Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Cinematic Lighting: 3 Looks, 1 Location

17/07/2024

Home Applications 3 Looks, 1 Location

class=attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail f-align-center alt=Garrett Sammons decoding=async data-lazy-srcset=https://www.litepanels.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/garrett_sammons-150x150.png 150w, https://www.litepanels.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/garrett_sammons-300x300.png 300w, https://www.litepanels.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/garrett_sammons-768x768.png 768w, https://www.litepanels.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/garrett_sammons-100x100.png 100w, https://www.litepanels.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/garrett_sammons-140x140.png 140w, https://www.litepanels.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/garrett_sammons-500x500.png 500w, https://www.litepanels.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/garrett_sammons-350x350.png 350w, https://www.litepanels.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/garrett_sammons-800x800.png 800w, https://www.litepanels.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/garrett_sammons-600x600.png 600w, https://www.litepanels.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/garrett_sammons.png 900w data-lazy-sizes=(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px data-lazy-src=https://www.litepanels.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/garrett_sammons-150x150.png />Garrett Sammons Garrett is the Creative Director at Nice Shirt Media and part-time film professor. With a primary focus on commercial cinematography, he also creates narrative and documentary films.

youtube

instagram

Written by Garrett Sammons

Lighting is one of the most crucial aspects of filmmaking. Although sometimes underestimated, lighting can change the entire look and feel of a location. It can also impact the depth of the story told. As such, cinematographers, gaffers, and directors of photography (DPs) need to understand how light works and behaves.

If we do our jobs well as cinematographers, gaffers, and DPs, we can use lighting to create a world that is completely believable and similar to reality. To demonstrate the impact of lighting, we filmed three short scenes using different setups. We used the same location, set design, and subject for each scene, changing only the lighting.

Look 1: Good Morning

There are two key things to keep in mind when discussing dawn light -temperature and harshness. Light is on a color and behavior spectrum, and morning light is particularly harsh. Therefore, we used the Gemini 1 1 Hard to emulate it.

Key light setup We put the 1 1 Hard light on the roof outside a window on the second story of the building. We tuned it to approximately 3200K. For the tight shots, we used a -stop scrim to slightly cut down the harshness. But for the wide shots, it was wide open.

Our key light in this scene was sunlight, which we got using the 1 1 Hard Gemini coming through the window. This created nice, hard, long shadows, which are similar to dawn light. Make sure you use extremely accurate and bright lights that can replicate color temperature well to achieve this look.

Book light setup On the other side, we created a book light that uses a bounce and diffusion combo to create a morning look. The booklight ensured a contrast balance between the sun coming from one side and the shadow on the other side of the room.

Our book light setup comprised of a Gemini 1 1 Soft at 20-25% put through a 4 4-foot Silk. This soft light bounced off a neutral white wall. Here, we were not trying to change the behavior of the light. Rather, the goal was to get enough light to subtly fill in the shadows so that we could alleviate that contrast ratio.

This fill is necessary, even when working with directional light sources, as it allows you to remove unwanted contrast or shadows. However, an indirect source is still preferable because you can spread the light out. Hence, we used white silk while filming this scene. Putting artificial silk on the other side diffuses the bounced light a second time, further scattering it.

Screens For the second shot, we put a -stop screen over the window to change the light intensity. Here, we did not use diffusion because we didn't want to lose the hard light nature. Diffusing too much in this shot would have made the lighting look super soft. As such, it wouldn't match the wider shot.

alt=Gemini lighting plot data-nectar-img-srcset=https://www.litepanels.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Morning-plot.png 1068w, https://www.litepanels.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Morning-plot-300x169.png 300w, https://www.litepanels.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Morning-plot-1024x578.png 1024w, https://www.litepanels.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Morning-plot-768x434.png 768w, https://www.litepanels.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Morning-plot-600x339.png 600w sizes=(max-width: 1068px) 100vw, 1068px title= />

You can also use screens to adjust lighting without changing behavior. The use of a -stop screen and a window here allowed us to stop that down while still maintaining the harshness.

We also used a slightly cooler color temperature for the fill. We had 3200K outside and approximately 4200K (mixed) for our diffused book light. This ensured that it wasn't quite daylight; it was cooler. So, our fill was a bit cooler than our key.

Look 2: Goodnight

Light behavior is very different from night to daytime. There are notable differences in both the color temperature and light behavior. Morning light is very direct, hard light. In contrast, night light goes into the difference between reality and creating a new reality.

With night lighting, the aim is to create a specific overall aesthetic, not to perfectly replicate the real world. The goal is to create a believable reality our audience lives in.

