Text: 'Cinematography' by Kris Malkiewicz

In Chapter 4 of this book, Malkiewicz covers different types of lighting for film, describing their function, different lighting styles and also the order in which to set them up. The illustration of how to lit a very low-key scene will be useful for our shoot as we will be filming in a dark environment entirely lit by practicals and our lighting. Below I have summarized his main points:

• There are three distinct aspects of lighting: hardness/softness, the angle of the 'throw' (the path that the light follows) and the colour of the light.
• Hard light: directly from the bulb to the subject with only a lens, yielding sharp, defined shadows.
• Soft light: bounced off a diffusing surface or through a translucent substance, creating weaker, less sharp shadows. The diffusing surface acts as 'a multitude of sources, washing out the others' shadows'.
• The angle of the light will suggest time of day and type of location, as well as bringing out shape and texture (or deliberately not doing this depending on the narrative context)
• The three most pronounced lighting styles are high key, low key and graduated tonality.
• High key - It is a generally bright scene, the sets and costume colours are light tones and there is soft, diffused illumination with few shadows.
• Low key - few areas of the frame are well lit, and there are many deep shadows. The image not just underexposed, but it is the ratio of dark shadows to lit areas that creates low key. Darker sets and costumes also contribute to this as well.
• Graduated tonality - soft light evenly illuminating the scene with weak shadows.
• The key light is the main source of light for a character in a certain place in the scene. Traditionally this is placed 45 degrees from the camera and 45 degrees off the floor, but this is usually elsewhere. If the character is looking off screen then it should be placed to the other side of his line of sight, giving 3-dimensionality to the image.
• Fill light - fills in the shadows created by the key light. Should not create additional shadows so should come from near the camera.
• Back light - separates actors from the background, adding 3-dimensionality. This is placed above and behind the actor, illuminating top of the shoulders and the head.
• Kicker - 3/4 back position opposite the key light, placed lower to the floor.
• Effects lights fulfil a number of different specific purposes. A clothes light brings up a texture on a costume, an eye light mounted on the camera fills in eye sockets and creates a sparkle, set lights illuminate walls and furniture, practical lamps are visible as part of the scene and backdrop lights are used to light painted/matte backdrops in sets outside windows or doorways.
• Light the scene with stand-ins first. Start with key lights, then fill lights, back lights and kickers. 
• Generally follow the natural light sources in the scene - windows, practical lamps, candles, fireplaces etc. The general direction for the key light comes from the window.
• Pracitcal lamps look best 2-4 stops brighter than the face, use a dimmer to get it to the right level.
• Example scene: Two characters sat at a small table lit by a single candle. Fresnel directly above the candle for a circle of light on the table. Two key lights crossing either side in the face of both characters, angled using barn doors to keep off the other characters' face. No back light or fill.