ABSTRACT
Lighting is essential to cinematographers. Light can enhance a scene in a variety of ways to help tell the story and heighten its dramatic and emotional impact. This chapter focuses on how lighting affects depth, emotion, mood, and composition. Light is a form of energy. It is made up of electromagnetic radiation. This radiation includes a wide spectrum that includes radio waves, microwaves, ultraviolet waves, X-rays, and visible light. Frontal lighting comes from a light source that is in the same position as the camera. Side-lighting comes from a light source that is positioned at a right angle to the camera. Rim lighting comes from a light source that is positioned opposite the camera, typically behind the subject. Lighting used in movies comes from either natural light, artificial light, or a combination of the two. To achieve the classic Hollywood lighting scheme, cinematographers employ a three-point lighting system. In three-point lighting, the primary light source comes from the key light.
