LIGHTING

Muhammad Omer Khan

 CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

Explore the Properties of light;

Understand the Traditions and Options for
creative Lighting Design;

Survey Equipment used to Supply and
Control light;

Achieve a Foundation to Translate your
concepts to screen through Lighting
design.
ELEMENTS OF LIGHTING

Amount

Footcandle

Lux (10.75 lux in one footcandle)

Inverse square rule
Direction

“Throw” of the light
Quality

Incident light

Diffused light
Color
LIGHTING INSTRUMENTS
MODELING LIGHT

Three-Point Lighting

Key light

Fill light

Back light
MODELING LIGHT

Four-Point Lighting

Background light
LIGHTING DESIGN

Base illumination

Available light

Motivating light

Practical lights

Spill

Eye light

Kicker light

Contrast ratios
COLOR

Visible light

Starts at 700 nanometers and

ends at 400 nanometers

Color affects mood

COLOR

COLOR THEORY

Subtractive color

Primary colors:
Yellow, Cyan, and
Magenta

Additive color

Primary colors in
light:
Blue, Red, and Green
COLOR

COMPLEMENTARY COLORS

Yellow for Blue

Cyan for Red

Magenta for Green

COLOR

COLOR
TEMPERATURE
COLOR

Mixed Lighting

Filter the windows with orange gel

Filter the artificial lights with blue gel

Use HMI lights, which are balanced to

match daylight
LIGHT METERS

Reflected light meters

Incident light meter

Light meters need to know…

Camera shutter speed

Exposure index (EI)

Amount of light
EXTERNAL MONITORS

Field monitor

Waveform monitor

Vectorscope
FILTERS
Lighting Filters

Diffusion filters

Color correction filters

Special effects color filter

Camera Filters

Ultraviolet filter (UV)

Neutral density filter

Polarizing filter

Special effects filters

Graduated filters

Postproduction Filtering
LIGHTING ACCESSORIES

Scrims

Dots

Cucoloris

Umbrellas

Reflector boards and bounce cards

Grip stands

Gator grips

Gaffer tape
POWER AND SAFETY

A/C current
15 Amp circuit running 120 volts can
power about 1,440 watts
Generators
Batteries
Secure cables
Keep light stands and production
gear out of traffic
THE LIGHTING TEAM

Director of
photography

Gaffer

Best boy

Grips
EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Reflectors and bounce cards

Magic hour
CREATIVE APPROACHES

High-key lighting

Low-key lighting

Pools of light

Shafts of light
SAMPLE EXERCISES
1. Try a Three-Point lighting set-up and record the
design on Videotape. Add a background light to
expand the experiment to a four-point lighting
scheme.
2. Light a human subject Three Different Ways.
For each of the three set-ups try to achieve a
feeling that matches the artistic styles of Realism,
Expressionism and Impressionism.
3. Spend a day shooting test footage of an Outdoor
Environment. Document how the light changes
Throughout the day.