#587. Three-Point Lighting : The Art of Lighting for Film

Lighting is one of the most important aspects of motion pictures. It sets the tone of a film while giving two dimensional images the feeling of three dimensional life.Whether you are a big budget producer shooting on 35mm film or an independent film director working on a shoe string budget with a borrowed digital camera, there is one thing you will need or no one will ever see your film: Lighting. The three-point lighting system is the most common lighting scheme used in motion pictures. It uses a key light, a fill light, and a back light (or rim light). Using three lights from three different directions creates a sense of depth on people and objects guaranteeing everything will look three dimensional.

Key Light
The key light is the primary light used to illuminate a subject. It is usually positioned 15 – 45 degrees from one side of the camera and angled down 15 – 45 degrees from above the subject. This light represents the primary source of light in a scene simulating the sun, a window, a light bulb or some other source of light.

Fill Light
After the key light is positioned you will notice a harsh shadow on one side of the subject opposite the key light. The fill light is meant to reduce the shadow but not eliminate it entirely (shadow gives a sense of depth). A fill light should be placed on the opposite side of the key light but needs to be about half as bright and not positioned quite as high. Do not place it at the exact same angle as the key light. It is meant to simulate other light sources or light that is being reflected off other objects.

Back Light (Rim Light)
The back light needs to be placed behind the subject opposite the camera but high above both so that none of the light goes directly into the camera. This light will create a slight glow on the back of the subject and thus separate it from the background. This prevents the subject from looking two dimensional on the film. It is sometimes referred to as the hallo effect.

Source : Filmstudies [http://filmstudies.suite101.com/article.cfm/threepoint_lighting#ixzz0Jm5vhYRX&D]
© Sean Ryan Valinoti
Aug 4, 2007