Lighting techniques in film

   Lighting is another really important part of film. Like color, lighting also plays a large part in creating the ambiance of a scene, many times working together to create the majority of the tone. There are many different lighting techniques to discuss so lets dive into them!

• Natural lighting - this one is very simple, it means exactly what it says. Natural lighting is the use of the lighting that is already available at the place you are shooting a scene for your film. Taking the time of day that a scene is taking place is very important on deciding the type of natural lighting you will be utilizing (for example night versus day.)
• Key lighting - this technique is used to bring attention to an important subject of a scene, typically a subject or an actor.
• High key lighting - uses white tones and bright lights, with minimal use of black or mid-range tones. Can be used to set an optimistic or hopeful tone.
• Low key lighting - opposite to high key lighting, uses mainly dark tones and shadows and creates contrasting images. Usually used in noirs and thrillers because it does a really good job at creating an ominous energy.
• Fill light - by using a backlight as well as a key light, fill lighting cancels out any shadows that would've been created by key lighting.
• Three-point lighting - this is created by using a a key light, back light, and fill light. This is the most standard form of lighting that most productions use. This can control highlights and shadows depending on how you position each type of lighting, so it gives a lot of leverage for the cinematographer.
• Backlight - this type of lighting hits the subject or actor from behind, and is usually placed higher than the subject it is lighting. They give more shape and depth and separate the background from the subject.
• Hard lighting - this is a harsh lighting, created by a direct beam of light. It creates shadows and harsh lines, but can also create silhouettes and highlights.
• Soft lighting - used to eliminate shadows, and can also be used as a fill light. It can give the illusion of coming from practical sources.