336 Video Digital Communication & Production
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
“Natural” Lighting
Because three-point lighting can look
somewhat theatrical, many situations call
for a more natural, “unlit” appearance.
The key to this approach is soft light. Spots
and broads can be used if heavily diffused,
but large sources, such as umbrellas,
softboxes, or LED panels, are often easier to
work with.
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Figure 16-7. Four-light setups in different styles.
How you position and diffuse your lighting
instruments often depends on whether you wish to
emphasize facial modeling for a so-called “rugged”
look, or whether you prefer to de-emphasize it for
“glamour.”
Rugged lighting exaggerates the planes and
angles of the face and emphasizes skin texture. To
do this:
• Keep the key light high for more pronounced
shadows.
• Reduce or omit key light diffusion. The harder
the beam, the more it emphasizes skin and
other textures.
• Avoid over-filling to retain enough shadows for
pronounced facial sculpting.
"Rugged” vs. “Glamorous” Lighting
Glamorous lighting uses exactly the opposite
approach:
• Place the key light lower for moderate shadows.
• Use considerable diffusion (or a softlight) to
minimize skin texture.
• Add fill light until the shadows are relatively
faint, but avoid over-filling the neck area in
order to downplay aging skin.
• Use a generous rim light to accent hair.
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The high resolution of 1080p video is very hard
on skin imperfections—one reason why more and
more closeups are lit with softlights.
The cinematographer contributes to the effect by
using wide angle lens settings for rugged lighting
and telephoto lens settings for glamour as explained
in Chapter 13, Camera Operation.