YOU CAN MAKE ANY PRODUCTION SHINE WITH A LITTLE LIGHTING. Lighting for a shoot is one of the most critical elements of quality video. The positioning of the light sources will define objects differently depending on the amounts of shading and highlighting. Lighting becomes critically important because what you show is just as important as what you don’t show. Without proper lighting imporatant elements will not be seen if they are not well lit. Ideally, you want to replicate the real world three-dimensional aspects, and colors, for a 2 dimensional preview medium. Lighting is crucial for creating depth. Lighting is crucial in producing quality video productions.

Lighting plays a major role in creating the illusion of this third dimension. Having a light that can produce enough foot candles is crucial in creating illusion that represents reality. one light is common among video professionals, that light is the 1 K Fresnel. The term, Fresnel, can be attributed to Augustin-jean Fresnel. Fresnel , who lived from 1788-1827, was a French physicist who studied light wave theory and developed compound lenses. It is the use of these lenses and lights that help create real world 3-D illusion in video production. But morever, it is not just having light on a video production set. It’s having lights in the right position to achieve a quality desired effect. Click on the picture, to the left, for more information on Augustin-Jean Fresnel. 
 

The animation to the left demonstrates different effects in relation to positioning of the light source. The height position of the light source will produce different shadowing effects on your source. It is important to match the heights of your lights to produce a balanced lighting effect. For proper balance of light a 3-point lighting scheme is recommended. It is recommended that three lights; a key, a fill and a backlight; be used to create a balanced picture. The positions of the lights can be changed to produce the desired shadowing effect.

Key light- A light placed in the nine to eleven o’ clock position would be a keylight. The keylight defines a subject’s form by creating the main shadows and highlights. The keylight position is often placed on one side of the camera.
FIll Light- this term is often used in a single camera shoot when a single source is placed in the one to three o’ clock position. Unlike a backlight a key light can fall upon the face depending upon the look the director intends.
Backlight- Any light instrument can be used. Ideally the position of the backlight is at directly six o’ clock in relation to the subject being recorded. The backlight highlights the shoulders and the hair of the person. A backlight is used to separate the subject from the background. 

 Created by Brian Klein

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