Basic Lighting

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Lighting
The main job of the director-of-photography is lighting.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Lighting
The main job of the director-of-photography is lighting.

A movie or TV image is a 2 dimensional image.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Lighting
The main job of the director-of-photography is lighting.

A movie or TV image is a 2 dimensional image.

We use lights to not only get an acceptable exposure

but also to create the illusion of a 3 dimensional image.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Lighting
The main job of the director-of-photography is lighting.

A movie or TV image is a 2 dimensional image.

We use lights to not only get an acceptable exposure

but also to create the illusion of a 3 dimensional image.

The placement of lights throughout the scene is how we

achieve this goal.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 The Colour of Light
This light we call white
light is in reality the
sum of hues in the
visible spectrum.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 The Colour of Light
This light we call white
light is in reality the
sum of hues in the
visible spectrum.

We normally only
observe this spectrum
in a rainbow or when
white light passes
through a prism.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

Colour Temperature
Summer Skylight 9,500 to 30,000°K

Summer Shade

Heavy Overcast Day

100W Incandescent Light Bulb

Sunrise
Candlelight
Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis
Colour Temperature
Summer Skylight 9,500 to 30,000°K

Summer Shade

Heavy Overcast Day

100W Incandescent Light Bulb

Sunrise
Candlelight
Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis
Colour Temperature
Summer Skylight 9,500 to 30,000°K

Summer Shade

Heavy Overcast Day

Tungsten Halogen Light 3,200°K

100W Incandescent Light Bulb
Sunrise
Candlelight
Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis
Colour Temperature
Summer Skylight 9,500 to 30,000°K

Summer Shade

Heavy Overcast Day

Photographic Daylight 5,400°K

Tungsten Halogen Light 3,200°K

100W Incandescent Light Bulb
Sunrise
Candlelight
Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis
 The White Balance!
Getting colour
temperature right.
It is important that
colour balance is as
close to perfect as
possible.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 The White Balance!
Getting colour
temperature right.
It is important that
colour balance is as
close to perfect as
possible.
You can always
change the “look”
at a later date.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Photographic Daylight 5,400°K
Daylight may vary in
colour temperature
depending on:
 the time of day

 time of year

 position on the earth

 presence or absence of

clouds, fog or smog

and other factors
Daylight is predominantly
blue in colour

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Tungsten-halogen Light 3,200°K
Made from quartz glass
envelopes with a coiled
tungsten filament
surrounded by iodine gas.
These lamps emit light of
great intensity compared
with incandescent. They
also generate extreme
heat.
Tungsten is
predominantly red in
colour.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Fluorescent Light
Fluorescent tubes do
not contain the entire
spectrum of light in
their output.
The light is generally
rich in green but
deficient in red.
The amount varies
between the various
types.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Quality of Light
Hard light casts
distinct shadows.

Source: Basic Lighting Worktext for Film & Video – Richard K. Ferncase

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Quality of Light
Soft light casts
diffuse weak
shadows.

Source: Basic Lighting Worktext for Film & Video – Richard K. Ferncase

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 3 Point Lighting
The traditional three-point
lighting setup uses three
lights, key, fill and backlight
to create a balanced,
modelled image that
emphasises three
dimensionality on a flat, two
dimensional screen.
A fourth light, the
background light is used to
light the background.
Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis
 Key Light
The key light is the main
hard light that creates the
modelling on the face of
the subject.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Fill Light
The key light is the main
hard light that creates the
modelling on the face of
the subject.
The fill light is a soft light
source used to soften the
shadows created by the
key light to the desired
amount.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Backlight
The key light is the main
hard light that creates the
modelling on the face of
the subject.
The fill light is a soft light
source used to soften the
shadows created by the
key light to the desired
amount.
The backlight (sometimes
called the separation light)
gives separation between
subject and background.
Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis
 Background Light
Finally the background is
lit by the background
light.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 3 Point Lighting
The subject has a
strongly defined 3
dimensional presence.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Eyelight
Eyelight is any light used
to produce added sparkle
to the eye of an actor.
The sparkle is a
reflection on the surface
of the eye.
It is created by placing
a bright surface at a
point where it will create
a virtual image on the
eye for the camera to
pick up.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Eyelight
Eyelight is any light used
to produce added sparkle
to the eye of an actor.
The sparkle is a
reflection on the surface
of the eye.
It is created by placing
a bright surface at a
point where it will create
a virtual image on the
eye for the camera to
pick up.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Lighting Styles
There are 2 major lighting styles to be
considered by the director and
cinematographer.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Lighting Styles
There are 2 major lighting styles to be
considered by the director and
cinematographer.

The art is to be able to use the “right”

combinations of the previous lighting to
achieve either high key or low key lighting
and set the mood for the story.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 High Key Lighting
High key lighting has a predominantly
bright feeling overall with very few
black areas or shadows within the
scenes.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 High Key Lighting
High key lighting has a predominantly
bright feeling overall with very few
black areas or shadows within the
scenes.

This lighting features strong even

illumination of both the subject and the
background with bright highlights.
Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis
High Key Lighting

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

High Key Lighting

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Low Key Lighting
Low key lighting enhances depth by
using contrasting tones of highlights
and shadows.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Low Key Lighting
Low key lighting enhances depth by
using contrasting tones of highlights
and shadows.

Only a few areas are well lit. There are

lots of deep shadows.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Low Key Lighting
Low key lighting enhances depth by using
contrasting tones of highlights and
shadows.

Only a few areas are well lit. There are

lots of deep shadows.

The ratio of dark shadow to well lit areas

creates the low key effect.
Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis
Low Key Lighting

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

Low Key Lighting

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

Low Key Lighting

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Naturalism
Naturalism is lighting that follows the
logical positioning of light sources in a
scene.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Naturalism
Naturalism is lighting that follows the
logical positioning of light sources in a
scene.
For example, when photographing two
people facing each other in an exterior
daylight scene, if one person is in
backlight, the other person must be in
full sunlight.
Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis
Naturalism

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Naturalism
The cinematographer will ask the question,
"Where is the light coming from and can I justify
this light source?" They will then position lighting
units which will appear to mimic a logical light
source. Often the key light is cheated in order to
provide a more flattering or interesting light on
the actor.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Naturalism
The cinematographer will ask the question, "Where
is the light coming from and can I justify this light
source?" They will then position lighting units
which will appear to mimic a logical light source.
Often the key light is cheated in order to provide a
more flattering or interesting light on the actor.
This is not the same as using only practical light
sources to light the scene such as in the following
example.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

Naturalism

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Pictorialism
Pictorialism is lighting by way of using light
angles which violate the logic of motivated
lighting sources.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Pictorialism
Pictorialism is lighting by way of using light
angles which violate the logic of motivated
lighting sources.
This is often done to achieve a more pleasing
image or to give the perception of depth to a set.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Pictorialism
Pictorialism is lighting by way of using light
angles which violate the logic of motivated
lighting sources.
This is often done to achieve a more pleasing
image or to give the perception of depth to a set.
For example, two opposing people might be
backlit in a full-sun scene.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

Pictorialism

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

Pictorialism

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

Pictorialism

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis

 Pictorialism
Pictorialism is lighting by way of using light
angles which violate the logic of motivated
lighting sources.
This is often done to achieve a more pleasing
image or to give the perception of depth to a set.
For example, two opposing people might be
backlit in a full-sun scene.
Although this is not realistic, it satisfies the
cinematic intention.

Copyright © 1998 to 2008 Mic Collis