Lighting for film and video can be complex and time consuming, some cinematographers will take many hours to light a scene. Fortunately, there's usually a great ball of fire in the sky that is simple to use and can help create a beautiful look. Also works indoors!
the two main 'types' of light
Although there are hundreds of different qualities of light available and thousands of ways to use them; really light can be split into just two - hard light and soft light.
hard light
also known as: point, direct or hard light
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This light is usually more dramatic and creates defined shadows. Some examples of hard light are:
- Film lights pointing directly at the subject
- Sunlight without cloud
- An angle poise lamp
Hard light can usually be made softer but making softlight hard is more difficult - or perhaps it's pointless :-)
soft light
also known as: soft, bounce & diffuse
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This gives a more even gentle light to your scene, with gentler edged shadows. There are a number of ways it can be created:
- Reflecting a lamp off the ceiling or a white wall (easy, but not very manouverable)
- Bouncing light off a large white reflector, a sheet of builders polystyrene or a Lastolite pop out white reflector
- Placing a sheet of 'trace' in front of a lamp
- Placing some diffuse material over a sun blasted window (net curtains can do a pretty good job here)
- Use special film lights called kino-flo's (which are a largish bank of fluorescent lamps positioned close together)
- Sun completely obscured by cloud
- Filming in total shade
Some people suggest tinfoil as a soft reflector, this is often too mirror-like and you end up with a hard light reflection, there's nothing like flat white
Usually the wider and nearer the soft light is the softer everything becomes.
Totally soft light everywhere with no modelling light or direct light can create a bland look. Good lighting is usually a balance of both hard and soft light