Three Point Lighting

Three point lighting is the standard way to arrange the lighting in the majority of filming situation. It consists of three lighting points to fill the filming area, and are named the key light, back light and fill light.

Key Light:
This is the main source of light which is usually situated next the the camera covering the filming area.

Fill Light:
This is the second light source which is less intense then the key light and is situated on the other side of the camera. This fills in any excess shadow created by the key light.

Back Light:
This is the light source that fills the rear of the filming area and can also be aimed towards the back of the subject to create a slight halo effect.

Standard spot lights give off an orange colour which may not be wanted, for example, when working outside as natural sunlight has a blue pigment. Where natural light is needed a blue filter would need to be put over the spotlight.

When using lighting equipment some safety procedures need to be followed. Heat resistant gloves need to be worn when handling spotlights as they get extremely hot and can easily burn people. The wiring for the equipment is also a hazard as there are usually a number of lights on a set at time and tripping over a wire can occur. To avoid this wires are usually taped to the floor. Wires also need to be uncoiled otherwise the electricity flowing through them will heat the and may cause a fire.