1. MICRO ELEMENTS OF FILM: Part 3
CINEMATOGRAPHY
LIGHTING
Cinematography and lighting work closely together for obvious reasons; the shot has to be lit so that we
can see it properly and all good photography not just cinematography, gives considerable attention to its
lighting.
However, lighting is not merely functional. Illumination of the scene is of course vital if the audience are to
see anything, but it also has an artistic creative purpose. Cinematic lighting serves as a part of the film
language much like all the other cinematic codes. The way a shot is lit can radically alter the meaning of a
scene and have an impact on the audience. The cultural codes of real life dictate our expectation of
lighting; a brightly lit place indicates safety and happiness, while a shadowy place will make us feel more
apprehensive.
Certain settings are expected to have certain types of lighting to reassure us; the office generally has
fluorescent, bright lights, the romantic restaurant will be candlelit, and the children’s playground will have
natural daylight. This is what we expect. However, as in all aspects of cinema (and especially with genre),
where we have expectations, the director can ‘play’ upon them and surprise us. Subsequently these
conventional examples of lighting can be subverted to create different effects.
Imagine the effect of a:
Candlelit supermarket
A dark hospital
Bringing up the house lights in a nightclub
Lighting (as you can see from the unexpected examples of it above), is very much part of film language and
it is the lighting crew’s responsibility, in conjunction with the cinematographer, to ‘paint with light’,
creating mood and atmosphere on screen.
LIGHTING DEFENITIONS AND TECHNIQUES
Film terminology refers to hard (bright) and soft (dim) light such as that in The Godfather for example, as
High key and Low key lighting respectively.
The huge lights that were used on early film sets has a switch (or ‘key’) which when pushed up high,
brightens the light, hence the term ‘high key’. Similarly when pulled down
low the light is dimmed, hence the term ‘low key’
High Key lighting (balanced) is usually used when a relatively normal,
everyday scenario is being filmed – we generally attempt to illustrate the
situations we typically find ourselves in. Illumination exposes detail and
provides visual information. However, in many films a mellow and subdued
atmosphere is called for if suspense and fear of the unknown are required.
The latter is often obtained by providing a lack of visual information and
hiding detail; this can be obtained through low key lighting, lighting from one
source so as to create shadows and strong contrasts.

2. These two definitions are obviously very basic and there is a wide spectrum between the two. Rarely is
there just one light illuminating a shot, instead several lights are used to create different effects.
However, one thing is always the focus of the lighting department and that is the ‘star’. The leading actors
(male and female), who are often what the audience has paid to see, are always lit to attract attention.
Some ‘stars’ even have a special relationship with cinematography and their lighting crews so that they are
lit and shot just the way they like to be. This stems from the Golden Age of Hollywood (the studio era of
the 1930’a & 1940’s) when lighting achieved amazing glamorous results on actors long before the
invention of digital enhancement.
CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD LIGHTING
Sometimes known as the three point lighting system, classic Hollywood lighting would light the subject
from 3 different light sources:
Key Light: the biggest and brightest light shining from the front, usually slightly above, bleaching
any hollows or contours in the face but creating shadows behind.
Back Light: would create a ‘halo’ effect and help ‘wash’ out any minor defects and bring back the
balance disturbed by the key light
Fill Light: would literally ‘fill’ any shadows created by the first two. For example, shadows that were
cast across the nose or under the eyes.
Along with specialised makeup, lighting could create a ‘perfect’ image.
QUALITY, DIRECTION, SOURCE & COLOUR
When referring to the quality of the light we are not referring to whether it is good or bad but to its
intensity. Lighting can be hard or soft. Hard lighting will be of strong intensity and will create a more even
tonality and is created with light that is less intense. Naturally each of these, hard and soft, is used
appropriately to complement the scene. Bright, strong sunshine would provide intense light quality. A grey
overcast day would mean the light quality was less intense but this may be they very effect that is
required, suiting the nature of the character or the themes of the film.
DIRECTION
From which direction is the light coming? This is possibly the most useful element in an analysis of a shot
as it is this technique that enables a variety of moods to be created. Possible directions include:
Overhead lighting: A single light from above will cast harsh shadows and create a sinister,
unflattering look. The effect will highlight contours of the face so if, for example, the filmmaker was
trying to make a male character look more masculine or hard this might be appropriate

3. Under Lighting: the opposite to the above but having similar, sinister effect, under lighting will
hollow out the eyes and emphasis every line and crease on the face. Hence, it is rarely used to light
female stars unless they are playing an evil character, the horror film makes use of this technique,
which people sometimes imitate by putting a torch under their chin!
Side Lighting: this will have the effect of casting a shadow across one side of the face, something
that may be desirable in a thriller or mystery. It is often used in conjunction with lights from other
directions to soften the harshness of the light.
Back Lighting: as mentioned in classic Hollywood lighting, used alone it can create a ‘Halo’ or
silhouette effect depending on the context of the shot. A silhouette will keep a character in
shadow, building up expectation and suspense in the audience.
SOURCE
What are the actual and perceived light sources in the shot? A scene may include table lamps or candles
(known as practical lights) but the scene will rarely rely on these for all of its lighting. You may have noticed
in some films a character will light a match, say in a cave, and the illumination is brighter than any match
you have ever witnessed! The match is the perceived source of the light although the actual light may be
an off-screen side light. The effect of fire burning is another example of a perceived light source. The
flickering fire burning is another example of a perceived light source. The flickering flames on characters’
faces will often be an effect created through lighting.
COLOUR
The colour of the light is also important. In the example above a reddish glow would be necessary to
convey the idea of fire but the colour of the light need not be realistic. Filters and gels can be used to add a
certain ‘wash’ to the whole scene.
The colour may be used to distinguish between past and present; it may be warm or cold to complement
the mood of the sequence. Whatever it is, it is always worth considering in your analysis of lighting as it
communicates much to us in terms of film language.
Colour has long been thought to affect mood; for instance, light green is believed to be a relaxing colour,
red is a ‘restless’ colour. But as well as having a psychological effect, colours can also symbolise emotion
and values, thus producing meaning in a text.