Journal 3

Option #2 Answer:

• Three point lighting is the standard lighting setup for Hollywood films. The three points are the main dominant sources of lighting on the set. In three point lighting, many different lights are used, but they are set up in a way that it seems as though there are three main areas where light is coming from. These areas of light are catagoried into terms called the key light, the fill light, and the back light. The key light is the key light source on set. This light is in front of the actor. The fill light is the weaker light that basically is used to fill in the shadows that are made by the key lighting. The fill light is on the side of the actor. This is used so that there are little areas of darkness on the set. the last part of three-point lighting is the back light, which is the minor light that is used to light the space between the characters and the back of the set to seperate the characters from the background. This light is placed behind the actor. The whole three-point lighting scheme is set up in an almost triangular shape, with the actor in the middle. This lighting technique is used to make sure that everything that is necessary to have lit up on the set is lit, and to make sure that the actor is in clear vision. In this lighting, sometimes extra lights are also placed around the area as well to add the illusion of depth to the set. The end result of this lighting technique is a perfectly light area to perform the scene in, and with this lighting we are sure that nothing will be left out of the view of the viewer.
• High Key and Low Key lighting techniques are basically manipulations of the three-point lighting. These terms describe the ratio of fill light to key light. With high key lighting, the ratio of fill light to key light is high. This means that there is a large amount of fill light, which gets rid of all of the shadows. The end result of this is a completely well lit set, without many shadows. This is done by simply increasing the amount of fill light used. The end result of this sets the mood usually for more upbeat films, such as comedies. Low key lighting is basically the opposite. This is done by making the ratio of fill to key light low. This means that the set will not be fully lit. The end result of this makes a shadowy effect on the set. This sets the mood for a darker movie, such as a horror.
• Star Lighting is the lighting that is placed on top of all of the other necessary lightings. This lighting is used to make certain features more noticable on the stars. It is also used to make the expressions on their face easier to see. Star lighting is used to make the viewer's eyes gravitate to the actor on the screen which is most important to be watching at the time. The outcome of this is making the viewers focus on the most important person so as not to miss anything, and it is also used to make it seem like the actor is radiating light from themselves. This gives them a more glorious appeal. (Belton 55)