SH1723

Lighting for Video

I. Introduction
Lighting allows the camera to record a quality image and is usually needed to increase or reduce
the depth of field. However, lighting is also a great manipulator of the audience. The eye is drawn
to the brightest portion of an image. That means that the audience can be subtly directed where to
look and what subject is the most important. Lighting is also used to add depth to a scene and
allows the director to “color” a scene to create a mood and time period.

II. Lighting the Scene

• Many people assume that lighting requires a lot of equipment and a lot of power. It can, if a
large studio drama is being lit or if you are shooting the inside of a stadium. However, it is
worth the time to make sure that the lighting treatment provides a quality image.
• There are many situations where just one light, or a well-placed reflector, is all that you need
to make an image spring to life. Even in large-scale production, foresight and imagination can
often make a little light go a long way. It is really a matter of knowing what the goal is, what
to look out for, and what can be done about the problems that develop.
 The Key Factors
• Lighting involves a lot more than simply having enough illumination around to let the
camera see what is going on. Light influences what the subject looks like, how the viewers
feel about what they see, and what attracts their attention. That means we only need to think
about where to place the lights but also the type of illumination that we are getting from
these lights and how all this affects the quality of our images.
• To use illumination, or lighting, successfully, we need to take a look at some of its
interesting characteristics:
o The light’s brightness (intensity) affects exposure.
o The light’s characteristics are important. Is it a spotlight that can create harsh shadows
or is it a floodlight that provides a more diffused or shadowless illumination?
o Lighting impacts contrast, which is the relative brightness of the lightest and darkest
areas in the shot.
o The direction of the light has an effect on the appearance of the subject.
o The light’s color temperature refers to its overall color quality.
 Lighting Options
• Whatever the type of program being shot, there are basically three choices as far as lighting
is concerned:
o Shoot the scene with existing light.
o Add some lights to the present lighting.
o Remove the existing lighting and bring in television lights.
• Then comes the decision as to whether to light the whole action area or restrict the lighting
to fit limited action in one small section of the area at a time.
A. Existing light
Available light is utilizing whatever lighting exists at the location. This may include
sunlight, recessed lights, lamps, etc. They may need to be gelled, diffused, or even shut
off to work for your production.

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By lighting the scene or supplementing the existing lighting, the director has some control
over the situation and a far better chance of achieving consistently high-quality pictures.
Existing light shooting is a matter of taking advantage of whatever lighting is available to
enhance the image.
• Production personnel begins by asking the following questions:
o Can the scene be shot from the chosen camera position, with the present lighting?
o Is it possible to expose the picture properly?
o Is there good detail and tonal gradation on the subject?
o If part of the subject is in the shadow, does that matter?
• Would some fill light from a reflector or an additional small light beside the camera
help to show details in the shadows?
• Are there any distraction in the shot, such as a bright sky?
B. If there is not enough light
When shooting inside buildings or outdoors at night, there is not really enough light to
obtain the best quality images. There are several solutions:
o Move the subject to where there is more light.
o Open up the lens aperture, however, this reduces the depth of field.
o Increase the available lighting (switch on more room lights or open a curtain);
o Add additional lighting instruments.
C. If there is too much light
If the lighting is too intense (highlight levels), lighting personnel may compensate by the
doing the following:
o Move the subject to where there is less light.
o Stop down the lens (selecting a smaller aperture).
o Switch off some of the lightings.
o Pull the shades or blinds.
o Use a dimmer.
o Place diffuser material over a light.

