High-Key Narrative Lighting | Cinematography 101

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Lighting narrative scenes is one of the most common situations you will find yourself in as a cinematographer. Some scripts call for dark, moody lighting, while others require a brighter overall frame. High-key refers to a scene that has very few shadows in the frame. Today, director of photography Austin Sabado teaches us three different ways to shoot high-key narrative scenes, using bounced light, practicals, and small accents to fill shadows.
In this video, Austin shows us three different methods for creating high-key narrative lighting. In our first setup, he creates a nighttime interior while still maintaining a high-key look. This is done using practicals in the frame and an overall warm color to the lighting. In our second setup, he uses the same setup but changes the scene to a day interior. He then supplements the available daylight to reduce the contrast of the scene. In the third and last setup, he creates another day interior using a large bounced light and overhead fill. In addition to large sources he uses practicals to add interest points to the frame.
The main techniques that we will be discussing today are 1) Pay attention to the small details.
2) Look for practicals. 3) Think about how your lights are being motivated. Paying attention to the small details means scanning the frame to look for dark spots or other distracting elements. Looking for practicals means seeing if there are any lights in-frame and how you can utilize them, or adding your own practicals. Motivating your lights means being intentional about where your light is coming from within the scene. This could be a lamp off screen or a large window.
As filmmakers we are always trying to tell stories better. That means using lighting to enhance the emotion of the script, and create a unique experience for our viewers. Different lighting styles will create different feelings and emotions. A dark scene will create one feeling while a brightly lit scene will create a completely different feeling. The most important thing is what works best for the story and what looks best in the space. That way your films will stand out not just visually but also thematically.
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12 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 111

@aputurelighting 5 лет назад

Tell us about your favorite example of high key lighting in a TV show or movie. How is it used to help tell the story?

@PhillipSkraba 5 лет назад

Aputure Great tutorial! I’ve always been fond of an early film of George Lucas, THX 1138. It’s has great uses of high key matching the given environment, enhancing the futuristic, dystopian feeling of the film. Worth a watch!

@t_wentt 5 лет назад

I'm going with The Cosby Show. High Key lighting was super present because they were often trying to shed a positive and uplifting light on the idea of the Black American Family. The lighting was necessary to stand against cultural stereotypes and constructs.

@mightevil671 5 лет назад

In "The Neon Demon" high key lighting is used to present the Beauty Model Industry as Huge and expensive escenarios also enviroments of perfection ,shallowness and inmaculate beauty later contrasted with the darkness of the characters and the surroundings of that world.

@DavidKfilmmaker 5 лет назад

To me, the best use of high key is in ex machina. Some films use it effectively throughout (grand Budapest hotel) but ex machina’s use throughout the films builds the tension and the uneasiness that is about to ensue. A comfortable uneasiness.

@jamalfaris6192 4 года назад

there is a scene in EX MACHINA movie where the main characters start to talks about the machine brain and the scene was perfectly lighted by high key light, to give us a hint about how much this thing is complex but very smart and simple

@MatthewSeest 5 лет назад

Her (2013) directed by Spike Jonze used high key lighting to brilliantly set up this clean, dream-like future world. It accentuated the immersive and simple art design and pastel palette in a manner that was a feast for the eyes. At every moment of the film the atmosphere presented by the high-key either emphasized the idealism of the future and a budding relationship, or juxtaposed brilliantly as the turmoil of a individual is caught in a bright world where everything is connected.

@aputurelighting 5 лет назад

Great point Matthew! That's such an amazing film and clearly Jonze thought a lot about the cinematography when constructing the story.

@TheToneWork 5 лет назад

I was thinking that one too, but a lot of the scenes I thought of were outdoor. I'm sure there are some indoor high key scenes, but I just couldn't think of any.

@alecbailey7235 5 лет назад

The interior shots in the Umbrella Academy are incredible! They use some incredible use of low key lighting, but the scenes they use high lighting in are amazing as well!!

