Lighting

    Today I will be looking into lighting, an essential but often overlooked mise-en-scene element in film. In my film opening, I intend on using a variety of differently lit environments, and I think it would be helpful to learn a bit more about lighting as a technique.

• Soft lighting
• Soft lighting utilizes diffused light, applying a gentler look onto the character. This form of lighting has the least amount of contrast, as there is less definition of shadows.
• Often seen in romantic scenes, as the technique "is often more flattering" (Joulin, 2024).
• Hard lighting
• As the opposite of the previous technique, hard lighting lacks any diffusion. With more aggressive lighting, heavier shadows are casted by the object or character, creating a sense of contrast.
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  Often seen in more threatening situations
• Three-point lighting
• Three point lighting is (in a way) a happy medium between the previously mentioned techniques. The technique aims to illuminate the character completely, "revealing their contours without distortion" (Joubin, 2024).

    In the context of my own film, I intend on using a combination of these techniques, alongside low & high-key lighting. As my protagonist is 'forced' to obsess over weightlifting due to his illness, I want to cast more dramatic shadows to indicate that the gym is not his pastime. Additionally, as he carries out his day, I'd like to use softer, more natural lighting to make the environment feel more believable in areas like his kitchen.

References

Joubin, A. A. (2024, September 4). Lighting. Screening Shakespeare. https://screenshakespeare.org/mise-en-scene/lighting/