Lighting Setup - Studio Lighting Techniques

Lighting Setup - Studio Lighting Techniques

Why light for film? There are many reasons and applications that you can use specific lighting techniques in order to get a subject or scene to look just right. cameras use light to record its images so by changing how and how much light gets through to the camera you can create all sorts of effects. Listed and explored bellow are three studio lighting techniques that can be utilised to give various effects.

Rembrant Lighting

Rembrant was an artist from history and in his portraits he gave his subjects a glow and a small shadow under the nose to create a triangle of light from it and onto the cheek but under the eye connected. We can recreate this effect through lighting to be used for film through positioning a light source above and across from the subject to have some shadow be cast by the face. To achieve it, you may have the subject turned until the triangle of light is there and more defined.

Butterfly Lighting

The Butterfly Lighting effect is a technique when the subject is lit from high above and casts a small butterfly shaped shadow just under the nose and above the lips. Whilst the shadow may only look small its effect builds up to create a glamorous storm of an image. Typically used in movies from 1940s Hollywood, to make there lead actors look glowing and glamourous.

Edge Lighting

This truly is lighting on the edge. Edge lighting is a dramatic style of lighting your subject such that it appears as one half of the face is cast in shadow. The style is made by positioning the key light (brightest light source) to one side of the subjects face and having, if at all, a much dimmer secondary light or reflector to cause the contrast on the face. This creates a definite edged line splitting the face and the feeling that there is something being hidden by your subjects character. An edgy character who may be... two faced! oh ho ho! :P

Lighting from Studio from Luke Heritage on Vimeo.

Health and Safety

When setting up lights be sure to have them switched off and at the socket too when plugging them in. The wires must be secure by wrapping them around the stand and wires on the floor must be visible and approached carefully as not to trip. The stands that the lights are on must be set up correctly and to be standing stable, be sure not to overbear the stands as it may cause damage to the stand or falling lights would cause injury to crew and further equipment damage. The bulbs used in film, studio and photography lighting get very hot, very quickly and can remain so for a long period of time after use.