Motion Picture Lighting With Mother Nature in Mind

What could be easier and more simple than a walk outside during the day and basking in the sun. It is a principle of lighting that even some professionals overlook. A student of film recently mentioned to me his lack of experience in lighting. As we stood outside on a sunny day, I said, "Look down at the ground. We are casting only one shadow." So it is with lighting. As Charles G. Clarke mentions in his book Professional Cinematographer, the theory of motion picture lighting is based on our sun. There being only one!

I have explained to many students that interior lighting is creating outdoor lighting inside. Now there can be a bright day, hazy, cloudy bright, or darker soft light. All of these effects can be created inside the studio with the proper equipment to modify the lighting units. Light can come from a low angle or higher up.

This is the creative choice of the camera person or lighting technician. If there is a window on the set, it is obvious that light would come from that direction. What has evolved in the teaching of lighting is called the 3 point lighting set-up. A key light, fill light and back light. This is o.k. however following these guidelines problems can arise as the fill light may cause another shadow and in my opinion this violates the concept of seeing only one shadow outside. Hence, I have developed a method called the Tuba light. No, it is not a huge mammoth unit dominating the set. It is quite the opposite.

My band teacher in high school once made a remark that I have never forgotten. He said that when the Tuba was playing in the full orchestra you couldn't hear it, but when it was gone you knew something was missing. So is the Tuba light. It is light reflected off of large white poster boards. Sometimes it is so subtle you are not aware of it, but notice when it is turned off. The refection from poster boards in an "L" shape can also create a soft key light instead of buying expensive soft boxes. This is a beautiful light and very inexpensive to construct.

When learning to light, think of the one light in the sky and work with it on the set. There are valuable exercises you can do with placement of the key light and I will discuss that in a future article. Please remember, lighting is a subtle art form not to be abused. You can use hard light, but balance it with soft.