{"id":59067,"date":"2015-07-07T10:00:01","date_gmt":"2015-07-07T15:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=59067"},"modified":"2015-07-06T16:33:42","modified_gmt":"2015-07-06T21:33:42","slug":"how-low-key-lighting-can-instantly-make-your-film-dramatic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/how-low-key-lighting-can-instantly-make-your-film-dramatic\/","title":{"rendered":"How Low-Key Lighting Can Instantly Make Your Film Dramatic"},"content":{"rendered":"

Make your scene\u00a0moody and atmospheric with low-key lighting.<\/h2>\n

All images from Shutterstock<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Want to quickly add dramatic tones\u00a0to your scene? Try turning off a light. In the following post we’ll look at low-key lighting<\/strong> and its cinematic potential.<\/p>\n

What is Low-Key Lighting?<\/h3>\n

Low-key lighting<\/strong> is a lighting effect that uses a hard light source to enhance shadows in your scene. Unlike high-key lighting (in which shadows are minimized), low-key lighting<\/strong> is all about shadows and contrast.\u00a0LightStalking puts it this way<\/a>:<\/p>\n

A low-key image is one that contains predominantly dark tones and colours. Like high-key images, they convey atmosphere and mood. But where a high-key image feels airy and light, a low-key is usually dramatic and full of mystery.<\/span><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Low-key lighting<\/strong> is typically used when the director wants to either isolate a subject or convey drama. Just because a scene is shot with low-key lighting<\/strong> doesn\u2019t necessarily mean it must be scary, but, if you want your audience to be uneasy, low-key lighting<\/strong> is a great place to start. low-key lighting<\/strong> helps to minimize distractions\u00a0in your frame, so it really helps to guide your audiences eyes where you want them to be.<\/p>\n

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Examples of Low-Key Lighting<\/h3>\n

Low-key lighting<\/strong> is easy to analyze… just look into the subject’s eyes. In the image below, the\u00a0model was lit with a single softbox light source. A common theme in low-key lighting<\/strong>. \"Low-Key Here’s another example of low-key lighting.<\/strong> \"Low-Key In the image above you will notice that the actors face isn\u2019t necessarily covered in a hard black shadow, but the overall tone of the scene is dark and contrasted. Now compare that to the same image with high-key lighting<\/strong>. \"High-Key\u00a0The first image seems moody, emotive, and (best of all) cinematic. The second, on the other hand, looks more sterile. It’s not that one is worse than the other, each have their own advantages and disadvantages… but the low-key<\/strong> example\u00a0feels more mysterious and interesting.<\/p>\n

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How to Shoot Low Key Lighting<\/h3>\n

A typical low-key lighting setup<\/strong> consists of one\u00a0large light, plus reflectors and diffusers as needed. Let\u2019s take this picture for example:\"Low-Key The above picture uses a single softbox light with little else. So it\u2019s safe to say their lighting setup was something like this: \"Low-KeyIt can be easy to overcomplicate your film set with too many lights. Low-key lighting<\/strong> is\u00a0simple and effective.\u00a0If you’re having lighting trouble on set, try simply turning off a light.\u00a0A low-key lighting setup<\/strong> might be the way to go.<\/p>\n

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Low-Key Camera Considerations<\/h3>\n

Low-key<\/strong> is all about shadows, so, just like with any dark shoot, you\u2019ll need to take all of the normal low-light<\/strong> precautions.<\/p>\n

1. Invest in Good Lights<\/h4>\n

\"Low-Key It can be easy to spend your entire equipment budget on camera gear. Don\u2019t make this mistake. A small investment in lights will go a long way. For most low-key lighting<\/strong> situations you’ll want to use a large soft source like a softbox.<\/p>\n

2. Use a Fast Lens<\/h4>\n

\"Low-Key Low-key lighting<\/strong> tends to be shot in darker locations, so you’ll want to make sure you have a fast lens nearby. Because of the whole camera noise problem<\/a>, this tends to be a better decision than simply getting a camera that’s good in low-light.<\/strong><\/p>\n

3. Monitor Your Levels<\/h4>\n

\"Low-Key When shooting low-key lighting, you’ll end up with some really funny looking histograms. This is normal, but be mindful of your pixel information. Even if your blacks are black, you want to make sure your subject isn\u2019t underexposed or overexposed.<\/strong> You can always edit the color in post, but you can\u2019t adjust pixel information if your subject has absolute black or white points.<\/p>\n

4. Use Negative Fills<\/h4>\n

\"Low-Key A negative fill is essentially a dark cloth or board used to absorb light. This is important for low-key lighting<\/strong> as you want to control any incidental light that hits your subject. For more information on this subject, check out our ‘Add Drama to Your Lighting Setup with Negative Fill<\/a>‘ post.<\/p>\n

5. Shoot in RAW<\/h4>\n

Shooting a low-key scene<\/strong> is only the beginning. After your footage is captured, you’ll want to manipulate color levels while editing. For this reason, it\u2019s best advised to shoot in RAW instead of a compressed format.<\/p>\n

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Low-Key Lighting Tutorials<\/h3>\n

The good people at Film Riot have created a few tutorials showcasing low-key lighting in-action. Notice how simple each lighting setup is.<\/p>\n