Task A1 - Lighting techniques

Lighting techniques

Lighting is very important in filmmaking and this is because it sets the tone of a scene. It also engages the audience emotionally and gives the audience an understanding of the characters' personalities or motivations.

The 3-Point Lighting Set Up

Key light:
This is the first light to be set up during filming, and it creates a shadow dependent on position by illuminating the form or shape of the characters or subject. This type of lighting can be used in horror films, this is because it helps to heighten the tense atmosphere that horror films want to create for the audience. This especially occurs when the director is trying to scare the audience at the particular moment in the movie. In the movie, 'The Conjuring 2' the director decides to use a low key light because they want to create a dark and gloomy scene, as they want to set the tone of a scene before the scare the audience as it will get their hearts pumping. The low key light help to enhance the Nun's shadow in the movie. This makes the audience feel scared and anxious about what is about to happen next, as the lighting has set the scene to be dark and mysterious.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdEqXdMNhb8

Fill light:
This lighting technique helps to illuminate the shadows created by the key light and is placed on the opposite side to the key light. The closer the fill light is to the camera, means the less shadows that are created. This technique helps the director to create a romantic atmosphere in romantic movies or even rom-coms because it represents the happy feeling that they have.

Back light:

This type of lighting is facing the camera and lights the subject from the back. It's possible to create  a glow, rim or halo along the dark edges of the subject. If this is the only lighting that is being used, it can create a silhouette. Directors decided to use this type of lighting because it helps to separate the subject from the background, making the subject stand out more for a specific reason. This sort of lighting may be used in a lot of musicals, horrors or romance movies. In horror movies, they perhaps use this type of lighting to highlight the main source of fear that is going to appear. This will make the audience feel even more scared because of the glow that the source of fear is giving off. Back lighting is used in a lot of horror movies, in the movie 'Halloween' Michael Myers face isn't shown a lot because of the lighting. It helps to outline the figure of the character, this makes the audience feel fear and anticipation because they are unaware of who the killer is. However, other characters may feel some sort of excitement due to the secretiveness of the killer and as many people like horrors this may make them feel very amused. Moreover, in the movie 'Nightmare on elm street' Freddy Krueger is shown walking but no one is able to figure out who it is. This is because the back lighting helps to create a sense of mystery and suspense for the audience, causing them to become fearful as if they are in the film themselves.

Other lighting

High key lighting is bright and shadow-less, with a lot of key light. Examples of use is in commercials and music videos, however also in some movies. The effect that it has is that it creates an upbeat atmosphere and positive emotions. In the Rom-com 'Wedding Crashers', Gloria and Jeremy are presented to look very happy together and in love many may say due to the use of the high key lighting. The effect this has on the audience is that the feel the characters happiness through the use of the lighting which creates emotions in the audience. Moreover, also in the Rom-com 'Bridesmaid' a lot of high key lighting is used to portray the happy and upbeat feeling because Lillian is getting married. Marriage is a very happy time in someone's life, therefore the director wanted to portray this through the high key lighting. This makes the audience feel happy for the bride because the lighting also perhaps reflects how she is feeling about getting married. Lillian is happy about getting married, meaning that the director wants to portray this through the lighting making the audience also feel excited and happy for her wedding day.

Low key lighting is used to create dark tones and colours in comparison to high key lighting. This helps to create a mysterious or dramatic atmosphere, which affects how the movie will be presented and how it may make the audience feel. In noir movies of the 1940s and 1950s, they used a lot of low key lighting because the genre is based upon mystery and darkness. In the noir film 'Touch of Evil' by Orson Welles it uses a lot of low key lighting to represent the mysterious crime that they were trying to solve. This is because film noirs usually involves crimes which make the audience feel suspense throughout the film due to the dark and shadowy scene. In this scene, the lack of light in this highlights the crucial event in the scene. Moreover, low key lighting is also used in gangster and crime films such as 'The Dark Knight'. In the film, the lighting highlights the very intense atmosphere between the Joker and detective. It makes the audience feel suspense because they want to know what will happen next, as everyone knows the Joker is psycho which the lighting could be emphasising.

Side lighting is when light has been cast from one side to create a half-lit face. This helps to emphasises the subjects texture and emotion in a much more dramatic way. This makes the audience get to know the characters motivation in the film. In the drama/thriller movie 'Gran Torino' Walt is represented as being racist and selfish, however when he gets new neighbours who are Korean he starts to defend them from gang associated boys who are trying to pressure him into doing something he doesn't want to. The side lighting in this image shows the two different sides that Walt has, this is because at the beginning he was racist but now he is helping to defend a Korean against these group of gang bangers. This makes the audience feel as Walt has two different personalities to him which makes them feel confused about his character, however it does add to his character and make him seem much more interesting. Also in the thriller/action movie 'Casino Royale' side lighting is used on James Bond to represent his two different personalities. James Bond is someone that helps people to fight the bad guys, however he has to kill a lot of people to do this. He has the best intentions but the way it is carried out isn't very good. This makes the audience feel as if they're able to get to know James Bond's personality more, through the dramatic mood the side lighting creates.

Hard light helps to illuminate area, sharply outlines and illuminates characters. It also shows details and textures very well, separating the shadows and light. The affect this has on the audience is that it allows them to get a understanding of the characters personality. This is because the lighting helps to show the little details of a subject very well.

Soft light helps to cover a much wider area with more diffuse light and reduces outline, and clarity of characters. It also minimises shadows and reduces subjects detail and subject. The affect this has is that it makes the subject seem very suspicious as details are restricted due to the reduced clarity. In the film 'Her', soft lighting is used to represent an even balance to the film. It brings a friendly welcoming approach, and makes the audiences perspective be positive in the drama/romance film.

Natural lighting can be different depending on where your shooting your movie. In Africa it's natural lighting is very harsh, whereas in London the light is very soft. In the movie 'The City of God', Brazil's natural lighting is very harsh which illuminates the death scene of Shaggy as the lighting shows his death in a lot of detail to the audience. This makes the audience feel bad for Shaggy because no one deserves to die and they may also feel hurt as the movie had just started, and something like this occurred. Moreover, in the film 'The Notebook' it uses a lot of natural lighting via the outside shots. This scene uses natural lighting through the trees surrounding the two protagonists Noah and Allie. It's perhaps used to represent their natural love and connection between the protagonists which makes the audience believe that their love is true.