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.
Relight Scene is for changing light, not changing the shot. The best results preserve the same subject, pose, camera angle, background, and composition. You are asking the model to relight the scene, not redesign it.
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
Pro tip: choose the frame you would use as the thumbnail. If the lighting looks good on that frame, the video pass has a better reference for the whole clip.
Direction vs. Style
Relight Scene has two modes:
Direction
You want to move the light source
Top light, side light, backlight, front light, underlight
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 light picker. Move the light source around the subject or choose one of the named directions.
Top Light
Drama, tension, overhead practicals, interrogation-style looks
Adds hard overhead direction and downward shadows
Bottom Light
Horror, surreal moments, villain beats, stylized music videos
Creates upward shadows and an intense under-lit look
Left Light
Portrait lighting, interviews, product shape, classic key light
Adds a strong light from camera-left
Right Light
Same as left, but reversed for composition or eyeline
Adds a strong light from camera-right
Front Light
Clean, even, broadcast-style illumination
Reduces harsh shadows and makes the subject easy to read
Back Light
Separation, rim light, hero outlines, cinematic silhouettes
Adds glow from behind and emphasizes the subject edge
Best Direction Choices
Use Left or Right Light for faces
Side light is usually the safest way to add shape to a portrait. It gives the face dimension without completely changing the scene.
Use Back Light for separation
Backlight is useful when the subject blends into the background. It can add a rim, halo, or silhouette-adjacent edge that makes the subject feel more cinematic.
Use Front Light when clarity matters
Front light is not always the most dramatic choice, but it is useful for tutorials, talking heads, product explainers, and shots where the audience needs to read the subject clearly.
Use Top and Bottom Light carefully
Top and bottom lighting are strong looks. They can be dramatic, but they are also the easiest to overdo. Use them when the scene can support a stylized result.
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, Overcast, Front Light, or a mild side light. Save Nighttime, Bottom Light, 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 backlight to separate subjects
Back 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.
Example Ideas
Flat Interview to Cinematic Key Light
Input
Talking-head still or short interview clip
Mode
Direction
Preset
Left Light or Right Light
Goal
Add shape to the face while keeping the subject readable
Product Shot to Studio Polish
Input
Product frame with uneven lighting
Mode
Style
Preset
Studio
Goal
Create clean commercial lighting before using the shot in an ad
Travel Shot to Golden Hour
Input
Outdoor lifestyle or landscape frame
Mode
Style
Preset
Golden Hour
Goal
Add warmth, premium mood, and softer sunset energy
Subject Lost in Background
Input
Portrait or character frame with weak separation
Mode
Direction
Preset
Back Light
Goal
Add rim light so the subject stands out
Day Scene to Moody Night
Input
Clear daytime frame with enough subject detail
Mode
Style
Preset
Nighttime
Goal
Build a darker, cooler, more mysterious version
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 preset. Side light, front light, studio, and overcast are safer than bottom light, nighttime, or heavy cinematic looks.
The lighting looks too extreme Regenerate with a softer style. Overcast and Studio are usually safer than Nighttime or Bottom Light.
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 Use Front Light, Studio, Daytime, or Overcast. Nighttime and backlight 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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