Cinematic Lighting - Keep it simple
"Great cinematography is not about how to turn a light on but it's about how to shape and mold that light."
Lighting Foundation
Here is a nice fun video about what light really is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXxZRZxafEQ
Now the technical stuff:
Light is electromagnetic radiation within a certain portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The word usually refers to visible light, which is visible to the human eye and is responsible for the sense of sight. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), or 4.00 × 10−7 to 7.00 × 10−7 m, between the infrared (with longer wavelengths) and the ultraviolet (with shorter wavelengths). This wavelength means a frequency range of roughly 430–750 terahertz (THz).
The main source of light on Earth is the Sun. Sunlight provides the energy that green plants use to create sugars mostly in the form of starches, which release energy into the living things that digest them. This process of photosynthesis provides virtually all the energy used by living things. Historically, another important source of light for humans has been fire, from ancient campfires to modern kerosene lamps. With the development of electric lights and power systems, electric lighting has effectively replaced firelight. Some species of animals generate their own light, a process called bioluminescence. For example, fireflies use light to locate mates, and vampire squids use it to hide themselves from prey.
The primary properties of visible light are intensity, propagation direction, frequency or wavelength spectrum, and polarization, while its speed in a vacuum, 299,792,458 meters per second, is one of the fundamental constants of nature. Visible light, as with all types of electromagnetic radiation (EMR), is experimentally found to always move at this speed in a vacuum.
In physics, the term light sometimes refers to electromagnetic radiation of any wavelength, whether visible or not. In this sense, gamma rays, X-rays, microwaves and radio waves are also light. Like all types of light, visible light is emitted and absorbed in tiny "packets" called photons and exhibits properties of both waves and particles. This property is referred to as the wave–particle duality. The study of light, known as optics, is an important research area in modern physics.
The study of light and the interaction of light and matter is termed optics. The observation and study of optical phenomena such as rainbows and the aurora borealis offer many clues as to the nature of light.
Refraction
Refraction is the bending of light rays when passing through a surface between one transparent material and another. It is described by Snell's Law:{\displaystyle n_{1}\sin \theta _{1}=n_{2}\sin \theta _{2}\ .}
Theories of color
One of the topics in the philosophy of color is the problem of the ontology of color. The questions comprising this field of research are, for example, what kind of properties colors are (i.e. are they physical properties of objects? Or are they properties of their own kind?), but also problems about the representation of colors, and the relationship between representation of colors and their ontological constitution.
Within the ontology of colour there are various competing types of theories. One way of posing their relationship is in terms of whether they posit colors as sui generis properties (properties of a special kind that can't be reduced to more basic properties or constellations of such). This divides color primitivism from color reductionism. A primitivism about color is any theory that explains colors as unreducible properties. A reductionism is the opposite view, that colors are identical to or reducible to other properties. Typically a reductionist view of color explains colors as an object's disposition to cause certain effects in perceivers or the very dispositional power itself (this sort of view is often dubbed "relationalism", since it defines colors in terms of effects on perceivers, but it also often called simply dispositionalism - various forms of course exist). An example of a notable theorist that defends this kind of view is the philosopher Jonathan Cohen.
Another type of reductionism is color physicalism. Physicalism is the view that colors are identical to certain physical properties of objects. Most commonly the relevant properties are taken to be reflectance properties of surfaces (though there are accounts of colors apart from surface colors too). Byrne, Hilbert and Kalderon defends versions of this view. They identify colors with reflectance-types.
A reflectance type is a set, or type, of reflectances, and a reflectance is a surface's disposition to reflect certain percentages of light specified for each wavelength within the visible spectrum.
Both relationalism and physicalism of these kinds are so-called realist theories, since they, apart from specifying what colors are, maintain that colored things actually exist.
Primitivism may be either realist or antirealist, since primitivism simply claims that colors aren't reducible to anything else. Some primitivists further accept that, though colors are primitive properties, no actual or nomologically possible objects have these. In so far as we visually represent things as colored - on this view - we are victims of color illusions. For this reason primitivism that denies that colors are ever instantiated is called an error theory.
How the human eye sees light
The structure of the human eye is so complex that it’s hard to believe that it’s not the product of intelligent design, but by looking at the eyes of other animals, scientists have shown that it evolved very gradually from a simple light-dark sensor over the course of around 100 million years. It functions in a very similar way to a camera, with an opening through which the light enters, a lens for focusing and a light-sensitive membrane at the back.
