Video Basics #4: 3 point lighting

November 17, 2008 - 1:03pm by paddyewinfield

By Paddy Winfield

11/18/06

The Three Point Lighting Technique is the standard method used in media like film, video and even animation. It is the foundation to the basic principals of lighting. Once you understand three point lighting you are well on the way to understanding all lighting.

Naturally you will need three lights in order to do this technique.

1. KEY light: this light is to be placed directly on your subject. This is the most important light in the set-up and has the most influence on your scene. You want to place this light to either side of the camera pointing it at the subject so one side is well lit and the other side has some shadows.

2. FILL light: Since the key light creates shadows on the otherside, we will need to put up a fill light to balance out the frame. The fill light is placed on the opposite side of the key. This light needs to be dimmer and less vibrant than the key. You can either place the fill farther away from the subject or put something like spun or flags in front of the light source. I don’t use a light for my fill. Instead I will use a white board or reflector to fill out the shadows.

3. BACK light: The back light is placed behind the subject and lights it from the rear. Its purpose is to provide highlights around the subject's outlines, which will give it a three-dimensional look.