down to the moment you want
The captured reference frame represents the full shot
It is weaker when:
The shot has fast cuts
The subject leaves frame
The lighting changes dramatically inside the original clip
The video is too dark, noisy, or motion blurred
Different parts of the clip need different lighting designs
Pro Tips
Start with the least destructive lighting change
If you only need polish, start with Studio or Overcast in Style mode, or a front-centered or mild side Key light in Direction mode. Save Nighttime and heavy Cinematic looks for shots that can handle more stylization.
Use relighting before animation
If you plan to animate a still in Motion Director, relight it first. A strong source still gives the video model a cleaner visual target.
Use a hairlight or rear-positioned light to separate subjects
A Hairlight or rear-positioned light is one of the most useful creative fixes. It can turn a flat subject/background relationship into something with depth without changing the composition.
Use Overcast to normalize mismatched outdoor footage
When two outdoor shots have harsh lighting differences, Overcast can sometimes make them easier to cut together because it reduces hard shadows and color extremes.
Use Golden Hour for warmth, not accuracy
Golden Hour is a mood tool. It can make lifestyle, travel, real estate, and creator footage feel more premium, but it may not match physically accurate sun direction in every frame.
Use Nighttime only when the frame has enough detail
Nighttime needs information to work with. If the original is already dark, pushing it darker can lose the subject.
Do not judge video relighting from a bad reference frame
If the captured frame is motion-blurred, blinking, obstructed, or poorly composed, go back and capture a cleaner frame before relighting.
Regenerate the image before regenerating the video
The image pass is the cheaper creative loop. Get that right first, then apply it to the clip.
Best Practices
Keep expectations focused
Relight Scene is not a full VFX compositor. It can convincingly change mood and direction, but it is not meant to replace masks, rotoscoping, manual grade work, or scene reconstruction.
Preserve the original composition
The workflow is built around identity and composition preservation. Avoid asking it to change wardrobe, pose, location, camera angle, or props.
Use one strong lighting idea
"Golden hour with cinematic nighttime studio backlight and overcast softness" is too many directions at once. Pick one lighting concept per generation.
Avoid text-heavy frames
Like most image and video generation models, relighting can disturb fine text, labels, UI, and small logos. Use product frames with large, clear branding if text must remain visible.
Trim video first
For video, send only the section you need. A tight 4-6 second shot is easier to relight than a 10 second clip with changing action.
Check identity carefully
The workflow uses prompts to preserve faces, hair, skin tone, clothing, expression, and background, but you should still inspect portraits closely before using the result in client work.
Troubleshooting
The Generate button is disabled Check that your FAL API key is configured in Settings.
My video was rejected The clip must be between 3 and 10 seconds and under 200 MB. Trim or compress it before loading it again.
The relit image changed the face Try a less aggressive setup. In Direction mode, a front-centered or gentle side Key light is safer than extreme angles. In Style mode, Studio, Overcast, and Daytime are safer than Nighttime or heavy Cinematic looks.
The lighting looks too extreme Regenerate with a softer style or reduce light intensity in Direction mode. In Style mode, Overcast and Studio are usually safer than Nighttime or Cinematic.
The video pass does not match the still perfectly Video relighting has to preserve motion while applying the look. If the reference still is good but the video is inconsistent, try a shorter clip or capture a more representative frame.
The subject becomes too dark In Direction mode, move the Key light toward a front or front-side position. In Style mode, Studio, Daytime, or Overcast are safer choices. Nighttime and rear-positioned lights can reduce subject readability if the original frame is already low exposure.
The background changed too much Use a less stylized mode and start from a cleaner source frame. Relight Scene tries to preserve the background, but very aggressive lighting changes can still reinterpret details.
The result is close but not final-grade quality Use Relight Scene to create the base lighting direction, then finish the grade in Premiere with normal color tools.
Next: Use Motion Director to animate a relit still, or use AI Transitions to bridge two frames with a matching lighting mood.
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