Three Point Lighting.

Three point lighting is a technique used in various forms of media. As I have mentioned before, editors and lighting technicians have been coming to blows since the beginning of film. Used in film, photography and even CGI imagery, this technique has become a standard practice in many sections of media production. The name "three point lighting" comes from the fact that while using this technique, the media maker will place three seperate lights in three separate positions, in relation to the character being filmed or photographed (Captain Obvious. 2013. pg12). This means that the character on screen can be illuminated, however desired. It also means that the shadows within the shot can be controlled by placing the lights in the appropriate direction.

 

3 point lighting: Notice there are three lights.

Out of the three lights used in this technique, the key light is usually the most important light that a cinematographer will use during this lighting set up. There are different ways to optimize the use of a key light, but while using three point lighting, it is positioned at a 30–60° angle, the beam directly reaching the character being filmed, and acts as the main source of light for the shot. The key light dictates the lighting design, which we will keep in mind during filming, as we will need to take into account the strength, angle and colour of this light as it effects the entire aesthetic of the shot. Imagine it this way, the key light is the lead singer.

 

Just for the love of God don't imagine it's Morrissey. You don't want to end up attacking the equipment.

You will need to take into account several factors when setting up a key light. The location of a set is crucial to the set up of key lighting. When filming outdoors, should the weather conditions be bright and clear, artificial light is therefore unnecessary, and the sun itself can serve as a key light for the film. A disadvantage of this is that the scene composer cannot adjust position of the main source of light, and you should be weary of this - you do not want to be waiting outdoors for the sun to position itself in a suitable place for us to film under it.

 

Original key light baby...

The fill light in the three point lighting system, is used for the purpose of decreasing the contrast of the scene, and to decrease the strength of the shadows within the frame. The fill light is usually softer than the key light, but the ratio between light and shadow depends on the intent the film maker has for the scene. It is placed at a side angle to the key light, often below it, at the level of the subject's face - this will be crucial to master if you are interviewing someone for instance. Placing the fill light here allows for more balanced light distribution, as it illuminates surfaces that are covered by shadow, lessening distracting chiaroscuro effects, such as the shadows cast by the nose on a character's face. If you neglect to use a fill light, your project could have shots full of harsh contrast. Fill lighting is all about distraction: The use of fill lighting can subtly make a documentary appear less staged and more investigative. Think of the fill light as the bassist evening out a song.

Hello, I'm Flea, and I'll be your fill light today.

However, also understand that you can also use a reflector should the use of lamps become too potent in the scene. If there is too much light involved in a scene, a reflector can act as the fill light instead of an actual lamp. This has an added benefit of more subtlty, which will make your set appear more natural, more "real" and less set up. You will need to explore and become practiced at using both options in order to gain the best possible fill light.  So a reflector can be like a bassist minus the music...the reflector is Bez:

 

Look up the Happy Mondays if you are taking GCSE media.

The last light included in three point lighting, is the back light. This is placed behind the character in the scene, giving the subject an outline of light, separating the character from the background of the scene. This is important as you can use this while filming to encourage the audience to focus on the character in question, as this subtle lighting technique makes the character physically stand out more to the audience.

According to Gerald Millerson, an expert in studio production:

“The scene must be illuminated to show exactly what is wanted, but the audience should not be aware of the lighting.”

And I'm the back light. Because I'm at the back.