Lighting & Composition

Key Concepts of Lighting in Cinema

• Light in Composition

  • Compositional Relationships:

    • Balance

    • Contrast

    • Movement

  • Mood and Atmosphere:

    • Light creates mood and visual continuity

  • Key Pictorial Force in Cinema:

    • Lighting influences how a scene feels and is interpreted.

Illumination Measurement

• Illumination is Measured in Foot Candles:

  • Definition: Amount of light produced by a candle at 1 foot.

    • 1 foot = 1 foot candle

    • 2 feet = 0.5 foot candles

    • 4 feet = 0.25 foot candles

Inverse Square Law

• Light Distance and Illumination:

  • Doubling the distance between light and subject cuts illumination in half(-1 stop)

  • Halving the distance doubles illumination (+1 stop)

Color Temperature

• Definition:

  • Measured in Kelvin (K)

  • Indicates the color characteristics of light emitted by a source

• Absolute Zero:

  • 0 K = -273.15 °C

Color Temperature Scale

• Temperature Values of Light Sources:

  • Tungsten: 3200 K (Orange)

  • Sunlight/HMI: 5600 K (Blue)

  • Fluorescent: 4400 K (Green)

    • Note: Fluorescent light is often undesirable for shooting.

Types of Lights

• Common Light Sources:

  • Tungsten: Incandescent Bulbs

  • HMI: Hydrargyrum Medium-arc Iodide

  • Kino Flo: Fluorescent lighting for film

  • LED PAR: Long throw design

Lighting Techniques

• Three-Point Lighting:

  • Key Light: Main source of illumination

  • Fill Light: Reduces shadows from key light

  • Back Light: Creates depth by illuminating the subject from behind

Example of Three-Point Lighting Setup:

• Back Light

• Key Light

• Camera

• Fill Light

Light Techniques in Filmmaking

• Purpose of Light:

  • Creates tonal differences, texture, outlines, shapes, colors, patterns

  • Defines and develops the space within the frame

Brightness in Composition

• Brightness Levels:

  • Each element has specific brightness

  • Visual ‘weight’ influenced by proximity, area, and contrast

Brightness and Visual Weight

• Visual Weight:

  • Elements that attract the eye due to brightness differences

  • Chiaroscuro: The study of light and shadow in composition

Characteristics of Light

• Four Types:

  • Quality (hard or soft)

  • Direction

  • Source

  • Color

Quality of Light

• Natural vs. Artificial:

  • Hard light: Direct, unobscured sources (e.g., sun)

  • Soft light: Diffused sources

• Key Light: Controls the mood of the image

  • High Key: Cheerful, bright

  • Low Key: Somber, dark

Direction & Source of Light

• Lighting Direction:

  • Influences perception of natural light source

  • Techniques include 3-point and 8-point lighting

• Realism:

  • Use natural light for documentaries