Melies

Cinematic Lighting Techniques

Cinematic lighting is a decision about shadow as much as light. Name a motivated source (window, practical, sun), then key side, hardness, and color. The eye goes to the brightest readable thing.

Rembrandt Lighting and Split Lighting are portrait patterns. Chiaroscuro and Low-Key Lighting build night as contrast, not mud. Motivated Lighting keeps every lamp honest to the room. Golden Hour and Blue Hour are timed daylight, not filters. Write the source, the key side, and what must stay readable. If you only write "cinematic lighting," you get a poster.

See also Color and Film Look Composition Atmosphere and Weather

Three-Point LightingThree-Point LightingKey LightKey LightFill LightFill LightBacklightRim LightRim LightKickerKickerHair LightHair LightEye LightEye LightHigh-Key LightingLow-Key LightingLow-Key LightingChiaroscuroRembrandt LightingRembrandt LightingButterfly LightingButterfly LightingLoop LightingLoop LightingSplit LightingSplit LightingShort LightingShort LightingBroad LightingBroad LightingSilhouetteMotivated LightingMotivated LightingPractical LightingAvailable LightAvailable LightNaturalistic AmbientNaturalistic AmbientBounce LightBounce LightHard LightHard LightSoft LightSoft LightSide LightingSide LightingTop LightTop LightUnderlightingUnderlightingCross LightingCross LightingWindow LightWindow LightCandlelightNeon PracticalsNeon PracticalsGolden HourGolden HourBlue HourBlue HourDappled LightDappled LightGobo LightingGobo LightingVolumetric LightVolumetric LightCameo LightingCameo LightingEpiphanySpotlightSpotlightGlamGlam