Why did I look at high and low key lighting?
I looked at high key and low key lighting because this is the type of lighting used in films. Low key lighting is conventional to a horror film. This is because it creates tension building shadows and gives the audience a scary feeling.
Low Key LightingThis is expected from a horror film or a high drama piece.
It is when a small amount of light is being used in the frame. Low key lighting uses high lighting ratios such as 1:4, it creates a static image which can cause difficulty for the object to move position without loosing the shadow on it. |
High Key LightingHigh key lighting is usually used above the object to create a calm and bright atmosphere.
In certain scenes high key lighting is moved around to create different lighting effects and shadows. |
When The Class Gave Low Key Lighting A Go
We used a gold and silver reflector, low key lighting and an object set on a white background to create shadows on the object. The difference we found with using different colour reflectors was the gold one gave off a warmer shadow whereas the silver reflector gave off a colder and more intense shadow. The silver reflector is conventional of a horror movie as they are based around tension building story lines.
We found that using a white background created shadows behind the object and a black background absorbed the light creating no shadows.
We found that using a white background created shadows behind the object and a black background absorbed the light creating no shadows.
Three Point Lighting
Three point lighting includes: Key light, Fill light and Back light.
Cinematography
Cinematography is what is happening in the frame.
There are 4 main elements of Cinematography these are:
1- Framing- how the frame is shot. eg. Canted shot
2- Camera Work- How the camera is angled. eg. Tracking & tilt
3- Shot Distance- How far or near the camera is to the action. eg. Extreme close up & long shot
4- Format- What the camera is on. eg. Digital, super 16 & high definition
There are 4 main elements of Cinematography these are:
1- Framing- how the frame is shot. eg. Canted shot
2- Camera Work- How the camera is angled. eg. Tracking & tilt
3- Shot Distance- How far or near the camera is to the action. eg. Extreme close up & long shot
4- Format- What the camera is on. eg. Digital, super 16 & high definition
Having A Go At Camera Angles
My group had a go at using a camera to film different camera angles like: extreme long shot, long shot, mid-shot, close up and extreme close up.
Combining Our Shots Into A Little Film
Below is a video of my partner and I experimenting with different camera lengths and angles.
What Worked And What Didn't?
We shot different camera angles and distances so we can familiarise ourselves with how to shoot them. We also found out what effects we get from these angles and what messages are being sent to the audience. We learnt that when filming a short shot you should film it for longer so you have more film to edit with rather than too less. I found it easier to edit the shots together because they were long. When filming we filmed each shot twice so that if we did something wrong or one of them didn’t work we would have the other shot to work with. I found it easy to recognise the difference between extreme long shot and long shot, and extreme close up and close up. These examples are shown above in the still images.