@videocasetteTV 5 лет назад

Very wonderful, I have suggestion i hope the admin forward it to the CEO, why you do not shoot the behind the scenes, so in case if you want to see it you can click in the link in the description, this will be Very useful because during the final tweaks, we will see many tips and tricks, and better usage for the lighting fixtures, also my suggestion will not add extra expanse, and the good thing it will increase the traffic on the channel, because many videographers want to know how Dps adjust and polish their work

@neil32524 5 лет назад

For me, the best lighting tutorial so far! Thks!

@JonathanWayneAndress 5 лет назад

Solely because of these lighting classes Aputure is now the only youtube channel I have on a notification. Keep em coming.

@rayt_visual 4 года назад

As always great content. And love that I’m doing something right. :) when I light a scene I also start with seeing what practicals and available light is doing before adding lighting. :) great tips.

@BOBBYDacones 5 лет назад

I love your guys company, I just learned so much from this video, can’t wait for the next one =)

@louisstudios5656 5 лет назад

You should do a video on lighting outdoors.

@SURREALL69 5 лет назад

Louis studios just use a reflector

@bradleyatom 5 лет назад

@@SURREALL69 "just use a reflector" -someone who never shot with a budget over $100

@SURREALL69 5 лет назад

Bradley Atom hey buddy clearly u can be nice about it and not be a prick and inform me instead of well-being a dick

@SURREALL69 5 лет назад

Bradley Atom actually tho like can u inform me about music videos I’m trying to be the next (lonewolf)

@valentinavee 5 лет назад

Louis studios great idea!

@adolfodominguez1857 5 лет назад

I love the use of this kind of lighting in tree of life, when the protagonist remembers his mom, in their house. The lightning makes you feel like they are on their home, like it's capturing a moment from their lives, their happy, comfortable light. And, it's amazing the job El Chivo did using natural lighting.

@aputurelighting 5 лет назад

Good one! Tree of Life is a beautiful film and a great example of high key!

@adolfodominguez1857 5 лет назад

@@aputurelighting thank you! I know, I love that movie.

@CriticasDeCineEn2Minutos 5 лет назад

This is super cool for small indie short films, a nice way to look more professional but keeping natural.

@RomanoSoprano 5 лет назад

Blade Runner 2049 - Water Reflection Effect. The water was lit with 10K Fresnel lamps made as a huge ring light. That is the best ever practical effect. BTW @Atupute Does anyone ever won MW? Here is a cheap version of Deakins effects: Large IKEA plastic container with broken mirrors on the bottom filled with water and one of your cool MW inside.

@aputurelighting 5 лет назад

Cool idea with the water container, we'll have to give that a try! Yes, there are winners every week!

@RomanoSoprano 5 лет назад

@@aputurelighting Other way you can try is to use a small kids pool with high gloss foil + 300d with fresnel. I would also curious to the the new spot attachment with some colored glass gobos. =)

@bien.mp4 4 года назад

Roman Sapronov that wasn’t high key though

@andreathode3782 2 года назад

@1:19 thats some serious business right there! 😂

@shishirsubba713 4 года назад

Thanks a lot. Screw film schools. You guys rock for sharing informative videos. 🤘🤘

@fasti8993 5 лет назад

I agree with Bradley Atom, Wes Anderson does some great high key lighting.... I like grand Budapest Hotel a lot

@quantumimagesQC 5 лет назад

Just ordered the 2x LS 120D II kit! Can't wait to try some of your lighting setups!

@aputurelighting 5 лет назад

That's a great kit! There are so many things you can do with two 120Ds and some modifiers

@Memerle0815 5 лет назад

I actually like the Lightning from the hangover Movies. It’s high key but still contrasty!(:

@Anonymous-zw1gd 4 года назад

Very useful video, cheers! I think it would be great if you could show an overhead/plan view or sketch of the set-up so we can see the lighting angles, positions and distances more clearly. I guess the level/height of the lights would be good to know too.

@JohnLuna 5 лет назад

love this channel

@aputurelighting 5 лет назад

Thank you John!

@calebrobertson5041 5 лет назад

I might be biased as a big Tolkien fan, but I have to say my favorite example of high key lighting is when Frodo wakes up in Rivendell, creating an almost heavenly, relaxed scene to contrast the intensity and danger of the Nazgul chase.

