The biggest job a cinematographer has on set is directing how the lights look in the frame. He knows everything about the lights and what they represent. The cinematographer is the master of lighting. Working closely with the director and gaffer of the production, the cinematographer creates a happy balance of lighting in the frame to produce a realistic picture. There are four key concepts a cinematographer utilizes when setting up lights: movement, placement, intensity and color. This is how I describe each:
Movement: When light moves, it can mean a number of things. A character could be approaching a scene, a light could be "going out" which could create a creepy basement interrogation scene, or it could be something along the lines of a dance party or perhaps a rave of some kind. Maybe flashes are needed to mimic paparazzi taking pictures, in which case a lot of movement is needed as that could consist of a bunch of consecutive flashes from all over the frame.
Placement: "Where is the light coming from and why?" Asking yourself why the light is coming from a certain direction is important because it helps you understand the source better. What makes it shaped that way? Where are the shadows in relation to where the light is coming from? Being attentive to real-life lighting situations is very important to a cinematographer because that way they can mimic the light better and not make it look so fake or forced through the lens. Placing lights where they should be in real life and then making them brighter is the best way to go in my opinion-that way it looks natural. If you want a practical light to look like it's actually lighting someone, it must be intensified in order to show up on camera. For instance, a little desk lamp will not make anyone show up on camera, but intensifying it will.
Light placement on characters also creates different moods because depending on where you shine the light on someone; different shadows will project onto their faces. The darker the light, the more equivocal someone will look. Lighting from below will make someone look more suspicious and placing light more on the face so you can see a character's eyes better will make them look friendlier and more trustworthy. Protagonists are usually better lit and more visible while antagonists are darker lit to keep them in the shadows more and to portray a darker character whom is up to no good.
Intensity: Light intensity can make things look different and hide objects and even wrinkles in shadows. I once had an actress ask me to turn the light down a little because she thought she looked better in the lower lighting-and she was right-it took away some of her wrinkles and made her look a little younger and thinner. It was after this encounter that this lesson stuck with me. Just like black clothes give you the illusion of looking thinner, less light also makes you look thinner and younger. If you notice, in films you will see that antagonists are shown in darker lighting because shadowy figures represent someone evil or unapproachable to people. Protagonists are better lit and you can see more of their face because someone who's eyes you can fully see seems more trustworthy and approachable.
You'll notice in dramas that the character's eyes are very well lit and will almost always have that "twinkle" in them. This is because in dramas, subtext is more important than other genres because drama is all about saying one thing and meaning another, so the eyes must be seen. Brighter light brings out a happier mood, hence why comedies tend to be brighter most of the time. If one were to sit in a dark house all day, they'd probably feel a little worse than if they sat in a well-lit house all day. The same goes for light intensity and how it provokes emotion from the audience.
Color: Playing with colored light is fun and challenging. A cameraman must know about the color wheel because if you white balance on a color, the camera will tint the frame with the opposite color. Sometimes cinematographers will want their film to be tinted a certain color for a theme they're trying to convey, in which case knowing what color to white balance on is key. Different skin tones get lost with certain colors so it's also good to know what pops out and what doesn't pop. The color of the light also helps the audience distinguish between the times of day. Sunlight is always bluer and incandescent lights are always more orange in color. Color also makes people feel a certain way, so having a color scheme for characters in both wardrobe and lighting is very common.
When all these concepts are learned and mastered, they come together to create a masterpiece and can be used and manipulated in every project you shoot to invent a different, unique look. With all these concepts and a touch of your personal creativity, the possibilities of painting with light are endless!
Movement: When light moves, it can mean a number of things. A character could be approaching a scene, a light could be "going out" which could create a creepy basement interrogation scene, or it could be something along the lines of a dance party or perhaps a rave of some kind. Maybe flashes are needed to mimic paparazzi taking pictures, in which case a lot of movement is needed as that could consist of a bunch of consecutive flashes from all over the frame.
Placement: "Where is the light coming from and why?" Asking yourself why the light is coming from a certain direction is important because it helps you understand the source better. What makes it shaped that way? Where are the shadows in relation to where the light is coming from? Being attentive to real-life lighting situations is very important to a cinematographer because that way they can mimic the light better and not make it look so fake or forced through the lens. Placing lights where they should be in real life and then making them brighter is the best way to go in my opinion-that way it looks natural. If you want a practical light to look like it's actually lighting someone, it must be intensified in order to show up on camera. For instance, a little desk lamp will not make anyone show up on camera, but intensifying it will.
Light placement on characters also creates different moods because depending on where you shine the light on someone; different shadows will project onto their faces. The darker the light, the more equivocal someone will look. Lighting from below will make someone look more suspicious and placing light more on the face so you can see a character's eyes better will make them look friendlier and more trustworthy. Protagonists are usually better lit and more visible while antagonists are darker lit to keep them in the shadows more and to portray a darker character whom is up to no good.
Intensity: Light intensity can make things look different and hide objects and even wrinkles in shadows. I once had an actress ask me to turn the light down a little because she thought she looked better in the lower lighting-and she was right-it took away some of her wrinkles and made her look a little younger and thinner. It was after this encounter that this lesson stuck with me. Just like black clothes give you the illusion of looking thinner, less light also makes you look thinner and younger. If you notice, in films you will see that antagonists are shown in darker lighting because shadowy figures represent someone evil or unapproachable to people. Protagonists are better lit and you can see more of their face because someone who's eyes you can fully see seems more trustworthy and approachable.
You'll notice in dramas that the character's eyes are very well lit and will almost always have that "twinkle" in them. This is because in dramas, subtext is more important than other genres because drama is all about saying one thing and meaning another, so the eyes must be seen. Brighter light brings out a happier mood, hence why comedies tend to be brighter most of the time. If one were to sit in a dark house all day, they'd probably feel a little worse than if they sat in a well-lit house all day. The same goes for light intensity and how it provokes emotion from the audience.
Color: Playing with colored light is fun and challenging. A cameraman must know about the color wheel because if you white balance on a color, the camera will tint the frame with the opposite color. Sometimes cinematographers will want their film to be tinted a certain color for a theme they're trying to convey, in which case knowing what color to white balance on is key. Different skin tones get lost with certain colors so it's also good to know what pops out and what doesn't pop. The color of the light also helps the audience distinguish between the times of day. Sunlight is always bluer and incandescent lights are always more orange in color. Color also makes people feel a certain way, so having a color scheme for characters in both wardrobe and lighting is very common.
When all these concepts are learned and mastered, they come together to create a masterpiece and can be used and manipulated in every project you shoot to invent a different, unique look. With all these concepts and a touch of your personal creativity, the possibilities of painting with light are endless!
About the Author:
See what's behind the obligation of the TV show lighting camera man at Mark Cella's site.
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