Production Skills #1 - Lighting Session

This week in our production skills session we looked at studio lighting. A set was constructed to help with the demonstration of three point lighting. The main thing we focused on was the roles of the key light, the filler light and the backlight (or kicker light). We were demonstrated by our lecturer Mike on how these things can be combined together, or used alone to create different visual effects or moods. The key light itself is what is used to light the entire scene, and is the most powerful of the three. This creates some very high key lighting within a scene, illuminating both the characters and the backdrop of a set or location. Along with how lighting is used effectively, we were also taught the health and safety regulations. Primarily because lighting is the most potentially dangerous equipment we will be using. The lights themselves can become extremely hot, and a cooling down period of 20 minutes to half an hour after shooting is required before they are physically handled. Failure to do so will result in a serious burn, as the lights become so hot they can take the skin from your hands! Another level of health and safety we explored was the surrounding environment, and where you should or shouldn't use studio lighting equipment. Using the lighting equipment near water sources e.g. bathrooms, riverbanks or the sea falls into high risk. Working with such high voltage equipment near water is potentially very risky, and the utmost caution must be taken. 

This is an example of how the key light works. This shot shows the key light being used to light two characters in a two-shot. The key light is powerful enough to create a natural and basic amount of light within a scene, so that the audience can clearly identify the characters and setting. With the key light being the most powerful, it can define how your lighting looks and how a scene feels. The key light helps create a very natural atmosphere you would see in Hollywood films and genres such as Drama, Rom-com and Comedy. It allows the characters and setting to appear normal, or in this case with the wallpaper rather mundane. 

Next, we looked at the filler light, and how the filler light (or side-lighting) can be used to achieve certain affects or visuals. The filler can be used alone to project substantial light, but is often used with the key light to fully illuminate a scene. The filler light in the examples below is shown to light up a particular character or artefact. Instead of the key light which lights the entire shot or scene, the filler light is effective in drawing attention to something particular. In this instance we had Yiannis on the left side of the sofa, and Andy on the right side. The filler light is focused on Andy, therefore emphasising his importance and making him the more important of the two characters. The filler light when used to focus on something leaves the rest of the scene dim, which used correctly can have an outstanding effect. The filler light is often used with gels to change the colour of the scene entirely. 

Finally, we looked at the backlight, or the kicker light. This light is often placed behind the characters or at the back of the scene, to create light from behind. The result this has is that it softens the shadows created by the lights in-front of the characters, such as the key and filler lights. The kicker light, like the filler light is used with the gels to create a mood from the use of colour. When the kicker light is placed behind a character, it significantly softens the harshness of lighting created by the key light or filler light. This can make a scene or shot look more professional and the attention to detail such as this enhances the overall visual. The images below show the examples of how lighting is used from the gels to create a mood, the red in this shot makes the character on screen seem dangerous or evil. The other image is an example of how the backlight has created smooth lighting which is projected onto the side of the characters face from behind.