The behavior of light is directly related to the perceived surface area of a source to a subject. However, the moon is so far away that the surface area of that source is perceived to be very small. As such, this primary source of nightlight emits hard light.

Key light setup The night also do
LINK: https://www.litepanels.com/en/applications/cinematic-lighting-3-looks-...
See more stories from litepanels

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

04/07/2026

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in Dolby Cinemas Across Japan, Presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby ...

April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

16/04/2026

NAB 2026: Appear Announces X5 General Availability, XM Management Tool, and SIx300 Module

Appear ASA (OSE: APR) will announce three additions to its X Platform at NAB Sho...

16/04/2026

CentralCast Deploys Harmonic XOS Media Processor for Public Broadcasting

Harmonic has announced that CentralCast, a centralized master control facility for U.S. public media, has deployed Harmonic's XOS Advanced Media Processor t...

16/04/2026

NAB 2026: Encompass Digital Media Integrates Interra Systems BATON into Cloud-Based Altitude Flow Platform

Interra Systems has announced that Encompass Digital Media has integrated its BA...

16/04/2026

NAB 2026: Grass Valley to Showcase Expanded Media Infrastructure Capabilities

Grass Valley will demonstrate its Media Infrastructure capabilities at NAB Show 2026 (Booth C2408, Central Hall), bringing routing, signal processing, and orche...

16/04/2026

Verizon Readies Robust Network Infrastructure Plans for FIFA World Cup 2026

As preparations ramp up for the FIFA World Cup 2026, Verizon has outlined a sweeping connectivity and infrastructure initiative that will underpin broadcast ope...

16/04/2026

Advanced Image Robotics Joins 2026 MLS Innovation Lab

Advanced Image Robotics (AIR) has announced its selection for the 2026 MLS Innovation Lab. AIR will work with MLS clubs, players, and executives on automated vi...

16/04/2026

NAB 2026: JWX Acquires True Anthem, Adding AI-Powered Social Publishing to Publisher Platform

JWX has announced the acquisition of True Anthem, an AI-powered social publishin...

16/04/2026

Jomboy Media and Fubo Launch 24/7 Creator-Led Channel

Jomboy Media and FuboTV Inc. have launched the Jomboy Media Channel, a 24/7 channel available to FuboTV base plan subscribers. The channel, timed to the start o...

16/04/2026

NAB 2026: Wave Central and EVS Announce SMPTE ST 2110 Interoperability Validation

Wave Central, a Domo Broadcast Company (Booth C2820), and EVS Broadcast Equipmen...

16/04/2026

Tata Communications and Formula 1 Release Race Before the Race, First Film in New Content Series

Tata Communications and Formula 1 have released Race Before the Race, the firs...

16/04/2026

NAB 2026: DPA Microphones N-Series Firmware Update Adds Duplex Gap and Guard Band Access for North American Users

DPA Microphones has released a firmware update for its N-Series Digital Wireless...

16/04/2026

NAB 2026: See Sony's Live Stage Presentations at NAB Show 2026

Sony's Live Stage at NAB Show 2026 is the place to hear directly from the content creators, end users, and technology experts who are pushing boundaries in ...

16/04/2026

Perfect Game and Youth Prospects Announce Broadcast Rights and Content Partnership

Perfect Game and Youth Prospects have announced a partnership covering broadcast...

16/04/2026

National Collegiate Rugby Partners with All Womens Sports Network for 2026 National 7s Championships

National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) has announced a media rights partnership with Al...

16/04/2026

NAB 2026: Audio-Technica Introduces BP350ST-UB and BP350ST-UL Mid-Side Stereo Broadcast Microphones

Audio-Technica has announced two new mid-side (MS) stereo broadcast microphones:...

16/04/2026

NAB 2026: PSSI Global Services Acquires Beagle Networks

PSSI Global Services has announced the acquisition of Beagle Networks, a provider of IT infrastructure and onsite technical support for media and enterprise cus...

16/04/2026

NAB 2026: Blackmagic Design Releases Blackmagic Camera for iOS 3.3

Blackmagic Design has released Blackmagic Camera for iOS 3.3, a free update available now from the Apple App Store. The update will be demonstrated at NAB Show ...

16/04/2026

SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: 4Wall Entertainment's Dave Caulwell on Scaling Live Event Production for Sports

As live sports production continues to expand across linear, digital, and in-ven...

16/04/2026

ESPN Enters First HDR Postseason With REMCO Support in New Bristol-Based Control Rooms

Part of an infrastructure upgrade, the recently constructed spaces accommodate n...

