Lighting

The three-point lighting system is the most frequently used lighting scheme  which is used in motion pictures. It expends  key light, a fill light, and a back 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 situated  15 – 45 degrees from one side of the camera and angled down 15 – 45 degrees from above the subject. This light signifies the first source of light in a scene simulating the sun, a window, a light bulb or some other source of light. Perhaps we can use this in our piece as a focal point of our frames, so that it signifies the significance of a particular object or person within the composition.

Fill Light

After the key light is arranged you will notice an astringent  shadow on one side of the subject opposite the key light. The fill light is meant to deduct the shadow but not destroy it entirely  as a 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.


The back light is placed behind the subject juxtaposed but high above both so that none of the light goes precisely 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.
Changing the Mood
If you are doing a comedy , it is best to  turn the fill light up. By increasing the stability of the fill light the subject will create an equal glow thus incorporating a positive mood . For a more dramatic piece increase the amount of shadow. Dark lighting like this helps create suspense and tension.

Beyond Three-Point Lighting

A diagram of the differential variations of lighting

 There are many aberrations  to this scheme and additional lights are often included, but for 95% of the movie , this simple schematic will do. Once this is mastered this technique is able to create and sustain a general mood throughout a movie.