Lighting is one of the most powerful tools in video. It is the medium that can make the most of your visual storytelling, transforming a dull image into a riveting visual experience that keeps your audience engaged. In this article, we’ll discuss three-point lighting, a fundamental lighting pattern borrowed from film that works just as well in a digital age and can be applied to a variety of video projects. Whether you’re shooting an interview, a product video, or a short film, three-point lighting is a basic lighting technique that can make your videos look polished and professional. Even if you only have one light, you can still apply the three-point lighting principle to achieve a quality visual effect. In addition, learning three-point lighting will teach you how to manipulate light to create a desired outcome.
The key light is the main light that is usually placed at a 45-degree angle from the subject that creates the dominant light with intended shadows that highlight the features of a face or outline of an object. This is the light that establishes the lighting environment such as a sun light or a single beam light. The strength of this light can vary based on the desired effect or the desired emotional impact such as dramatic or a lot more subtle. The strength and type of the key light should be considered in the process of telling the story.
The fill light is the key’s counterpart. It’s used across from the key light to fill in the shadows that the key light casts, making sure everything is lit well enough to see without washing the image out. This helps avoid the subject looking very contrasted and unpleasant to watch. A good balance is important for tutorials and dialogue, but you might want a greater key to fill ratio for a more dramatic piece. Practiced videographers develop a sense of what looks good and what doesn’t, just as photographers do.
The third light is the backlight (or rim light). This light is used to give a highlight around the hair or subject, separate it from the background, and give a three-dimensional look to the subject so that the person will not appear to be part of the background. It is placed behind the subject to give a highlight around the edge and may be used to give the overall effect of separation, particularly from a background with similar tones. Cool backlights are often used in combination with warm front lights to create a professional look and a three-dimensional effect.
However, three-point lighting isn’t a technique that exists solely as a technical practice, it has to be viewed as a way of life. Light must be a tool in the filmmaker’s arsenal, something that can be modified based on genre, or certain restraints. You can always add practicals, or use available lighting to mix and match, and the more you practice, the more comfortable you will become. You will learn how even the slightest alteration of the lights’ positions, or the slightest dimming and brightening of the lights will affect the outcome of your image. You will learn to make an average day of shooting into a form of art. You will begin to understand that lighting is an intent, and every ray of light in your scene is saying something.