The amount of light that enters the eye is controlled by the circular and radial muscles in the iris, which contract and relax to alter the size of the pupil. The light first passes through a tough protective sheet called the cornea, and then moves into the lens. This adjustable structure bends the light, focusing it down to a point on the retina, at the back of the eye.
The retina is covered in millions of light-sensitive receptors known as rods and cones. Each receptor contains pigment molecules, which change shape when they are hit by light, triggering an electrical message that travels to the brain via the optic nerve.
The back of the eye is covered in a layer of light-sensitive cells measuring just fractions of a millimeter in thickness. When photons of light hit the pigments inside the cells, it triggers a cascade of signals, which pass through a series of different connections before they are transmitted to the brain.
How colour vision works
Open your eyes, and you are met with an array of different colours, but amazingly you can only detect three different wavelengths of light, corresponding to green, blue, and red. Combining these three signals in the brain creates millions of different shades.
Each eye has between 6 and 7 million cone cells, containing one of three colour-sensitive proteins known as opsins. When photons of light hit the opsins, they change shape, triggering a cascade that produces electrical signals, which in turn transmit the messages to the brain. Well over half of our cone cells respond to red light, around a third to green light, and just two per cent to blue light, giving us vision focused around the yellow-green region of the spectrum.
The vast majority of the cone cells in the human eye are located in the center of the retina, on a spot known as the fovea, measuring just fractions of a millimeter across. Light is focused on this point, providing a crisp, full-colour image at the center of our vision. The remainder of the retina is dominated by 120 million rod cells, which detect light, but not colour.
We are so used to seeing the world in red, green and blue that it might seem strange to think that most other animals cannot, but three-coloured vision like our own is relatively unusual. Some species of fish, reptiles and birds have four-colour vision, able to see red, green, blue and ultraviolet or infrared light, but during mammalian evolution, two of the four cone types were lost, leaving most modern mammals with dichromatic vision – seeing in shades of just yellow and blue
This was not a problem for many early mammals, because they were largely nocturnal, and lived underground, where there was little need for good colour vision. However, when primates started moving into the trees, a gene duplication gave some species the ability to see red, providing a significant evolutionary advantage in picking out ripe red fruit against the green leaves.
Even today, not all primates can see in three colours; some have dichromatic vision, and many nocturnal monkeys only see in black and white. It is all down to the environment; if you don’t need to see all of the colours in order to survive, then why waste energy making the pigments?
Seeing in three dimensions
Our eyes are only able to produce two-dimensional images, but with some clever processing, the brain is able to build these flat pictures into a three-dimensional view. Our eyes are positioned about five centimeters (two inches) apart, so each sees the world from a slightly different angle. The brain compares the two pictures, using the differences to create the illusion of depth.
So, now that we understand light and how we perceive it, let's take a look at a cinematography lighting:
Three-Point Lighting
Three-point lighting is usually used for portraits or single subjects within a scene. It consists of three light sources. You can read more here but it's pretty straight forward. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-point_lighting
Key light in front of subject (500 watt with softbox)
Fill light from the sides with either a lamp or a bounce board (500 watt with softbox but twice as far away)
Back Light is above background light, usually from above which defines the edges of the subject
An additional light source can be used to light the background is the ambient light isn't enough.
Cinematic Lighting Terminology
Ambient Lighting is background natural light.
Black flags provide shadow on a subject and negative fill mounted on C-stands. This is used to highlight areas of interest in the scene.
Diffusers are used to cover the light source to change the properties of the light on the subject.
Reflectors are used to bounce light to fill in the subject shadows.
Soft boxes are used to create a large area of soft light with little contrast or highlights
Hard Light provides deeper shadows and higher contrasts
White reflective umbrellas are a cheaper alternative to soft boxes and can be used to spread even light across a large area with a speed light (flash).
Silver parabolic umbrellas can be used to create a unique lighting look mixing soft enveloping light with a crisp reflective detail.
5 Common Key Light Patterns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9MxIqmSqjk
Flat lighting is straight on lighting directly above the lens, none dramatic with little shadow
Butterfly "Paramount" lighting is achieved by raising the direct light source up and angle down. Creates a butterfly shadow under the subject nose.
Clamshell lighting is set up the same way as butterfly lighting but with a reflector under the subject bouncing the light back up.
Loop lighting is still above the subject but angled facing about 25 -50 degree away creating shadow off the nose highlighting a better side or more flattering.
Rembrandt lighting continues the angle of the loop lighting and pulled out further to create more light and shadow contrast across the face with highlights above the eye and the check.
Split lighting is directional side lighting for high contrast.