@bransoncusack1460 5 лет назад

The question scene in Skyfall uses great high-key lighting and actually shows the practicals in the shot. A square of daylight colored tube lights (Probably Quasar Science) above the talent, with tungsten door lanterns in the background. Also a great use of subtle color contrast.

@bradleyatom 5 лет назад

I feel like Wes Anderson films are the best high key scenarios. All his films gives us that ditsy indie feel that he's become known for.

@TheToneWork 5 лет назад

Huh, I always thought high key lighting meant that the key light was bright, regardless of the background lighting. My favorite film, Arrival, has one of the best, hugest, softest high key scenes I've ever scene. You know the one, where they meet the aliens and the entire wall is basically a key light?! Anyway, there are tons of great examples out there. Good luck everyone on winning the light.

@aputurelighting 5 лет назад

Hey! It sounds like you're thinking of when you have a bright key light. High Key lighting refers more to the feeling of the shot overall. Does it have more areas in the highlights or in the shadows? Does the tone feel lighter or heavier? There are a lot of times when a shot with a bright key light is not high key because the rest of the frame is black, resulting in an overall dark image. Hope that helps!

@Photographicelements 4 года назад

I'm actually recreating that lighting for a scene next weekend! (far side key, "white wall diffusion," with a little bounce for actors. We're not going for High Key though, just the look).

@ratt57 3 года назад

Great video, thank you! Why did you add what looked like orange gels to the hairlights?

@jengwajeng9153 5 лет назад

Love what u did

@just.do.something 5 лет назад

Love the how the gaffer looks at 5:01, haha. Great video. To me, the 1st set up still didn't seem like high-key.

@kiribundi 5 лет назад

I think Blade Runner 2049 managed some high key lighting well throughout a few scenes despite its neo-noir genre. It was especially well done in the Police station office in which a motivated top bright light panel (4 by 8 perhaps) washed the room with a soft but contrasty light (reflections absorbed by the dark floor). This echoed the themes of transparency aimed for by the replicants since nothing was kept in the dark after the baseline test. What I like about that scene is also how Deakins managed to include a part of the rainy city inside a window frame, despite the high key look. The water poured directly on the outside of the window gives it a whole new set of textures, further emphasized in the exterior point of view shot.

@dorfkind9825 3 года назад

Hey, wanted to ask about the lantern and the mounting at 5:15 what tripod and weights did you use?

@siddhantkadam7654 5 лет назад

Movies of David Fincher are actually the best example for the te lighting setups because his every movie like fight club, social media gone girl and many more are the perfect example because he use light as per the emotion of the particular character or the need of the scene and that actually affect the audience.

@langstonj2476 3 года назад

awesome video, thank you :)

@ccandraym 5 лет назад

In the film a star is born to compensate for the light that is projected from the window, and thus reduce the shadow that can appear on the actors' faces

@fionnkane 5 лет назад

Although there are an unbelievable number of films/TV shows to pick from I would have to go with Little Miss Sunshine as my favourite example of high key lighting. The visual style could've easily gone down a darker root considering some of the themes that are dealt with in the film (Suicide, Drug Abuse, Dysfunctional families etc) but instead we experience the characters problems in a high key environment. This allows us to find humour in the characters situations, to not see any of them as antagonists and put's them all on a level playing field with each other even though they all have their darker moments. Also, to me it enables us as viewers to perceive this family with so many flaws as a loving family from the outset.

@aputurelighting 5 лет назад

That's a great example! You're right, the high-key lighting completely changes the way you see the story

@realworld1626 2 года назад

That's sick

@soldierim5463 5 лет назад

So Cool

@janwimmer_ 5 лет назад

Hi, nice video. I think Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 uses this technique in the scene, in which Harry speaks to Dumbledore on the bright Kings Cross, after Harry got "killed" by Voldemort.

@flaviopresutti 5 лет назад

I remember a scene in a movie that use this type of practicals.. Seven, Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and other guy in an office having a conversation, light from a back window (no clipping) and light at the lamps, different colours, the exterior light it's cool and the interior it's warm, for the faces and bodys. They do not fill the shadows with other light's, but it's some similar situation, I hope you check out the scene. Thanks and Greetings!