III. Three-Point Lighting

• Three lights are used to create the lighting treatment: the key, fill, and backlights.
• The main light, or key light, is positioned slightly above and to one side of the camera. This is
normally a spotlight (hard light), and it reveals the shape and surface features of the subject.
The key light procedures distinct, harsh shadows.
• Finally, a backlight is angled down onto the subject from behind to separate the subject and the
background. The backlight emphasizes the shape of the subject.
• The key light and backlight are generally the same intensity. However, the backlight may need
to be reduced, depending on the subject’s hair color. The fill light is usually one-half or three-
quarters the intensity of the key and backlight. Wherever possible, additional lights can be used
to illuminate the background behind the subject. But where space or facilities are limited, spill
illumination from the key and fill lights may be used to cover the background areas.
 The Spotlight (hard light)
• Because the sun is so distant, it works like a localized point source of light. These rays are
directional and travel to us in straight lines. They cast distinct, sharp shadows, which
emphasize the texture and contours of any subject, especially when the light falls at an

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oblique angle. Because it is directional, the light can be blocked off to prevent it from falling
onto any surface.
• Many manmade light sources, such as a match, a candle, or a bare light bulb, also behave in
this way. Because they are limited in size, they act as point sources and produce hard light,
irrespective of how powerful or weak they are.
• Here are the good things about a spotlight:
o It is directional, so it can easily be restricted to illuminate just the desired areas.
o It casts sharp shadows and amplifies texture.
o It can project images.
• Spotlights also have some disadvantages:
o Distracting shadows can be difficult to avoid (such as shadows projected onto the set
behind the talent).
o Results may look harsh and have a very high contrast.
o The texture may be too emphasized, such as revealing the irregularities in someone’s
skin.
o Spotlight sources have restricted coverage, so several lights may be required to cover
a wide area.
 The Floodlight (soft light)
• Soft light or diffused light, usually known as a floodlight, scatters in all directions. It occurs
naturally when the sun is obscured by clouds and whenever sunlight is reflected from rough
light-toned surfaces. When subjects are illuminated by this soft light, there are no distinct
shadows, only slight variations in surface brightness. So texture and surface contours are not
pronounced in the picture. In fact, they may not be visible at all.
• Another form of floodlight uses a group or bank of open lamps. Their overlapping beams
combine to give shadowless illumination. A floodlight compact can be created by placing
two (2) or three (3) layers of diffusion material, such as spun glass, over a spotlight source
such as a spot.
• Here are some advantages of the floodlight:
o It can produce subtle, delicate shading.
o It does not generally create unwanted shadows.
o It can lighten the shadows cast by hard light sources so that details are visible.
o It can cover a wide area of the scene.
• Here are the bad things about soft light:
o It can flatten out all signs of surface shape and texture in the picture because it does not
emphasize texture.
o It spreads around, flooding all surfaces with light. It can be difficult to restrict the light
from selected areas.

IV. Lightning Safety

When working on the lighting, it is easy to become preoccupied with the effects being created and
to overlook some of the practical hazards that can negatively impact the production. A number of
issues need to be considered:

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 Equipment Condition
Check all of the lighting equipment to make sure that it is all in good condition. Check that
nothing is coming loose, cables are not frayed or cut, and that the plug and its connections are
okay.
 Grounding
All electrical equipment should be properly grounded; otherwise, there is more of a chance of
receiving a severe electric shock under certain conditions.
 Electrical Overload
While this is less of an issue with LED lights, do not connect too many lights to one outlet or
overload the power supply. There may be other equipment using the same electrical circuit,
making it easy to exceed its capacity.
 Falling Equipment
Lights and lights supports can fall down all too easily. Safety wires/chains should always be
used when hanging lamps from a ceiling grid. This backup is invaluable if a light falls for some
reason. A light on a stand can be hazardous if it is tripped over and knocked down. Whenever
using a lighting stand, it is best to place a weight on its base (perhaps a canvas sandbag, a bag
of stones, or even a rock) to prevent it from moving.
 Light Cables
Remember that people trip over cables strewn around the floor, so place the cables as much out
of the way as possible. They should be placed near a wall and out of the walking/driving path.
Stationary cables in walking locations should be secured with gaffer’s tape to keep them from
moving.
 Hot Lamps
If you are using a light that uses a hot lamp, be careful not to touch the lamp. Not only can they
burn whatever touches them, but also the lamp’s filament is fragile when hot and can be
destroyed by even a slight hit.

References:
Hughes, M. (2012). Digital filmmaking for beginners. New York: McGraw-Hill
Owens, J. (2017). Video production. New York: Routledge

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