In essence, three-point lighting is a technique or lighting setup where a subject in a scene is illuminated from three different points by three light sources. It is more of a guidance for positioning your light sources to illuminate your subject and scene than a formula or predetermined standard. This lighting setup can help create a particular mood.
In this setup you have three distinct lights or light positions;
The Key Light
The Fill Light
The Backlight
Key Light
The key light is the brightest light in your scene and your major source of illumination. The key light light will influence how well your scene and subject are exposed overall. It is often placed in front of the subject and off to one side (45-degree angle) to add depth and dimension. The shadows cast create depth and dimension when the object is off-center in relation to your subject. The placement of your key light is essential since it determines the tone of your scene.
Fill Light
The fill light fills in the shadows that the key light leaves on a subject, bringing out details in the shadows. The fill light is opposite the key light at a 45-degree angle. Cinematographers can influence the overall mood of their shots by adjusting how much fill light to use. The fill light is often less bright than the key light. However, the fill light doesn’t have to be a light source; it can also be a wall, a bounce card, a reflector, or anything else that reflects light back onto the subject to reduce the shadows. The fill light creates the ambiance of a scene along with the key light.
Backlight
The backlight, the third source in triangular lighting, shines on a subject from behind and completes the setup. It is also referred to as the “rim light” or the “hair light.” This separates the subject from the background and gives them depth by creating a rim of light or outline around their head. The backlight is typically set up behind the subject and high enough to be out of the frame, opposite the key light, and aimed at the subject’s head.
Working With Minimal Lights
Work with the available light. Depending on you shooting atmosphere use the sun, a reflector, or whatever lights you have.
Use of a Reflector The reflector acts like a fill light: it bounces some light back toward the dense shadow areas and slows down falloff.
Use the Sun You can use the window light as a back light or even a key. For example, when using the window as a back light, you need to position the subject in such a way that the light strikes from the side and back; then position the key light and the camera.
There wouldn’t be film without film lighting. Lighting is as crucial to cinematic storytelling as a script and a subject, and filmmakers have experimented with different lumination techniques for as long as the medium has existed.
If you want to produce professional-looking video you need to know at least the basic principles of lighting.
Good lighting calls for intentional illumination.
Color Temperature
When all three primary colors overlap Red Green Blue (RGB) you get white.
The standard by which we measure the relative reddishness or bluishness of white light is called color temperature.
Color temperature is measured in Kelvin (K) scale.
The more bluish the white light looks the higher the color temperature. (Daylight)
The more reddish, the lower the color temperature. (Indoor)
Color Temperature Standard
5,600K Daylight – outdoors, bluish light
3,200K Indoor – more reddish light
White Balance – You need to white balance a camera because not all light sources produce light of the same degree of whiteness.
A candle produces a more reddish light.
Midday sun gives off more of a bluish light
Types of Light
Directional Light: Precise beam that causes shadows.
Diffused Light: Soft light, its beam spreads out quickly and illuminates a large area.
Quality of Light – How it affects your subject, how the light behaves.
The distance of the light from the subject can create soft or hard shadows.
Diffusion of light can soften it.
Soft light is light that is diffused before hitting the subject. Soft light tends to “wrap” around objects, creating diffused shadows with soft edges.
Hard light hits the subject directly from the source. Hard light is more focused and produces harsher shadows.
For example: An overcast day produces soft light (clouds act as diffusion). A sunny day produces harsh shadows.
Light Intensity
A light meter is used to measure light intensity or how much light falls onto an object. It measures the contrast between light and dark areas.
Contrast: The difference between the brightest and darkest spots in a video.
Baselight: Available light in the room.
Shadows: Shadow control is an important part of lighting. Shadows can influence our perception. There are two main types of shadows attached and cast.
Attached shadows – Attached to the subject.
Cast shadows – Can be seen independent of the object causing them.
High Key Lighting – is a lighting style that results in a brightly lit frame with even lighting, minimal shadows, and low contrast.
