Lighting 101

Lighting is one of the biggest ways to make an amateur film look professional! 

The most basic lighting set-up is called the 3-point system.  It consists of a key light, a fill light, and a back light.  The key light is your main source of light and should be placed in front of the subject off to the left.  The fill light supplements the key light, and fills out the shadows that the key light casts.  The fill light is usually about half the power of the key light, and is placed to the front right of the subject.  The final light is the back light which separates the subject from its background.  This light is placed behind the subject, or slightly off to the side.

Mood Lighting

Playing with the fill light can give the shot several different moods.  Having little or no fill light is known as “low-key lighting.”  It causes a dramatic effect with lots of shadows, and is often used in horror and suspense films; think holding a flashlight under your chin while telling a spooky story.  Having high fill light, or matching the intensity of the key light, is known as “high-key lighting.”  It eliminates most, or all, shadows and is often used to indicate futuristic or utopian places; think of how “heaven” is depicted as a blindingly bright place.

Working with what you have!

Sometimes the only lighting you need already exists at your location. Artificial light is not the only way!

    * Natural sunlight is a great tool when filming outdoor scenes.  It adds a realism to your shots that cannot be achieved in any studio, and it’s free!

    * Filming a scene with spies, criminals, or generally shady characters near allies at night?  The lights on the outside of buildings will cast shadows in all the right places.

    * Having lights visible in a shot is not always a bad thing.  You can make light sources like lamps, streetlights, flashlights, or even tiki torches do double duty as on-screen props.


By: 

Emily Levy 

Fall 2011 Intern
La Salle University, Communication and Art History