Diffusion:

This softens the light and makes it look a lot more natural.

The rise of modern technology has inspire more the cinematographers to learn more and made it easier in greater the art of lighting. The light meter is the original ratio tool. This helps to read the light ratio. For the key light is fairly straight forward process to measure the ratio. you take a reading of key side in a shot and then the reading of the fill side of your shot.  

Lighting Setup 

Key Light

Produces the most amount of light and shines on your subject.

Fill Light

This ‘fills’ in any shadows left by the key-light.

Back Light

Beautifies the image with a soft glow on the back of the subject’s head/shoulders. For any sort of interview or video with someone speaking in front of a camera.

Turn off all lights before starting. This way, you’ll be able to properly see what each light is doing.

Key Light:

The key light is your strongest light. There is no standard wattage that is typical for a key light. It can range from 150 watts to 10k watts depending on the situation.

The fill light is used to ‘fill’ out the shadows created by the key light. This light is less powerful than the key light.

This light is placed on the opposite side of the camera as the key light and shines on the subject at a similar angle. These shadows can be created by a person’s nose, cheek, eye- sockets and chin.

Fill Light:

The key light lights the subjects face and front side of the body. The reason we put it at an angle rather than directly in front of the subjects face is so we have a difference in lighting on one side of the face compared to the other. This is very pleasing and creates a more dramatic/interesting look.

Back Light:

The back light increases the quality of your image ten-fold. Placing the back light as close to directly behind the subject as possible by being aware of what your camera is seeing though. .This light creates a nice ‘halo’ effect around the subject’s shoulders and head. This separates him or her from the background and gives the shot more depth..

Pre-Production

Pre-Productioin is very important stage for establishing a visual language. Directors speak in term of mood.  A good DP will know what a director wants  to bring their vision to life.  Communicating clearly will speed up your work flow. Once you get a sense of what a director is looking for the right tools are provided to get the job done. Light Meters determine exactly how much level you need from hight lights. 

Stops of Light

So what is a Stop? 

In this example of Martin (The Bridge - Broen) the key light si reading 3 stops brighter than the fill light, of course this could be certain if measured with a meter on a set. If wanted to reproduced this shot or a similar light/dark feel to it, we would need 3 times the amount of light on the key side compared to to the fill side. 

Getting to shoot a scene like this one need to get the key light read F2.8  and setting up the (ISO) rating the camera and the shutter speed you are focusing on. In this shoot the key background and it measures of that of a whole.  The key to background ratios setting up the mood for the viewer and helps a cinematographer to shape where he or she wants the audience to focus their attention in a given frame. 

Pre-production Processes and measuring Light 


Analysing Lighting Ratios

Lighting Ratios in cineamtography is reffered to the measurements of the amount of light illuminating one area of object in the frame compared to the amount of light on an object or area. its all about how much light is falling in one area vs. another area, soft/hard.

Key to Fill

The term 'Key' is referred to the amount of light coming from the key light in the scene.  It is the main illumination of the object or character.  The key light, is commonly used for setting your exposure on the lens in other words setting you shooting stop.

Fill light can be bounced and the light can level from a general ambient. it can also be a negative fill.  fill is used to describe the opposite side of the key.

Example of MCU (Medium Close Up) Jude Law in an office and quickly we can see the Key light coming from the camera left and its providing the light on the left side of Jude's face. The fill Light is on camera right.

Colour Pallet

Close-up

A shot taken at close range, sometimes only inches away from an actor's face, a prop, or some other object. The close-up is designed to focus attention on an actor's expression, to give significance to a certain object, or to direct the audience to some other important element of the film. In your monster movie, you might use a close-up of the monster's teeth or claws to show how ferocious it is, or decide to zoom in on a frightened passerby to illustrate his or her fear. Example:  "Dawn of the Planet Apes"

Medium shot

A shot that frames actors, normally from the waist up. The medium shot can be used to focus attention on an interaction between two actors, such as a struggle, debate, or embrace. Such as:

The Bridge/Bron _ Saga

Over-the-shoulder shot

A shot of one actor taken from over the shoulder of another actor. An over-the-shoulder shot is used when two characters are interacting face-to-face. Filming over an actor's shoulder focuses the audience's attention on one actor at a time in a conversation, rather than on both.  "Carol"

Camera Angles

Close-Ups and Long Shots

There are a number of camera angles. The most common of these are the establishing shot, long shot, medium shot, over-the-shoulder shot, and close-up. 

Establishing shot

A shot, normally taken from a great distance or from a "bird's eye view," that establishes where the action is about to occur. Such as 'Skyfall". 

Long shot

A shot that shows a scene from a distance (but not as great a distance as the establishing shot). A long shot is used to stress the environment or setting of a scene. In filming your science-fiction movie, for example; "Children of Men".

EDIT A FILM

Structural Editing

Shooting-script is divided into sequences, each sequence into a scenes. Editing is one of the the most significant instruments of effects possessed by the film technology and therefore, by the scenarist. 

Editing of Scene

Close Up- The Representation of the faces of the characters during narrative or dialogue. The use of close-up directs the attention of the spectator to the detail which is at the moment important tot he course of the action. 

The Silent of the Lamps