Low Key Lighting – accentuates shadows, high contrast, and dark tones. The visual aesthetic of low-key lighting is usually achieved by using hard sources or key lights with minimal to no fill light.
Gels Thin, plastic, colored sheets placed in front of a light source to manipulate the color temperature.
Reflector Any material used to “bounce” light from the source onto the subject.
Sound editing is the collection and creation of sounds. This is where you are recording or re-recording sounds. Sound mixing is the process the process of blending all the sound seamless as possible.
Elements of Sound Design
ADR -Automatic Dialogue Replacement
Automated dialogue replacement (ADR) is a method of re-recording dialogue. ADR is typically recorded by having the same actor return to the studio and record their dialogue again. To re-record an updated audio track during an ADR session, footage from the scenes is usually played back (and has already been put together). The actor is then asked to try their best to deliver the dialogue as it would have been on set.
ADR can also be used for incorporating extra dialogue into scenes, whether it’s to provide further context, substitute words, or even re-record movies in another language (a process known as dubbing).
Foley
The easiest way to define Foley Sound is sound effects created during post-production while a sound editor watches the edited film. It is meant to mix with other soundtrack elements, such as music, recorded effects, and dialogue.
There are many reasons why Foley Artists may be called in to create sounds for a movie.
The original sound doesn’t produce the necessary sound effect. You may be in an environment that doesn’t work for what’s needed. Sounds that may be too low. To watch foreign dubs To restore necessary audio that was lost as a result of automated dialog replacement
Dialogue
One of a movie’s key elements is its dialogue. It provides a comprehensive breakdown of the story’s plot. In-depth character development and characterization are further explored through dialogue. It depicts the characteristics, feelings, and interactions of each character.
Music
Known as scoring, including music in a film assists in establishing the mood, evokes feelings, and increases tension. Even without pictures, a complex score can do this. Music doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective. Music can help to build a story around a particular setting or environment.
Sound Effects
Sound effects. Audio effects, or SFX, are created noises that can’t be captured only with a microphone because they don’t happen naturally. Audio effects are frequently produced using a computer by adding filters and oscillators to recorded sounds, layering various sounds on top of one another, or using other sound design tools. Audio effects can have an alien sound, like in one well-known instance from “Star Wars.” Ben Burtt, the film’s sound designer, produced the iconic lightsaber sound by fluttering a microphone in front of a video projector’s motor hum and fusing it with TV noise.
Background / Ambiance
Ambiance, often known as atmosphere, is the background noise that serves as both the backdrop and the building block of your music. By describing the setting of the event, it aids in immersing the viewer. Just as songbirds’ chirping suggests a peaceful spring morning, neon lights’ buzzing can make a bleak kitchen setting seem even duller. Ambient audio should provide context and description without being overpowering or deflecting the audience’s attention. Recording a “silent take” for room tone in the same circumstances as the other takes is a simple method to get started.
What are the 3 phases of the production cycle? Pre Production, Production, Post Production
What happens during the Pre-Production Phase? Planning, Budgeting, Location Scouting, Hiring
What are some key crew positions? Director, Director of Photographer (DP) / Cinematographer, Writer, Producer, Location Scout, Gaffer (Electric Dept), Grips (move equipment), Art Department: Wardrobe, Hair, Makeup, Props, etc
Who is responsible for the look of the film? Director of Photography (DP) / Cinematographer: camera work involves choices about movement of the camera or cameras, decisions about which lens or filter to use, shot angles, composition, and more.
What is the Director responsible for? Turning the script into a creative film. Works closely with the DP (director of photography), talent, etc.
Image Formation
Who invented the first movie cameras?
Thomas Edison and William Kennedy Dickson invented the first early motion picture camera.
How are images formed?
Light that bounces off an object passes through the lens, that light is turned into an electrical charge that hits the camera’s video sensor. This results in the camera’s video image.
