10 common types of lighting in filming that you should know

Lighting in filming is one of the extremely important factors in most other fields of cinema. So what is light in cinema and what is its role? How many common types of lighting are there? When setting up studio lighting, what do we need to pay attention to? To find the full answers to these questions, please take a look at the following article by Viewfinder Media!

Cinematic lighting is a lighting technique that goes beyond the standard three-point lighting setup. This is to increase tension and drama, creating depth and atmosphere for the film. To achieve these effects, lighting in filming often uses lighting techniques such as reflected light, diffused light and color temperature adjustment.

For any genre of film or television, lighting is considered an art form. The design, placement and control of lighting techniques is one of the most important aspects of cinematography. At the same time, lighting also has an impact on the tone of the scene and the professionalism of the cameraman.

Below are 10 types of lighting commonly used in filming and advertising video production:

Key light or main light is the most intense and directional light source in the entire scene. This is the primary source of video recording lighting, set up first to illuminate subjects or actors. Main light has two small types including:

Fill light or secondary light is a light source that helps illuminate the shadows created by the main light. This is also the most important function of this type of lighting in filming. The secondary light is usually not as strong as the main light and is placed opposite the main light.

Backlight or reverse light is a concentrated light source shining on the subject or actor. They can be lit from behind and are often placed higher than the lighting subject. This type of lighting in filming has the effect of separating the background from the subject or actor and helps add depth to the character. At the same time, they help the character/subject become more prominent and multi-dimensional.

Side lighting, also known as side lighting, is a form of lighting that comes from the side parallel to the actor. Side lighting is used to create a cinematic atmosphere and Chiaroscuro style. This is a style created through the use of contrast between light and dark to highlight the subject and create depth for the image.

The important points about this type of video lighting include:

Practical light sources are types of light sources that can be found in the environment. These include table lamps, candles or light emitted from television screens, etc. All of these decorative objects are added to scenes to brighten the angle or the actor's face. From there, this type of lighting in filming helps create a suitable space for the scene.

Reflected light (bounce light) is often used in many different roles. This could be backlighting, key lighting, side lighting, or even backlighting the object. To create this type of lighting in filming, a whiteboard or silk screen is a necessary tool. However, you can also reflect light from the ceiling and walls.

Soft light can come from a large light source or from a diffuser. True to its name, this light will create a smooth, light shadow and won't even cast a shadow when the light is soft enough.

Hard light or hard light is a highly concentrated beam of light emitted from a certain light source or light from the sun. Hard light creates strong, well-defined shadows. You can take advantage of this video recording light source to attract viewers' attention to your subjects and scenes. However, filming crews do not like to use hard light sources.

Simulated lighting or motivational light is a lighting method that uses simulated light or simulates the actual light appearing in the frame. For example, the scene where the actors are walking under the moon, but the moonlight is not bright enough. We can use simulated lighting to illuminate the actors and support more well-lit scenes. This is also a popular type of lighting in filming and is often used by film crews.

Available light is a natural light source available at the studio. This type of light will change with each hour of the day and is favored by many film crews compared to other types of lighting in filming. However, before filming, you need to survey and capture information about the lighting at that location. Some important points about this light source:

Lighting is an important element in cinema, as it not only creates visual mood and atmosphere but also brings a sense of meaning to the audience. Whether it's makeup for the set or locating actors. Every stage in the filmmaking process affects the lighting setup and vice versa.

Lighting in films plays an important role in reflecting the psychology of the characters. It can be adjusted in amount, size, color and harshness to match the character's emotions. Furthermore, lighting is also important in defining and supporting the film's genre.

For example, in action or horror movies, lighting is used to create a dark, dim, mysterious space, causing tension and stimulating feelings of fear. Or in a romantic or artistic film, the lighting will be set to create a dreamy, calm and romantic atmosphere with soft rays and gentle colors. In addition, creating special effects and effects in science fiction or adventure films is also a role of lighting in film. The combination of neon lights, colors, dim lights and lasers can create a mysterious and fascinating world.

Normally, people often use the Kelvin (K) scale to measure the color of light in filming. The color of the light depends on the increase or decrease of the K scale. The lower the K level, the more red the light will be. As the K level goes higher, yellow, white, and blue light will appear.

Here are some important notes you need to know when setting up and using lighting in film production:

In fact, when the area of the light source is small, the dark parts on the subject will be revealed more clearly. In contrast, when the area of the light source is larger, the light on the subject will become softer and the shadows on the subject will decrease in contrast. You can move the light source closer to the subject or add more diffusion to the light source. This is the first thing to note when using light in filming.

The person responsible for lighting techniques in filming should know how to check the temperature of Tungsten lamps (incandescent lamps). This test is performed using an illuminati light meter and connecting to a phone app. As the light of the Tungsten lamp dims, the color temperature increases. Therefore, the color temperature of the light will change when the brightness of the incandescent lamp changes. In addition, the light will have an impact on the subject gradually turning more orange.

Adding and removing light sources are two important techniques in lighting video and have a great impact on the object. Sometimes, it is necessary to reduce the light source on the object or adjust the light source as desired. Some commonly used tools to control light sources are 4×4 light filters (floppy).

Specifically, the light filter is a thin sheet of fabric, its size can double as usual when stretched. It has the function of reducing unwanted light sources or preventing lens flare. Other accessories such as silk panels or mesh fabric can also reduce and diffuse light to varying degrees.

The rule for a reverse keylight or high beam light source is to place the light source on the same side where the character's eyes are looking. This is a light source placed parallel to the camera. At that time, the light source will often catch the subject's eyes and the subject's shadow will fall towards the camera. This is the next note that you need to know when setting up lighting in filming.

There is nothing more dissatisfying than when the film crew is working when the light source suddenly cuts off. Therefore, you need to clearly know the location of the power source's breaker box and understand the notes about power source intensity. This is to help you easily check parameters and circuit status before each filming session. From there, the use of light in filming is guaranteed to be safe and avoid sudden interruptions.

Simply put, a gel sheet is a transparent colored tool. It is often used in lighting setups in filming. Many people often apply gel sheets above light sources to create colorful lighting effects.

However, there are cases where you can use a combination of lighting effects with daylight. Or you combine LED lights with Tungsten lights to balance the lighting effect. Therefore, using plastic/gel sheets also helps you create many light effects as desired.

Light intensity is calculated by the formula 1/d², where d is distance. This means that when you double the distance from the light source to the subject, the illuminated area of the light source becomes four times larger. But it will be at a lower intensity. Therefore, if you want the light source to record a bright, high-intensity video, you need to move the light source closer to the subject.

When filming outdoors, many people often take advantage of the beauty and aesthetics of sunlight. They achieved this by using it as a natural light source. As the sun becomes an important factor in lighting techniques in cinematography, you will see a bright area of light around the subject. In addition, it also has beautiful and extremely natural lens flare effects.

“Book light” is an important lighting technique that is needed in a good and easy-to-apply lighting collection for filming. When you use an object that forms a V shape, this object will catch the original light source. Then, the task of this object is to diffuse the bounced light and this light source is called book light. The characteristics of the booklight light source are smooth and quite gentle

When using a series of lighting devices in filming, you may encounter a situation where many light sources reflect back, causing discomfort. To overcome this problem, you should use props like a floppy or a black cloth. They will help absorb part of that light source and rearrange the light source to create extremely creative shadow areas.

Above is information about some popular types of lighting in filming today. Along with that are their roles and some notes you need to pay attention to. Hopefully you have gained more useful knowledge about setting up studio lighting through the article. If you need any support, please contact Viewfinder Media right away!