Three Point Lighting Workshop (27/01/2021)

 Three Point Lighting Workshop 

1) The Role of Key, Fill and Background Light:

Chiaroscuro lighting (low-key lighting) emphasises both shadow and lighting in order to create depth. 

A key light is often the strongest and most important light. It is traditionally the main source of lighting.

A fill light is often placed opposite the key light to fill in the shadows created by the key light. The use of the fill light decides upon both the mood and style of the shot. 

Background light separates the subject from the background, giving it a more three dimensional look. Background light also lights up the background of the shot.

2)Examples of Pictures we'd taken with Natural Light and with a Key Light Source:

I was asked to look at pictures I had taken or take pictures that represented pictures taken with natural lighting and those taken with a key light source.

Example of Natural Light:

Example of a Key Light Source:

'This Is Not A Love Letter' Short Film:

("This Is Not A Love Letter", 2020)

'This Is Not A Love Letter' is a short-film directed by Ariel Zucker and encompasses the reactions of a woman's friends as she shares with them the story of her experience of having an abortion for the first time. The short-film is part of a spoken word series by CNT Productions and is focused upon a poem that the lead actor wrote when reflecting upon her experience of having an abortion and as a woman in society. 

 In 'This Is Not A Love Letter', I believe that the director alongside the director of photography chose to use soft lighting in order to enhance the emotional connection with  the audience. The DoP appears to have mostly used natural lighting at the very beginning of the film, changing as soon as the dialogue begins. The colour and lighting are warmer once the dialogue begins to possibly mirror the fact that the lead isn't alone in her experiences and that she appears to be accepted and empathy is shared by the other people she tells. 

The colour palette used primarily contains reds, yellows, blues and greens. The warmth of the yellows and reds could be representative of the emotional connection and passion between the experience of the lead and the other women. The blues and greens could be symbolic of the shock and numbness that the lead was feeling at the time surrounding her abortion. In addition to this, they could also represent the sadness she was feeling due to the event that had occurred and the pressure often placed on women by society with regards to deciding what they should do with their bodies. 

The camera is handheld throughout the film, creating a sense of intimacy as you are experiencing and incredibly personal moment alongside each character as the lead recounts her first abortion. 

Bibliography:

"This Is Not A Love Letter" (2020) [Online Video] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEWZyo-h99k&ab_channel=CNTProductions (Accessed 27/01/2021)