What are the two scanning cycles that form an image?
The scanning cycle is either “progressive or interlaced.
What is Progressive scanning?
Pixels are scanned from left to right from the top to the bottom completing a video image.
What is Interlaced scanning?
Pixels are scanned by every other line (skips a line), reading only the odd numbers. The next scan reads the even numbers and a complete picture is produced.
SD VS HD
In video or digital photography, the resolution is the ability of a video or digital camera to record details, such as the number of pixels and their size.
SD is 480 or below.
HD is 720 and above.
Camera Lens
What are the 3 types of lens (focal lengths)?
Wide (wide angle of view, landscapes), Normal (see how the eye see), Telephoto (objects appear closer than they are, zoom in).
What is “Focal Length?”
The distance from the lens to the image plane.
What is a “Zoom” lens?
Lens that can change the focal length (zoom
in or out).
What is a “Prime” lens?
Fixed focal length, does not zoom in or out.
What is Depth of Field?
The distance between the closest and farthest objects in a photo that is in focus.
What affects the Depth of Field?
The focal length, f-stop, and the distance from the camera to the subject.
What is the Aperture and f-stop?
The opening of a lens. The smaller the ƒ-stop number, the larger the aperture allowing more light into the camera.
What are some benefits of a Tripod?
A tripod is a three-legged stand designed to support a camera. A major benefit is stabilized footage (no shaky footage). Additionally the tripod also allows the camera to pan left and right or tilt up and down.
A quick-release plate allows the camera to be mounted on and off the tripod quickly.
The level bubble in the back ensures the camera is leveled.
Analog vs Digital
What is an Analog?
An electrical copy of the original stimulus. The signal is continuous. Ex, film cameras, old televisions, audio cassette tapes, vhs tapes, old land-line telephones, your voice.
What is Digital?
Digital is a series of 1’s and 0’s. A digital signal is discontinuous. Digital signals can be compressed, and analog signals cannot. Ex, digital cameras, computers, digital phones,.
Audio is important, audio not only conveys information but adds aesthetic energy and structure to video.
How do microphones hear?
Microphones convert sound waves into electrical audio signals.
Microphones are categorized in three different ways, how well they hear, how they are made and how they are used.
Picture from https://www.boxcast.com
Microphones hear sound in different ways.
Pickup Pattern – the zone within which a microphone can hear well.
Most microphones used in video production are either omnidirectional or unidirectional.
Omnidirectional – Mic hears well from all directions.
Unidirectional – Hears well from one direction, the front.
The most common unidirectional pattern is a cardioid microphone pattern. Cardioid pattern mics capture sound in the shape of a small heart-shaped circle in front of the mic.
There are two additional types of cardioid pickup patterns that are common in video production: supercardioid and hypercardioid. These polar patterns are commonly used in shotgun mics.
Microphones are made in different ways.
A Dynamic Mic – Rugged, can withstand rough handling.
A Condenser Mic – More sensitive, needs power/phantom power.
Ribbon – high quality, very sensitive, not used in film production that much.
How mics are used.
Lavalier microphones: Usually omnidirectional, small, rugged, high quality sound, and usually clipped to clothing.
Hand microphones: Unidirectional, handled by talent/performers.
Boom microphone( shotgun mic) : Kept out of the picture. Because it’s further away from talent, usually a hypercardioid or supercardioid mic is used.
Audio Tools
An audio mixer – Amplifies weak signals, and mix two or more sources.
XLR- Cable for professional microphones and camcorders.
A change in frame or perspective is produced by the camera moving. Directors and cinematographers can change the audience’s point of view without cutting by using camera movement. The audience might be psychologically and emotionally affected by particular camera movements. A movie can use these effects to become more compelling and immersive.
Pan
The camera pan directs a camera horizontally left or right. The pan camera movement is typically achieved with a tripod head, but can also be done handheld or with a stabilizer.
Pans are often motivated by a character’s actions. They can also be used to reveal new information to the audience.
