Preliminary Exercise: Lighting

     Lighting in film is refers to the direction, quality, source, or color of light that shapes the subject and sets them apart from the background. Its fundamental aspect that affects how the film looks and feels to the audience. It creates a visual mood, atmosphere, and sense of meaning for the audience. It guides the attention and supports the genre and mood of the film.

     Five lighting techniques are basic lighting: 3-point lighting setup, soft film lighting, hard film lighting, motivated lighting, and natural film lighting. Basic lighting: 3-point lighting setup is the most basic lighting in film. It is lighting from three directions shapes your subject and sets them apart from their background. Film lighting equipment needs to face a subject from the directions: front, back, and side with a key light, fill light, and back light.

     Soft film lighting is about how a scene should feel emotionally. The hardness or softness of light concerns how large a light source is, and how it affects shadows on a subject. Higher key light and diffused overhead lighting are used for this.

     Hard film lighting is when smaller light sources, including bright sunlight, will heighten the shadows on a subject. It can create dramatic effects. Kicker light with soft fill and low ley light are used for this.

     Motivated lighting is when cinematographers light a set, they always ask themselves where, within the scene, the light comes from. They might choose to take the practical lights that are already in a location and elevate their effect. Practical set lighting can be used for this.

     Natural film lighting refers to using or modifying the light that is already available to you at your location. You can take your camera to the location to see how well the natural light holds up.