Please outline some points that you took away from the Lighting Lecture. Points that excite you, something that was completely new to you, perplexes you or even one you take issue with. 

The lecture raised the question, why are we lighting in the first place? It was really interesting to understand the reasonings behind lighting a part from the obvious answer of exposure. We light for continuity over the whole scene, something that may not be consistent if there is a reliance on natural light. Light also provides spatial continuity to make shots match. And lastly it provides perspective, as we need control over the image in order to superimpose aesthetics, influencing the mood and look of the film for example.

What was completely new to me was that the lecture helped me realise just how important lighting is in scenes. When we were shown the example of the kids sitting on the rocks in the Australian sun, I assumed the scene was naturally lit; to learn it was made up of constructed light was really eye opening. I’ve always thought of lighting in terms of using natural light to your advantage, but this lecture made me understand that natural light can always be manipulated to achieve better aesthetic qualities.

The one perplexing part of the lecture was understand the transition of the sun. I was a bit confused at the start but when explained that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, going north, it made me realise how important this knowledge is for our major productions; it will help create lighting continuity across scenes and plan shooting.

One of the most important points on lighting was that it’s all about relationships – the relationship between lighting and exposure, the relationship between the camera’s position and the subject – and how these are all used to create contrast.

Below list some key lighting terminology defined in the lecture:

Key light – principle light source for the scene

Fill light – light that fills that scene

Back light/Rim light – light with a rim or hard edge

Eye light – gleam light in someone’s eyes