Part

Lighting

You might say: lights, three-point lighting, key light

The light on the subject. The classic set-up is three-point: a key light, a softer fill on the other side, and a back light to separate the subject from the background.

What it does

Shapes the face, sets the mood and gives the camera enough light for a clean image.

Ask

Where is the key, and how dark do I let the other side go?

Trouble

Flat, grey or noisy footage; harsh shadows under the eyes.

What to look for

1. Key, fill and back light shaping the face
2. A soft window key
3. Flat frontal ring-light illumination

Catalogue: Set-up

• Three-point: Key, fill and back light. Full control and repeatable.
• Window light: A large window beside the subject works as a big soft key; it changes with the weather and time of day.
• Ring light: A ring round the lens lights the face from the front, best slightly above eye level and about 60–120 cm away. Quick and even, but flat: frontal light hides the shape of the face.

Sources

1. University of Saskatchewan, Video Production Basics DIY Guide, 3-point lightingThe most common lighting set up is what’s called 3 point lighting.
2. Descript, Video Lighting: Essential Lights and How to Place Them, Window light and three-point setupA window, under the right circumstances, can serve as a key light, where reflectors can produce fill light and backlight.

Use it on your project

teardown-apply: hold "Lighting" (lighting) from the teardown at https://teardownatlas.com/content-creation/ against my project

Paste it into a coding agent that has the teardown skills.

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