Four Considerations: Mood, Depth, Texture, Shape

(Cinematic Lighting Lesson 07)

Summary: Ryan discusses four aspects to consider as you light your set, and how they apply to your project: What lighting style should I use? What are some ways to create depth? And what are some strategies to reveal texture and shape?

Length: 5:04 minutes

Video Lesson

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Transcript

Introduction

In addition to the elements, roles, and functions of light, there are four things to consider as you light your scene. What mood of lighting should I use? What approach should I use to create depth? And do I need to reveal texture and shape? In this video, not only will I answer those questions, but I’ll show you how they apply to your project.

Lighting Style: High Key and Low Key

The mood or the tone of the scene is determined by your lighting style. There are two general styles: high key and low key.

High key lighting is for those bright ratios, like 2:1 and 3:1. As you might remember from the previous videos, these ratios tend to be used for happier scenes with less dramatic content. Low key lighting is for those dark ratios, so like 4:1 to 8:1, a better fit for dramatic and mysterious content.
Low Key Lighting (LC107)
Once you have determined the tone of the scene, and have picked a lighting style & ratio that supports it, that ratio should never change within that specific scene. If is does…

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Lighting Diagrams

Tools We Used

Camera / Audio

Sony Alpha a7S Mirrorless Digital Camera
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Lens
Fotodiox Lens Mount Adapter – Canon EOS (EF / EF-s) to Sony E-Mount
Bright Tangerine Misfit Matte Box
Tilta FF-T03 15mm Follow Focus with Hard Stops
Sachtler Panorama 7+7 Head 100mm (similar head: 1006 DV 10 SB Fluid Head)
Sachtler Carbon Fiber Tripod (similar tripod: Carbon Fiber HD Tripod Legs)
MYT Works 4′ Medium slider w/ HiHat
Hollywood Beefy Baby Stand (8.5′) (two, to raise the MYT Works slider)
Movcam Cage for Sony A7S
Sekonic L-758Cine DigitalMaster Light Meter
Sekonic C-700 SpectroMaster Color Meter
Wooden Camera A/B Gold-Mount Plate for Sony A7, A7r and A7s
Audio Technica AT835b Shotgun Microphone (similar microphone: Audio Technica BP4071 Shotgun Microphone)
Wooden Camera DSLR A-Box
Delkin Devices 64GB SDXC Memory Card 600x UHS-I
DSC Labs One Shot Reference Chart (Matte Finish)

Behind the Scenes (BTS) Cameras

Lighting / Grip Gear

How To Cinematically Light A Corporate Video (Cinematic Lighting Lesson 20)

ronsaundersjr says:
April 1, 2015 at 2:21 pm

Once again I love this site, thanks a million. Can you do a video on using light meters?
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Tim says:
April 1, 2015 at 4:21 pm

Hi Ron. Yes, that is in the works. For now check our this lesson that Ryan did a few years back; there A LOT of valuable info on using a light meter that is still relevant:
http://www.ryanewalters.com/SP/sekonicprofiles.html
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Rich49er says:
July 6, 2016 at 6:29 am

You referred to an One Shot Chart in a previous lesson. I have discovered there is a matt and glossy version. Please could you write a few sentences explaining the difference between the two. I am wondering which is more appropriate for our purposes.
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- Tim says:
  July 6, 2016 at 12:03 pm
  
  We originally used the matte version of the One Shot Chart, but when it came time to buy another one we bought the glossy version. We much prefer the glossy version since the surface seems much more durable and can be wiped with a damp cloth. The matte version can’t be cleaned since the surface of the board has a paper-like texture. If you are careful on-set the matte chart can last years. But if your set is rough on the gear and not in clean environments, you will probably want the glossy version. There is obviously an issue with glare with the glossy version, but if you slightly rotate the chart while on-camera, your colorist will be able to see all chips at some point. (Some say this takes more time, but in reality if your Second AC is on their game you can still do it quickly.) The matte version does create some flare from the texture, so be sure to keep an eye on that if you chose that version.
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  - Rich49er says:
    July 7, 2016 at 3:58 am
    
    Thank you very much.
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