So the next time you here someone say "Cheese" try to think about all this stuff happening in a split second.
Lighting Foundation
Here is a nice fun video about what light really is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXxZRZxafEQ
Now the technical stuff:
Light is electromagnetic radiation within a certain portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The word usually refers to visible light, which is visible to the human eye and is responsible for the sense of sight. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), or 4.00 × 10−7 to 7.00 × 10−7 m, between the infrared (with longer wavelengths) and the ultraviolet (with shorter wavelengths). This wavelength means a frequency range of roughly 430–750 terahertz (THz).
The main source of light on Earth is the Sun. Sunlight provides the energy that green plants use to create sugars mostly in the form of starches, which release energy into the living things that digest them. This process of photosynthesis provides virtually all the energy used by living things. Historically, another important source of light for humans has been fire, from ancient campfires to modern kerosene lamps. With the development of electric lights and power systems, electric lighting has effectively replaced firelight. Some species of animals generate their own light, a process called bioluminescence. For example, fireflies use light to locate mates, and vampire squids use it to hide themselves from prey.
The primary properties of visible light are intensity, propagation direction, frequency or wavelength spectrum, and polarization, while its speed in a vacuum, 299,792,458 meters per second, is one of the fundamental constants of nature. Visible light, as with all types of electromagnetic radiation (EMR), is experimentally found to always move at this speed in a vacuum.
In physics, the term light sometimes refers to electromagnetic radiation of any wavelength, whether visible or not. In this sense, gamma rays, X-rays, microwaves and radio waves are also light. Like all types of light, visible light is emitted and absorbed in tiny "packets" called photons and exhibits properties of both waves and particles. This property is referred to as the wave–particle duality. The study of light, known as optics, is an important research area in modern physics.
The study of light and the interaction of light and matter is termed optics. The observation and study of optical phenomena such as rainbows and the aurora borealis offer many clues as to the nature of light.
Refraction
Refraction is the bending of light rays when passing through a surface between one transparent material and another. It is described by Snell's Law:{\displaystyle n_{1}\sin \theta _{1}=n_{2}\sin \theta _{2}\ .}
Theories of color
One of the topics in the philosophy of color is the problem of the ontology of color. The questions comprising this field of research are, for example, what kind of properties colors are (i.e. are they physical properties of objects? Or are they properties of their own kind?), but also problems about the representation of colors, and the relationship between representation of colors and their ontological constitution.
Within the ontology of colour there are various competing types of theories. One way of posing their relationship is in terms of whether they posit colors as sui generis properties (properties of a special kind that can't be reduced to more basic properties or constellations of such). This divides color primitivism from color reductionism. A primitivism about color is any theory that explains colors as unreducible properties. A reductionism is the opposite view, that colors are identical to or reducible to other properties. Typically a reductionist view of color explains colors as an object's disposition to cause certain effects in perceivers or the very dispositional power itself (this sort of view is often dubbed "relationalism", since it defines colors in terms of effects on perceivers, but it also often called simply dispositionalism - various forms of course exist). An example of a notable theorist that defends this kind of view is the philosopher Jonathan Cohen.
Another type of reductionism is color physicalism. Physicalism is the view that colors are identical to certain physical properties of objects. Most commonly the relevant properties are taken to be reflectance properties of surfaces (though there are accounts of colors apart from surface colors too). Byrne, Hilbert and Kalderon defends versions of this view. They identify colors with reflectance-types.
A reflectance type is a set, or type, of reflectances, and a reflectance is a surface's disposition to reflect certain percentages of light specified for each wavelength within the visible spectrum.
Both relationalism and physicalism of these kinds are so-called realist theories, since they, apart from specifying what colors are, maintain that colored things actually exist.
Primitivism may be either realist or antirealist, since primitivism simply claims that colors aren't reducible to anything else. Some primitivists further accept that, though colors are primitive properties, no actual or nomologically possible objects have these. In so far as we visually represent things as colored - on this view - we are victims of color illusions. For this reason primitivism that denies that colors are ever instantiated is called an error theory.
How the human eye sees light
The structure of the human eye is so complex that it’s hard to believe that it’s not the product of intelligent design, but by looking at the eyes of other animals, scientists have shown that it evolved very gradually from a simple light-dark sensor over the course of around 100 million years. It functions in a very similar way to a camera, with an opening through which the light enters, a lens for focusing and a light-sensitive membrane at the back.
The amount of light that enters the eye is controlled by the circular and radial muscles in the iris, which contract and relax to alter the size of the pupil. The light first passes through a tough protective sheet called the cornea, and then moves into the lens. This adjustable structure bends the light, focusing it down to a point on the retina, at the back of the eye.
