Low-Key Lighting.- Lights used create shadows and a dim hue.
- The lights are often set at eye level or lower to the ground of the subject. - Lights will need to be moved everytime the actor is placed differently in order to gain the correct shadow effect, this means it is a lengthier shoot than one with high-key lighting. - Uses three point lighting; key light, fill light and back light. - Shadows are created by using reflectors and the placing of the lights. - Mainly used for horror due to the features it creates. |
High-Key Lighting.- Lights used are very bright and create alight hue.
- The lights are often set high above to cover the entire set with light. - No lights need to be adjusted as they are set high above, so can create a continuous shoot with ease. - Uses multiple hot light sources (fluorescent soft lights). - Mainly used in sitcoms and comedies. |
Low-key lighting is mainly used for horror films due to the effects it creates. The dim hue and shadows created by this lighting are suited to the conventions of a horror film; it creates tension due to its mysterious and dark atmosphere, controlling how much of the surroundings and characters are revealed. It sets the tone, mood and creates a dangerous association with enigma through the shadows and dull shades.
I then participated in a Low-key Lighting Test Shoot to explore the different feaures created by this use of lighting.
I then participated in a Low-key Lighting Test Shoot to explore the different feaures created by this use of lighting.
Here I have sketched a picture showing roughly where the key light, subject, reflector and camera were during the test shoot. This can give a visual image of how the shadows were created and how I explored an understanding of low-key lighting...
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Reflectors:
The gold reflector created a warm glow yet the silver reflector created a harsher tone with no softness to it (the use of reflectors can also be taken into concideration when deciding what tone the scene requires). |
Here we used a reflector and a key light. We placed the reflector lower to the ground and the light around eye level pointing downwards to create the shdows on the face.
White background: cast a shadow of the person lighting and the person being lighted. Black background: Absorbed all the light so didn't bounce back on the face as prominantly. Still casted a shadow of the person being lighted. |
I then participated in a Three Point Lighting Test Shoot
in order to experiment with the low-key lighting feature used in most horror films. Three point lighting is when three lights are used. These are called the key light, fill light and back light. A reflector is also used in this combination, or in some cases, more than one reflector depending on the effect required for the scene. |
The difficulties of three point lighting was that to create the shadows required, the subject had to be static and the lights
constantly being moved to fit the subject. The key light shines directly on the subject, the fill light hits the subject on an angle with a softer flood and the back light shines on the subject from behind, added with the reflector, this combonation causes numerous and deep shaddows. |
Here is a sketch to provide an image of where the
lights were placed to create the shadows shown on the picture to the left... |
From experimenting with the three point lighting,
I gathered that it adds more depth to the shadows and therefore a darker tone to the subject. It is harder to reveal all of the subject and therefore more mysterious and full of suspense through the tone, mood and difficulty to see what the subject is. what the subject is. |