Planning: Lighting

Lighting

Lighting is an extremely important element of any film. It can be manipulated in order to add depth and meaning to a production. Natural lighting is said to be the default type of lighting, as it shows a lack of meaning or adventure, and it's simply neutral. Creating artificial lighting allows film-makers to alter settings at ease, and switch between a variety of glows.

There are two different forms of lighting which are commonly used within films. They are addressed as high and low key lighting. 

High key lighting involves white tones and light colours, with very little black. It is often used in an artistic manner, where photographers and film-makers wish to create a sense of upbeat, optimism or youthfulness in their productions. Many comedies and sitcoms use this type of lighting, such as Friends and How I Met Your Mother.

Low key lighting is the opposite to high key lighting, as one may have guessed, it relies heavily on shadows, deep blacks and darker tones. This type of lighting can either create a sense of mystery, or sombreness. A film which perfectly uses low key lighting is The Big Combo, a highly recognised film noir.