Lighting

Lighting

 

• Key Light - the brightest and most influential
• Back Light - helps counteract the key light / creates an outline or silhouette
• Filler Light - softens the harsh shadows that the Key and Back lights create
• Under Lighting - when the source comes from below
• Top Lighting - when the source comes from above (used to create a glamorous look)
• Back Lighting - creates silhouettes
• Low Key Lighting - using only the Key and Back lighting - produces sharp shadows (chiaroscuro)
• High Key Lighting - more filler lights are used - lighting appears realistic

Film Noir:

 

These films (characterised by their dark themes that reveal the darker side of human nature) are filmed using Low-Key Lighting to produce harsh shadows to give the films a hard, sharp look with strong areas of contrast between light and dark.

 

Examples of Film Noir: Farewell My Lovely, The Big Combo & Sin City