Lighting research

3 Point lighting
Three point lighting consists of three lights which are positioned in the direction of the subject. Each one of these light creates a different lighting, therefore creating a different atmosphere of the shot.

Key Light= Main light on the subject. This light is not always the brightest, as brightness of this light varies, on the directors choice. This is the initial light used when filming.

Fill Light= Softens the hard edges of the key and balances the light.


Back Light= Light behind the subject, creating separation from the background.

More Lighting

Hard light= Light that creates heavy shadows that strongly contrast with the brighter light. This is usually from a direct source.

Soft Light= This light is used where there is no hard shadows, therefore producing only soft ones. This is usually used to create early morning or late summer afternoon light.

Eyelight= This is the light which is seen in characters eyes. This is the little spark in a character's eye which make them look alive, have a cheeky side to them and gives them character and personality.

Kicker= A light behind a subject but enough to the side so it skims along their face. Creates shadow to the subject's face. Mysterious effect created.  

Three Kinds of Studio Lights: 

Fluorescent= Studios do not use the conventional tri-phosphor fluorescents light. Studio fluorescent, like KinoFlo, are high frequency, colour balanced and take less electricity to run.

HMI= This stands for Hydro Mercuric Iodide lamps. These reproduce daylight, meaning they create light which look as if it was daylight.

Quartz= These lights are also known as Tungsten. This kind oflight uses a Tungsten filament in a quartz container. This light is explosive when touched by bare hands. This light produces large amounts of light (depending on the size), also brightness can be altered.