Lighting

Lighting

Standard Lighting Set-up

This lighting set-up uses a backlight, fill light and key light. The subject is then placed in the middle of these points.

1) Filler Light
2) Key Light
3) Backlight

• Key light is the brightest out of all the lights and the most influential.
• Backlight helps to counteract the effect of the key light and can create an outline or silhouette.
• Filler Light softens the harsh shadows created by the back and key lights.

Under lighting is another type of lighting. It is mostly used in the thriller/horror genre and this light source mainly comes from bellow the subject. Top Lighting is the opposite of under lighting as the main source of light comes from above highlighting features and can create a more glamorous look. Backlighting is when the main source of light comes from behind the subject. If no other lighting is used silhouettes are created.

Low-Key and High Key Lighting

Low-key(chiaroscuro) lighting is created by using only the back and key lights. This creates a sharp contrast of light and dark areas on the screen as deep, distinct shadows are formed. More filler lights are used to create high key lighting so that the light appears more realistic.

Low Key Lighting

High Key lighting

In the film Noir, low-key lighting is used to show the darker side of human nature and gives a stonger contrast between dark and light.