Unit 18- Cinematography- P3

P3

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Styles of Lighting

Three point lighting

Three point lighting is lighting that is used where you have three distinct light source positions to illuminate a subject in a scene. The three lights or points that are used is The Key Light, The Fill Light and The Backlight. The key light is the main source of light used to brighten the subject. This light is the light that gives you the full exposure in the image. Usually, it’s placed in front of the subject, and is often off to one side to create some dimension and depth. Depending on how far off center you place the key light, you could end up with anything from a high-key image to a low-key image. High-key image is one where the shadows on the subjects face and in the scene in general are very light and soft, almost nonexistent. On the other hand, a low-key image is the exact opposite. The image has high contrast and deep shadows. This is your second source of light and it’s usually much dimmer than the key light, and is used to fill in any shadows created by the key light. This can be placed in many different directions and many different objects could create this light such as just a redefection. Depending on what your mood is i think that this light will determine that. This is your third and final source of light in a three-point lighting setup. It’s usually placed behind the subject, sometimes off to one side, directly behind or overhead but still behind the subject. The backlight is used to create separation between the subject and the background so that they don’t disappear into it.

Chiaroscuro lighting

Chiaroscuro lighting is going to be a different lighting it is called high and low contrast lighting. There is a lot of harsh contrast between light and dark. They are used in black and white films, sometimes found in coloured films and when you are looking for it normally you are looking for long shadows and deep depths in the light. In art, chiaroscuro is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition and this equally applies in with film making too. 

How i can use it

When it comes to both lighting there are different ways to use this. Three point lighting would be good for just a singular subject and it will create character to the subject. If i was to use it in a music video and i was filming on subject and i needed the subject to be the main subject and lit up i would use the three point set up and make sure that it creates depth and highlights the main subject. Where as, if i was going to use Chiaroscuro lighting i would use it in a shot where i needed depth and mood. It sounds like this lighting is used to set the tone of the subject and for example if i had a subject i was filming and i needed a moody or harsh setting i would be using this high and low contrast lighting to change the mood and set the tone of the subject. 

Types of Lighting

Tungsten light

Tungsten light is a type of light that is produced by heating a metal filament until it glows. The tungsten light has a characteristic orange glow. This is often used in photography given its very bright output, which makes it ideal for video production. They range in different colours but they are there to give a bight glow to represent day light. There are daylight lights that are a bit of a cooler toned light and there is an orange glow light which is more of a warmer tone. The benefit of these lights is that they are so many different tones of light that they can create different scenes of the day/ night and this will create a sort of atmosphere to look realistic with the shot. Inefficiency and being prone to damage are the two main disadvantages of tungsten light bulbs. If you use tungsten light properly, you can capture beautiful photos and you can get the atmosphere that you want to create. However, the opposite can happen and if you don’t adjust your camera’s white balance setting then you can get really bight and harsh high exposure images which might come out rally bight and then you don't achieve a natural lighting look. They are also very delicate and may be damaged. 

HMI lighting 

HMI lighting is Hydrargyrum medium-arc iodide (HMI), this light is commonly used to lighten up the subject. It is a sort of stage lighting, can be used for anything to light up the stage such as concerts and music festivals and they are found in those areas a lot. Anywhere with a stage you may see a HMI light. These are good because they are so bright they light up the main subject and more. Normally you have quite a few of these but even one makes sure that there is enough light to be bright enough to illuminate the scene. These lights are kind of big depending on what light you get and they are expensive these are not a good cheap and reliable option if you aren't using it all the time. It may cause damage and be hard to move about due to the size and weight. They can take a lot of time to warm up and cool down this can become an issue if it comes to people touching it it might be too hot and takes a lot of time which is not good when you are on a timescale. There could also be some damage depending on where its placed. HMI bulbs have a relatively short lifespan and are expensive to replace. HMIs can also be dangerous if not handled properly due to the high power requirements and the fragile nature of the bulbs. However, they are very bright lights and are very good for stage like shots and things that you need brightening up. 

On-Camera lighting

On-camera lighting is used as the leading light, as a backlight, the fill light, or even a combination of all these options. This is good because it is a very optional lighting, it can work for any light that you need in that moment and you can have multiple choices when it comes to choosing the light you need. This makes it reliable for the time and multiple function. On-camera lighting can be used to get exciting shots that help light up their subjects just right. On-camera lights are a great solution when you want inexpensive and versatile lighting. The fact it is cheap and reliable is great for a low budget project. There are not many cons for this light, there are cooler and warmer tones in this light which is good because then you can get different moods and atmospheres. This light is a great resourceful light to use.

How will i use this?

I will use this information to make sure that i can find the right lights for me, what is good and bad to use and what i will need for each shot. I now know different techniques of lighting that can help me get different moods and atmosphere for the shots I'm looking for. I will make sure i come back to this blog to find the right lighting fore me and to know which is the best to use looking at the pros and cons of each. 

Lighting set up- three point lighting

                                             

One light- This is an image of me where there is one light facing me on the right side of my face. This is giving a very one sided mood and it shows there might be something about me if i was a character that has a different side to them. This creates mood and it is very dramatic. The natural light is also very professional and i may use this style in my music video. 

Two lights- This is when two lights are facing both sides of my face. Here it looks mor friendly and has a bit more of a brightening outlook on this photo. It is very professional and it make s the subject look like the main character. This lighting is great for a music video it makes the subject clear and looks like a positive outlook.  

Three lights- This is the three point lighting, this is when all three lights are on me one is behind and two are against my face on different angles. This is very dramatic but looks very professional. It makes sure that i have a glowing feature and that this is the main subject in the shot. It makes the subject look important. This would be great for a music video that has a main character in play.