Lighting

  • Lighting links in with the idea of the cinematography which links into the look of the film

  • Initially, you can describe lighting as either high key or low key.

  • Lighting will also be able to suggest who/what is the key figure in a scene and how we should read the mood of the scene.

  • There are four major features of lighting: Intensity, Source, Direction & Colour

-key lighting

Low-key lighting :

  • The lighting is more towards the greyer and darker scale, where there is a good deal of shadow

  • A hard light source is used to enhance shadows in the scene and to create a more dramatic appearance

  • It is often used to evoke an unsettling tone or mood

High-key lighting :

  • This type of lighting reduces the level of shadows within a scene

  • It is often used to evoke a hopeful or optimistic tone

Intensity

Hard lighting :

  • Created by a narrow intense beam of light which creates:

  • Sharp shadows and edges to objects

Soft lighting :

  • Blurs contours

  • Softens textures

  • Creates gentler contrasts which are often seen as natural 

Source

Light can either be natural or be artificial (lamps).

  • Natural light can create a sense of realism

  • The shadow on a face created by artificial light, could symbolise darker features of a character

Direction

Front lighting :

  • Will flatten the image and remove shadows

  • Allows the audience to see the character and all their emotions

Side lighting :

  • Highlights features by casting shadows. 

  • It may highlight for example nose or cheekbones

  • This could highlight the fact that a character has possibly two sides to their character

  • It may also represent that the character is undecided or confused about events/situations/emotions

Back lighting :

  • Defines depth by distinguishing an object from its background 

  • This is unusual and makes the character appear mysterious

Under lighting :

  • Distorts features

  • Changes audiences expectations was we are used to seeing people lit from above, usually by the Sun

  •  Creates the idea of the strange and otherworldly

Three point lighting

The key lighting is usually the brightest and shining diagonally from the front

The backlighting is helping to counteract the unnatural look of the key lighting which may be coming from the rear and maybe above 

The fill lighting helps to soften the shadows produced by the key lighting