Cinematography-Lighting

A discussion was held regarding lights and what affect it creates in the scene, how it highlights the protagonist and what role it has in filming/production process.

Lighting plays a significant role in production process of any film or drama. Lights can be helpful for engrossing viewers into the film as much as possible by using it in a way to create different moods,  e.g. bright light is used to show happy and cheerful mood whereas low, dull lighting can depict sorrow.

Key light is the main lighting used for the subject and is directly thrown on them. Key light is placed at an angle from where it lights up the protagonist's face and views it as very pleasing to the eye. Key lighting can also be used as a side light when thrown from an angle which higlights just the half face of the protagonist to create a more dramatic effect and intesify the subject's mood. Use of the just the key light, however, is not enough- shadows are created by the key light, therefore, to fill those shadow, fill lighting is used. Fill lighting minimizes the shadows and gives the subject and their background a much softer look. Use of fill ight and key light together can give a blown out effect in the frame, hence, intesity of the fill light can vbe changed according to the requirment of other lights used.  

Flat light, which is thrown on the protagonists face from the front, is also a part of key lighting. Scenes shot in day light can also be subjected to flat light. 

High key lighting is used in scenes to create a happy mood and to light up the entire scene

as well. Use of such lighting can be seen in romantic movies. Scenes shot in day light can also be subjected to high key lighting. 

Use of low key lighting, on the other hand, can mostly be seen in horror, action/thriller films.

Low key lighting is used to highlight ONLY a specific part of the subject whereas rest of the scene is usually dark and not so visible.  

Observing the effects created and to learn how to create these lighting effects was the second step, therefore, I practiced them myself as well. 

Next task was to analyse the creation and usage of lights in films, and what impact they have created for the viewers. 

I decicde to analyse parts of trailor of the film 'Hugo'.
I decided to analyse a trailor rather than a scene because it has numerous variety of lighting effects from the entire film. 
https://www.12345proxy.com/Go.php/2dquyR1x/hD12zkR6/f8fXeooZ/nWzqUk3N/jxC1j7nd/zcYr3uxu/3zc_3D/b0/

Beginning of the trailer where characters are introduced, back light is creating a rim to show the outline of the characters. This is placing more emphasis on the boy.  Back lightc us used from a high angle. Apart from backlight, low front light is also used to make his face visible.

In this clip of a scene, low key lighting from right side is used due to which only three fourth part of boy's face is lit. Also, low back light is used here once again to create a slight rim of the boy. 

Low kety lighting and back light is used. For the key light, white light is used which is creating a moonlight effect on the girl's face. 

Back light is used creating the rim effect once again