LO2: Understand the cinematic lighting techniques for a location, set and moving subject

LO2: Understand the cinematic lighting techniques for a location, set and moving subject

Three Point Lighting

Three point lighting utilizes three lights to create an effectively lit shot; these lights include: the key light, which acts the primary light source for the main subject of the feature, the fill light, which fills in any unwanted shadows/low-key areas in a shot, and the back light (also known as the 'rim' or 'hair' light) which lights a subject from behind to create depth within the shot by separating them from the background. These lights typically include a 'barn door' which are shapes that can be opened or closed to create a shaft of light effect. 

Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro is the culmination of low and high-key lighting to create meaningful contrasts of light within a picture to create a visual spectacle of depth. The etymology of the term stems from the Italian words 'chiaro' for 'bright' and 'oscuro' for dark. The origin of chiaroscuro began with painters like DaVinci and Caravaggio where they'd wash a painting with black as 'all things in nature are naturally dark'. The effect of overtly dark imagery allows the contrast of light to make images appear with more depth and visual intrigue; this best evidenced in the gothic styles of old media such as Nosferatu and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari where the limited tools available for post-production artificial lighting or visual effect editing were finite. Therefore, when creating a picture, omitting back or fill lights and (subsequently) emphasizing key lights would've been necessary to create cinematic depth. Influence on later media like Ridley Scott's Bladerunner or Sam Mendes' 1917 would use chiaroscuro to create shots of intense intimacy and thrill for audiences through the hidden figures and low-key, desolate locations of the films.

Soft Boxes

Soft boxes are designed to make an intended light source larger therefore, giving it greater effect. Due to this emphasis, soft boxes create a direction proportion to the size of a given subject and the harsh or softness of the lighting. The greater the size, the softer the lighting and vice versa. 

Soft boxes tend to come in four distinct shapes to emphasize this direct proportion.

• Square
• Rectangular
• Strip (Tall, Thin Rectangle)
• Octa (Octagon)

Square or rectangular soft boxes are typically replicate the kind of natural lighting you would get through a window or doorway, allowing for artificially natural looking lighting in dark locations or times. 

Strip soft boxes are used to add accents to a subject, making them more beneficial for photography than film. Octa soft boxes provide a similar role through their primary use in portrait photography due to their round appearance, creating a full, natural lighting effect akin to the use of a fill light. 

The application of these lights depend on the kind of imagery the artist wants to convey therefore, a portrait through an octa soft box will create desired soft lighting due to the small image and concentrated light whereas rectangular or strip lighting will create a similar intended effect with larger, full body or landscape (wide shot) photography/filmmaking. 

Aperture

Aperture values like F16 are optimal for daylight settings as the smaller lens hole captures less light in the image, creating less blur and a more cinematic picture. Higher values like F2 however, create a larger hole which reflects more light; this is more optimal in dark/low-key lit locations where less light is present.