The retina is covered in millions of light-sensitive receptors known as rods and cones. Each receptor contains pigment molecules, which change shape when they are hit by light, triggering an electrical message that travels to the brain via the optic nerve.
The back of the eye is covered in a layer of light-sensitive cells measuring just fractions of a millimeter in thickness. When photons of light hit the pigments inside the cells, it triggers a cascade of signals, which pass through a series of different connections before they are transmitted to the brain.
How colour vision works
Open your eyes, and you are met with an array of different colours, but amazingly you can only detect three different wavelengths of light, corresponding to green, blue, and red. Combining these three signals in the brain creates millions of different shades.
Each eye has between 6 and 7 million cone cells, containing one of three colour-sensitive proteins known as opsins. When photons of light hit the opsins, they change shape, triggering a cascade that produces electrical signals, which in turn transmit the messages to the brain. Well over half of our cone cells respond to red light, around a third to green light, and just two per cent to blue light, giving us vision focused around the yellow-green region of the spectrum.
The vast majority of the cone cells in the human eye are located in the center of the retina, on a spot known as the fovea, measuring just fractions of a millimeter across. Light is focused on this point, providing a crisp, full-colour image at the center of our vision. The remainder of the retina is dominated by 120 million rod cells, which detect light, but not colour.
We are so used to seeing the world in red, green and blue that it might seem strange to think that most other animals cannot, but three-coloured vision like our own is relatively unusual. Some species of fish, reptiles and birds have four-colour vision, able to see red, green, blue and ultraviolet or infrared light, but during mammalian evolution, two of the four cone types were lost, leaving most modern mammals with dichromatic vision – seeing in shades of just yellow and blue
This was not a problem for many early mammals, because they were largely nocturnal, and lived underground, where there was little need for good colour vision. However, when primates started moving into the trees, a gene duplication gave some species the ability to see red, providing a significant evolutionary advantage in picking out ripe red fruit against the green leaves.
Even today, not all primates can see in three colours; some have dichromatic vision, and many nocturnal monkeys only see in black and white. It is all down to the environment; if you don’t need to see all of the colours in order to survive, then why waste energy making the pigments?
Seeing in three dimensions
Our eyes are only able to produce two-dimensional images, but with some clever processing, the brain is able to build these flat pictures into a three-dimensional view. Our eyes are positioned about five centimeters (two inches) apart, so each sees the world from a slightly different angle. The brain compares the two pictures, using the differences to create the illusion of depth.
So, now that we understand light and how we perceive it, let's take a look at a cinematography lighting:
Three-Point Lighting
Three-point lighting is usually used for portraits or single subjects within a scene. It consists of three light sources. You can read more here but it's pretty straight forward. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-point_lighting
Key light in front of subject (500 watt with softbox)
Fill light from the sides with either a lamp or a bounce board (500 watt with softbox but twice as far away)
Back Light is above background light, usually from above which defines the edges of the subject
An additional light source can be used to light the background is the ambient light isn't enough.
Cinematic Lighting Terminology
Ambient Lighting is background natural light.
Black flags provide shadow on a subject and negative fill mounted on C-stands. This is used to highlight areas of interest in the scene.
Diffusers are used to cover the light source to change the properties of the light on the subject.
Reflectors are used to bounce light to fill in the subject shadows.
Soft boxes are used to create a large area of soft light with little contrast or highlights
Hard Light provides deeper shadows and higher contrasts
White reflective umbrellas are a cheaper alternative to soft boxes and can be used to spread even light across a large area with a speed light (flash).
Silver parabolic umbrellas can be used to create a unique lighting look mixing soft enveloping light with a crisp reflective detail.
5 Common Key Light Patterns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9MxIqmSqjk
Flat lighting is straight on lighting directly above the lens, none dramatic with little shadow
Butterfly "Paramount" lighting is achieved by raising the direct light source up and angle down. Creates a butterfly shadow under the subject nose.
Clamshell lighting is set up the same way as butterfly lighting but with a reflector under the subject bouncing the light back up.
Loop lighting is still above the subject but angled facing about 25 -50 degree away creating shadow off the nose highlighting a better side or more flattering.
Rembrandt lighting continues the angle of the loop lighting and pulled out further to create more light and shadow contrast across the face with highlights above the eye and the check.
Split lighting is directional side lighting for high contrast.
So the next time you here someone say "Cheese" try to think about all this stuff happening in a split second.
