The importance of Lighting

Lighting is without doubt one of the most important assets in filmmaking, getting this write can have a huge impact on the overall look of the film as well as the mood of the piece.

Light can also be used to highlight parts within a story. Without lighting there can be no film.

Although there are other integral parts to film such as sound and the use of camera angles light has a huge impact on the overall look of the film.

Filmmaking as a whole is an amalgamation of different elements and components all of which should be employed to enhance the story. It is the job of the director’s to transform the initial script into a workable sequence on screen. These core elements may include sound as well as camera angles, camera moves as well as colour to provoke a certain mood for example. A film is a theatrical performance and a, “form of entertainment that enacts a story by sound and a sequence of images giving the illusion of continuous movement.” However the images you see on and the story that is played out is highly dependant on the the lighting of the subjects within the scene as well as the surroundings. If there was an absence of light all that would be left is a dark black abyss. The reason why theatrical performances are so compelling is due to the fact that the images we see come alive because of the way light reflects around the scene enabling us to empathise with the characters. Film itself is two dimensional, however light gives the illusion and impression of a 3d space. I hope to delve into the world of cinematic lighting to gain a more rounded understanding of its use and the way in which light can sometimes have huge benefits to a story.

In a theatre, the audience observes the actions of the play’s protagonists and is usually accompanied by a synchronized sound track. There are many elements, which can improve the performance. However, lighting the scene and its characters is key to good filmmaking. Without light there can be no film. In order to see our characters and actions on screen light must reflect off objects or characters back into our retinas. All film is based on light and without it is almost impossible to tell a visual story. Light can dramatically change the mood of a story and it can also tell you much about a character as well as a scene itself.