Three-point lighting is a basic lighting technique that uses three lights to illuminate a subject: a key light, a back light, and a fill light. The key light provides the main illumination, the back light separates the subject from the background, and the fill light softens shadows created by the key light. Together these three lights can minimize shadows, illuminate facial expressions, and make the subject appear glamorous. High key lighting uses more fill lights for a bright, realistic effect, while low key lighting employs little fill light and creates strong contrasts between light and dark areas.

1. Lighting
Dark, light and colour

2. 3 Point
Lighting
3 lights
Back Light
Key light
Fill light
back light
camera
Fill light Key light
star

3. Key
Lighting
Main source of
light

4. Fill light
Fills in
shadows from
the key light

5. Back
Lighting
Separates
figure from the
background

6. 3 Point
lighting
All 3 combined

7. 3 point lighting
• Effects:
• Few Shadows
• Can see all their
expressions
• Makes them look
glamorous

8. High Key
Lighting
More Filler lights are
used
Lighting appears “real”
Can be a brightly lit
sunny day or even a
night scene

9. High Key
Lighting
Few shadows on faces
Images often very
bright
Background is clear

10. Low Key
Lighting
Little fill lighting
Sharp contrasts in
light and dark areas of
screen

11. Low Key
Lighting
Often lots of dark
shadow areas and areas
that are brightly lit
Effects: mystery,
threat, suspense, draw
attention to lit area

12. Describe the
Lighting in
this shot
Where is the brightest
light?
Where are the shadows?
What patterns are
created by the light?
What effect do these
features of lighting
have on the viewer?

13. • The brightest light is behind the characters. This is
created by backlighting, where they are lit from
behind.
• This has caused the characters in the frame/shot to
appear as silhouettes
• This adds a feeling of mystery as you are not certain
who the characters are. It is not clear whether she is
looking at him, but her feet suggest she is.
• The backlighting, combined with the smoke/mist adds
to the mystery.

14. • It can:
• Highlight important objects or
characters by drawing our eyes
to them with bright light
• make a character look
mysterious by shading parts of
their body
• reflect a character’s state of
mind
Effect of Lighting

15. • Look at the following stills
and say what type of lighting
is used
• What effect does the lighting
create in each image?

16. Photo 1

17. Photo 2

18. Photo 3

19. • Colour works on your
subconscious to create mood
• Every colour has associated
ideas and meaning
(connotation). Often these are
based on cultural meanings
• Colour can draw your eye to
something in a scene
Colour

20. Exercise
• Work in pairs
• One person thinks of a colour
and says it aloud
• Others write down the first
thing that comes into your head
• Compare results: how similar
are your connotations?

21. Exercise
• I am going to say a colour,
write down the first thing that
comes into your head
• Sharing – are there
similarities?
• Colour can have different
association based on culture

22. Use of
colour
Effect:
contrast
Draw your eye
to the figure

23. Colour
Lighting
filters
Can create mood
and character
by using colour

24. Exercise• Watch the clip from “Dead
Again”
• Describe the lighting and
colour that is used and the
effect of these
• Choose at least 4 different
features
• Consider what we learn about
characters, objects, mood, what
is happening

25. QuickTime™ and a
DV - PAL decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

26. Peer Marking
• Give the work a mark out of 10
• You are looking for the following things
• Use of Media terminology
• Good description of how lighting/colour have
been used
• Analysis of what the lighting/colour means
• Analysis of how lighting/colour creates mood
• Analysis of how lighting/colour affects the
audience
• Original ideas

27. Self assessment
• Can you use a range of lighting
words
• Do you understand a range of
lighting words
• Can you write about the effect
of lighting and colour.

28. Target For Next Time
• Write down one piece of advice
for ‘next time’