Deadlines


AS FILM Deadlines ** UPDATED PLEASE READ **

ALL F632 including amended drafts & Evaluation Friday 20th January 2017 - PRINTED IN RED FOLDERS

Lighting (micro)

LEARNING AIMS:
To introduce the micro language for lighting.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of the lesson, all students will be able to identify different kinds of lighting systems.
By the end of the lesson, all students will be able to analyse the effect different lighting systems have on audiences


BE AWARE
Film texts are mediated.
They are representations.
All aspects of the text have been included for a particular reason, purpose and effect.




LOW KEY
HIGH KEY
AMBIENT
THREE POINT LIGHTING
COLOUR

Why might a director want to control the lighting?
What is the effect on the audience?
What is do you think ambient light refers to?
What are the limitations of relying on ambient light?

Three Point Lighting System





  • The key light is the main light, and usually lights most of the subject. If you only have one light, it is by default the key light. 
  • The fill light is used from a contrasting angle to help fill in the gaps where the key light does not hit. 
  • The back light provides definition by creating subtle highlights, rather than providing direct light 
  • This helps to separate the subject from the background, making the subject appear more three dimensional. 

When might you see this kind of lighting used?
And in what genres?
Why do you think this is?
Why might it be important to light dialogue scenes in this way?



  • Often used in a scene to represent everyday life. 
  • A scene with lots of dialogue and interactions will probably feature a series of close ups and possibly extreme close ups. 
  • If ambient lighting is inadequate, the Director can manipulate the lighting to have greater control over how the scene looks. 
  • Using this system will make the facial expressions or emotions of characters clearer. 
  • Emphasising these and having the characters well lit will enable the audience to focus on the drama and relate to the characters reactions. 

High Key Lighting


What does it sound like? 
What could the effects be?
How might it be achieved?

  • High key lighting is generally quite homogeneous and free from dark shadows. 
  • It is achieved by using more or wider fill lights. 
  • The lighting could be described as more mundane or normal. 
  • It encompasses an even lighting pattern and avoiding dark areas in the frame. 
  • Everything looks relatively bright with little to no shadow at all.





    • Common convention of the Romantic Comedy genre. A director might use the three point lighting system to generate high key lighting when there was poor ambient light. 
    • Usually used to suggest an upbeat, lighter mood. Generate feeling towards a location or situation. 
    • Used to make the scene look more ‘real’ to our eyes. 
    • Extreme high key, overexposed lighting could be used in fantasy or science fiction genres to make something look fantastical or mythological.



    Low Key Lighting 


    • Low key lighting is normally used to create shadowy areas, while accentuating the contours of the subject. 
    • It will be achieved by using only the key light and the back light, or perhaps even only one of the two. 
    • There will be no filler light. 
    • It creates strong contrast between light and dark areas of the shot. 






    What connotations do you get from this kind of lighting?

    • This level of lighting is commonly a convention of the film noir or horror/thriller genres. 
    • The effects created by this level of lighting are often used to unnerve the audience. 
    • It tends to heighten the sense of alienation felt by the viewer, as the effect can often be unnatural or mysterious. 
    • Shadows by definition have connotations of suspicion, and can generate an ominous, eerie feeling.



    Extension / Challenge Task...



    Back Lighting 


    • A director might chose to omit the Key Light, and focus primarily on Back lighting a subject. 
    • Considered a variation of Low Key lighting, as the level of light is purposefully reduced for effect. 

    What could the effect of this be? 
    Why is this effective?

    PSYCHO



    Temperature


    Consider how the lighting of a text might generate a feeling of temperature.

    Different temperatures have different connotations. Reds, yellows and browns could be described as warm. Blues are cold and spooky etc. Greys are washed out and depressing.

    Filmmakers use filters on their camera lenses for a variety of reasons.

    They may want to take out some of the reds and yellows to give a more naturalistic ‘washed out’ alien or creepy effect.

    Or they might heighten the reds and intensify the colours to create a feeling of warmth or homeliness.

    This in turn could influence the tone, style and mood of the scene.






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