16/04/2026

NBC Sports Tips Off First NBA Playoffs Campaign in 23 Years With Six-Truck Fleet, Interchangeable Production Model

NBC has added NEP's Supershooter 11, which only just came online in time for...

16/04/2026

Introducing a Smarter, Smoother Experience for Tablets

At Spotify, we want your experience to feel intuitive and personal across every moment of the day. Whether you're streaming your favorite playlist while you...

16/04/2026

Telsie T - SonicWorlds extended classic German Equaliser

Vintage broadcast experts release second plug-in Telsie T is the second plug-in to be released by SonicWorld, a German audio company who specialise in servi...

16/04/2026

Softube unveil Flow Studio

Compact unit offers hands-on plug-in control Softube have just announced the launch of their latest hardware unit, the Flow Studio. Housed in a compact desk...

16/04/2026

Fiedler Audio release Armada

Use any VST3 plug-in on immersive audio Fiedler Audio have just released a powerful new plug-in wrapper that brings full VST3 processing to Dolby Atmos and ...

16/04/2026

Nugen Audio update Halo Vision

Analysis plug-in gains enhanced frequency readouts Nugen Audio's real-time analysis plug-in has just received a significant update that introduces some ...

16/04/2026

GearExpo UK Announced

Recording & Music Technology Show Sound On Sound are pleased to announce a new recording and music technology exhibition taking place in London on Saturday ...

16/04/2026

SBS reveals all-star alumni team to celebrate 70 years of the Eurovision Song Contest

SBS reveals all-star alumni team to celebrate 70 years of the Eurovision Song Co...

16/04/2026

Reimagining Earth Measurement for the AI Era: L3Harris and Xoople Develop a New Spaceborne Capability

For decades, understanding the physical world from space has required a trade-of...

16/04/2026

Locality and Nielsen Announce Landmark Integration of Media Data Engine, Transforming Local TV Measurement

The integration accelerates demographic audience delivery across local markets a...

16/04/2026

Quickplay Deploys Gray Medias New Streaming Platform

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

16/04/2026

Spectrum TV App Launches On Google TV and Other Android TV Devices

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

16/04/2026

Telestream Enables Multi-Cloud Media Workflows with Oracl...

Telestream Cloud Services, including Vantage Cloud, UP, and SENTRY monitoring tools, are now optimized for OCI, powering flexible multi-cloud media orchestratio...

16/04/2026

Fox Corporation Names Amazon Web Services its Preferred A...

Fox Corporation (Nasdaq: FOXA, FOX; FOX or the Company ) today announced a strategic collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), naming AWS as its preferre...

16/04/2026

Triveni Digital Introduces New StreamScope Analyzer to Br...

Triveni Digital, a trusted leader in ATSC 1.0 and 3.0 service delivery, data broadcasting, and quality assurance solutions, today announced an ISDB-Tb capabilit...

16/04/2026

Synamedia and SoFast team up to accelerate FAST and OTT

Synamedia and SoFast announce strategic go-to-market partnership to accelerate FAST, pay-TV, and VOD At the NAB Show 2026, Synamedia and SoFast are announcing ...

16/04/2026

Imagine Builds on a Decade of ST 2110 Leadership at 2026...

Showcases New, Open-Standard IP Solutions Across Its Portfolio, From Production to Playout Imagine Communications is marking a decade of leadership in ST 2110 ...

16/04/2026

Roku Marks 100M Milestone

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

16/04/2026

Sportway and Broadcast Solutions acquire Studio Automated...

Sportway Media Group, a world leading AI-automated sports production company and Broadcast Solutions, a leading system integrator and provider of innovative sol...

16/04/2026

AJA to Acquire Video Encoding Software Company Comprimato

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

16/04/2026

NAB Show 2026: Sony Announces New Cameras, Virtual Production Tools

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

16/04/2026

Synamedia launches GO Shorts

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

16/04/2026

Clear-Com Introduces Arcadia and Eclipse HX Updates

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

16/04/2026

AJA Enters into Agreement to Acquire Video Encoding Software Company Comprimato

AJA Enters into Agreement to Acquire Video Encoding Software Company Comprimato Brie Clayton April 15, 2026 0 Comments Deal will expand AJA's video ...

16/04/2026

Deity Announces PR-4 Compact Field Recorder with Pre-Orders Launching April 14

Deity Announces PR-4 Compact Field Recorder with Pre-Orders Launching April 14 Brie Clayton April 15, 2026 0 Comments Deity Microphones today announce...