MMS 175 (Videography in Multimedia). UNIT III. Module 7.

Lighting Techniques
Prepared by FIC Juancho Victor L. Moreno, UPOU FICS

LIGHTING

Introduction
Kinds of Lights used in Video
3 POINT LIGHTING
Basic Lighting Techniques
Narrative Lighting
Cinematic Lighting

INTRODUCTION

“Lighting is to Film, what Music is to Opera.”

Nikolas, Mirror Division.

Without light, we cannot accomplish anything as videographers. We use light to create depth in what
would otherwise be a 2 dimensional screen. We also use it as a storytelling device.

Kinds of Lights used in Video

In the article below, Richard Lackey discusses the four (4) basic lights that are commonly used in video
production. He talks about Fixtures (Fresnel & Practicals); Performance Factors (CRI & Color
Temperature) and finally the Light Sources: Tungsten, HMI, Fluorescent and LED. He lists down the
advantages/disadvantages of each. He also indicates the uses for each one.

Lackey, R. (2015). Let There Be Light – Four Common Film Lights. Cinema5D. Retrieved
September 9, 2019 from https://www.cinema5d.com/common-types-of-film-lights/

3 POINT LIGHTING

This is the most commonly used lighting set-up there is. In the video below, the three (3) basic lights are
discussed: Key Light, Fill Light and Back Light. There is a brief demonstration of what these lights look
like when they are individually engaged.

FilterGrade (2018). Three Point Lighting Basics for Photography/Video. YouTube. Retrieved on
September 9, 2019 from
https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=moz35&p=three+point+lightng+for+video#id=
1&vid=3064b2792a2f7dabed9cd3febb013a77&action=view

The following video was recommended by Dr. Grace Alfonso in the previous videography classes. It is
9:55 minutes long. The video is done by Mia McCormick. She begins by discussing the different kinds of
MMS 175 (Videography in Multimedia). UNIT III. Module 7. Lighting Techniques
Prepared by FIC Juancho Victor L. Moreno, UPOU FICS

light sources, and makes recommendations for each. Then she discusses basic lighting set-up for a Basic
Interview using 3-point lighting.

McCormick, M. (2013). Three-Point Lighting Tutorial. BHPhotoVideo. Retrieved on September

17, 2019 on https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/tips-and-solutions/three-
point-lighting-tutorial

Basic Lighting Techniques

In his book, John Jackman talks about basic lighting techniques. He talks about the importance of
creating depth using shadows and highlights. He also discusses Key light, Fill light and back light. He goes
further by discussing angles of these lights. He shows alternatives such as two (2) lights and a reflector;
single soft light set-up; the use of kickers; and explains the difference between hard and soft light. You
only need to read Chapter 5, pages 91 to 107. However, the rest of his book is also very interesting. He
discusses interview set-ups, advanced lighting, lighting low-budget films, etc.

Jackman, J. (1957). Lighting for Digital Video and Television, 3rd Edition. New York, NY. Focal
Press.

A digital copy of the book can be found here:

http://home.fa.utl.pt/~cfig/Anima%E7%E3o%20e%20Cinema/Ilumina%E7%E3o/Lighting%20for
%20Digital%20Video%20and%20Television%20-%20John%20Jackman.pdf

Narrative Lighting

Lighting can be used to tell a story, hence the term “narrative lighting”. In the video below, seven (7)
rules for narrative lighting are explained and given examples of. I’ve summarized the Rules below the
link for easy reference.

Aparture (2018). How to Tell Story with Lighting / 7 Essential Rules. YouTube. Retrieved
September 9, 2019 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjYhdNUIkl8

To summarize Aparture’s 7 Essential Rules for Narrative Lighting:

1. Make Importance Shine – the eye is drawn to the brightest part of the frame.
Light reinforces visual importance.
2. Feature the Protagonist’s POV – light characters the way that your protagonists sees them.
3. Choose the Light or Dark Side – lighting can be used to delineate sides. You can also use
lighting separation. Shared halo = shared experience.
4. Soft Moments. Use Soft Lighting. Use for joyful scenes. Hard Light is for difficult moments.
5. Use Color to Push Emotions – intelligent use of warm and cool colors. Ask yourself how a
color feels before implementing it.
6. Move lights for Chaos – match the action of your lights to the action of the scene.
MMS 175 (Videography in Multimedia). UNIT III. Module 7. Lighting Techniques
Prepared by FIC Juancho Victor L. Moreno, UPOU FICS

7. Light only what your Protagonist can see.

Cinematic Lighting

“Lighting is to Film, what Music is to Opera.” That is how this video begins. Some items in this film are
redundant in relation to the material already provided above. However, the approach to the subject is
very interesting. The video is 24 minutes and 29 seconds long, so brace yourselves for a long watch.

Nikolas, Media Division (2019). Cinematic Lighting Explained. YouTube. Retrieved on September
9, 2019 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCPsy_LQqYc

RESOURCES

FilterGrade (2018). Three Point Lighting Basics for Photography/Video. YouTube. Retrieved on
September 9, 2019 from
https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=moz35&p=three+point+lightng+for+video#id=1&vid=3
064b2792a2f7dabed9cd3febb013a77&action=view

Jackman, J. (1957). Lighting for Digital Video and Television, 3rd Edition. New York, NY. Focal Press.

McCormick, M. (2013). Three-Point Lighting Tutorial. BHPhotoVideo. Retrieved on September 17, 2019
on https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/tips-and-solutions/three-point-lighting-
tutorial

Nikolas, Media Division (2019). Cinematic Lighting Explained. YouTube. Retrieved on September 9, 2019
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCPsy_LQqYc