Tilt
Camera tilts are just like pans, only vertical. Tilt camera movements direct a camera upward or downward. Camera tilts can be used to give a character dominance in a shot or to reveal new information to the audience. Tilts enable filmmakers to capture the verticality of a film in moments of awe and spectacle.
Dolly In / Out
A dolly-in moves the camera closer to a subject typically with a dolly camera movement or Steadicam. Push-ins can draw the audience’s attention toward a specific detail. Filmmakers also push-in toward characters to try and infer what is occurring internally. This can be a reaction, thought process, or internal conflict.
The camera dolly out is the exact opposite of the dolly in. A dolly out is a smooth camera movement that moves the camera further away from a subject. This movement causes the subject to grow smaller while simultaneously revealing their surroundings.
Dolly outs can be used to reveal setting and characters. Emotionally, dolly outs can highlight a character’s isolation or loneliness.
Zoom
Although zooms are technically not a camera movement they do create movement within the image. Zooms change the focal length of a camera lens to either zoom in (magnify) or zoom out (de-magnify) the size of a subject in the frame.
Zooms are unique because there is no equivalent to it in the experience of the human eye. Zooms can feel artificial or even unnatural. For these reasons, zooms are one of the best camera movements to use in horrors and thrillers.
Tracking shot
A tracking shot is any shot that physically moves the camera through the scene for an extended amount of time. Tracking camera movement often follows a traveling subject, though they can be used to simply show off the scene.
Descriptions from https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/different-types-of-camera-movements-in-film/
Trucking shot
Similar to tracking or dollying, trucking is essentially the same. It may have slightly varied meanings to various people, but in general, it denotes side-to-side camera movement in relation to the action.
Pedestal
Pedestal means to raise or lower the camera on a tripod or studio pedestal’s central column.
Crane
Crane shots are used with a camera mounted on an upward-and-downward-moving jib. A crane shot often hovers around in the air. The crane shot enables the viewer to depart from a conventional point of view and creates a fresh viewpoint that is naturally cinematic.
The expression “shot size” describes the relationship of the frame’s size to its content. The shot size basically establishes how much of your subject or environment is seen in each given shot. The scene’s rhythm and visual language are influenced by the combination of various shot sizes.
Image from www.cadrage.app
Elements of Image Composition
FRAMING A SHOT The most fundamental concerns regarding framing a shot are how much area you include in the frame, the proximity the subject seems to the viewer, where to set the object relative to the screen boundaries, and how to make viewers perceive the entire thing. These elements are known as image composition.
RULE OF THIRDS
The Rule of Thirds is a visual composition method involving utilizing two horizontal and two vertical lines to divide an image into thirds. With four crossing points, this hypothetical grid produces nine segments. Theoretically, you could achieve a far more interesting-looking composition by placing the most crucial components of it at these intersections.
Some of the most basic compositional factors involve subject placement; head room, and lead room; and the horizon line.
HEAD ROOM
When framing your subject, you should also take head room into account. The head room is the distance between a person’s head and the top of the frame. If you give them too much room, the person will look to be drowning in quicksand. On the other hand, if you don’t give them enough space, the person will appear at risk of hitting their head at the top of the frame. Providing proper head room for a subject balances the shot composition. You will provide suitable head room if you place the subject’s eyes on the imagined top third line.
LEAD ROOM
Lead room or look-room is the blank space between the subject and the frame’s edge. To put it another way, it’s about framing what isn’t in the frame, which is crucial when filming people. It is our natural impulse to follow someone’s gaze to find out what they are looking at, whether in the street or on a large screen. Therefore, it is unsettling for the viewers when a character is placed at the edge of a frame and looking off the edges of the screen.
The signals are continuous waves. They can represent natural phenomena like sound or light.
Never skip any part of the original signal.
Ex, somebody singing into a microphone.
What is Digital
Digital is a series of 1’s and 0’s.
A digital signal is discontinuous.
Digital signals can be compressed, and analog signals cannot.
Codecs
Codecs are compressions and decompressions systems.
For example:
Quicktime has its own codecs for sending files over the internet.
Apple has its own codecs.
Why Digital?
Unlimited copies with the last one looking just as good as the original.
You can compress signals to save storage space.
Allows you to manipulate pictures and sound in a controlled way.
Downloading and Streaming
Downloading means files are sent as data packets that are often out of order.
Streaming means you can open the file and listen while the data delivery is still in progress.
The Pros & Cons Of Film Vs Digital
Hollywood utilized analog cameras for a very long period because the filmmakers loved the aesthetic appeal of chemical film, and the image quality was unmatched for a very long time.
What is film stock?
Film stock is a physical analog medium used for recording images made from celluloid and coated with light-sensitive gelatin emulsion. Light is used to capture an image onto the film; it is later developed under a specific chemical process and produces the images. Film stock comes in different sizes and styles; they are also differentiated by their chemical make-up, size of film grain, and color retention.
Photo by Frederic Rolland
Pros of film
More control over camera settings. Film gives you complete control over exposure (amount of light that reaches the film), shutter speed, and the development process.
High dynamic range. Film is better at capturing subtle details and color contrasts, especially between black and white.
Film grain. One of the most characteristic qualities of film is the film grain that some film stocks have. Many directors love the quality of film grain within a picture. This is, of course, a stylistic preference.
Lower initial costs. Traditional film cameras are generally cheaper than digital cameras.
More purposeful shooting. Film rolls have a limited number of film. Shooting with film makes you really think about every single frame that you’re capturing. “You must be mindful instead of shooting in rapid fire.”
Cons of film
Time-consuming development process. Unlike digital where we can instantly see the footage after it is taken, cinematographers have to wait until the film is developed to see if their footage turned out well.
More consistent costs over time. Continuously buying rolls of film will add up over the years. While many believe the extra cost is worth the benefits, some cinematographers may find purchasing a memory card (for their digital cameras) much more economical.
Pros of digital
https://fixthephoto.com/
Digital filmmaking is accessible. Relatively low cost and user friendly, digital recording equipment is the personal computer of the film industry. While this could be seen as a threat to the establishment, these new voices in film can also inspire others and bring new energy to the film industry.
Editing is simple. Like digital recording equipment, editing equipment for digital film is affordable and also easy to master. Postproduction can be less cumbersome in the digital world. If someone with no training in digital film editing can do a reasonable job on their Mac, imagine what someone with digital filmmaking career training could do.
Digital distribution reaches a wide audience. You no longer need a big marketing budget to reach a wide audience. Today, your movie could take off on YouTube. Digitally formatted films aren’t bound to traditional distribution methods.A little success could open big doors for your film career.
Digital projection saves money. The cost to make and ship a 35mm print is approximately $1,500 while the cost to make a hard drive containing a digital movie is $150. A digital print won’t break or scratch and the format presents the ability for theaters to show alternate programming, such as live theater and opera.
See the image you are shooting in real time. For some cinematographers, one of the best advantages to digital cinematography is the ability to playback or see the image you are shooting in real time. Adjustments can be made immediately and there is no need to wait for the image to develop to see if you got the shot you envisioned.
Cons of digital photography
Higher sensitivity. Digital cameras tend to be more sensitive to changes in temperature and moisture, which means they may be less suited to certain shoots and situations like those in snow, rain, or humidity.
Requires battery power. While you can take many more photos with a digital camera compared to a film camera, the amount of time you spend getting the perfect photo may be limited by your camera’s battery life.
More distraction during photo shoots. “Digital photography can be more distracting in the moment because, as a human, I can’t resist the urge to look at what I’ve just shot,” says Rubin.
Time-consuming review process. When you have hundreds or even thousands of takes after a video shoot, you may spend a significant amount of time editing.