@REVIEWSONTHERUN 5 лет назад

Cool!✌️

@user-qx6bq1fh5z 5 лет назад

so great

@stephencaserta2969 5 лет назад

New Girl has some pretty cool high key lighting

@georgkamp7782 5 лет назад

Fresh ginger helps to drive away the frog. :-) I often see this lightning setup at Breaking Bad.

@valentinavee 5 лет назад

Georg Kamp yes! But of course I didn’t develop frog-voice until the second I stepped on set.

@adamfrench2337 5 лет назад

If it's not too much to ask, it would be really helpful to conceptualize some of these setups if you all were to include some lighting diagrams of the light placement in the spaces. I love the breakdowns, but it can still be hard to grasp, without knowing what the space looks like, where the lights are placed/facing. Thanks for your helpful videos!

@aputurelighting 5 лет назад

Thank you for the feedback Adam! We will keep that in mind

@InvisageStudios 5 лет назад

Just a couple quick questions...Why did he use a huge CTO on the outside of the LightDome II when it comes with a CTO mount for internal use? Is there a difference? Also same thing on the 120D MKii with the barndoors. He used a huge CTO outside the barn doors rather than using the Gel holder that comes with the barndoors? Why?

@user-fx8nl8fz5u 4 года назад

Cool thanks 👍

@soapthepope115 5 лет назад

The classic Wizard of Oz used High-Key lighting really well.

@MichaelJVrana 5 лет назад

Is there any benefit to using the cto gel in front of the light dome diffusion vs geling the source? Or did you just avoid cutting the gel ?

@AlexDerrick_DP 5 лет назад

just stick a small piece in front of the COB if you dont have a big roll. same thing.

@aputurelighting 5 лет назад

The light dome II makes it a lot easier by including a magnetic gel holder that attaches right at the source. That way you only need a small piece and no tape. But pixelatorNYC is correct, it would be same thing if you put gel on the outside of the dome

@MichaelJVrana 5 лет назад

Aputure thanks for the response. That’s what I thought just thought that maybe I was missing something. All the best

@rikiwatanabe4342 5 лет назад

In Christopher Nolan's Batman series, all scenes are contrasty and lowkey except those in Wayne's underground lair. The audience feels at ease in there with the softness of the scenes because we know the place is protected and not known by enemies unlike pretty much anywhere else for Batman

@sanilalkuttimon1755 5 лет назад

😍😍😍

@ownvideofootage 5 лет назад

I think hi-key is more common in TV shows and absolutely in comedy as "The Big bang theory" or "Sainfield"

@534daro534 5 лет назад

"The Man Who Wasn't There" end scene going through doors from low key lit corridor to high key lit room

@flippinbass1664 5 лет назад

MIB they have good lighting, it makes it more dramatic

@l.s.11 5 лет назад

I love the way "Her" (2013) looks. There's a bunch of high key lighting in there, right?

@aputurelighting 5 лет назад

Right! Her is very bright overall, not a lot of scenes with dark shadows. Even the forest scenes at night are a lot brighter than typical night exteriors. Great pick!

@mcankaka 5 лет назад

High-key lightining is using when non-dramatic scenes and giving a positive emotions in my opinion.. maybe it can use for good mood scenes..

@gregbuescher5367 2 года назад

Ghost- Demi Moore, Patrick Swayze unchained melody- Pottery scene uses effective example

@nickouma9177 4 года назад

Hi,could you also do videos on lighting multiple subjects say like on a TV talk show with say a group pf five guests

@r2d2dancer 5 лет назад

Sabrina on netflix use some interpretations of those settings!

@dannycano_ 5 лет назад

BREAKING BAD! They use this technique a lot when Brian Cranston is in his home interior setting, there’s a lot of living room and bedroom scenes with practicals, window lighting..

@piyushthoravat 3 года назад

Road to perdition. The first dining scene & the final scene.

@raredreamfootage 5 лет назад

Wolfcrow says that high key lighting is when the background is brighter than the foreground subject.

@qusayquraishi1607 2 года назад

I love your voice

@juandiosdado 5 лет назад

Best high key example --> "2001: A Space Odyssey"

@ReisFamilyWebsite 5 лет назад

Have a look at this scene from Ghostbusters. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7_pR6mUYtOo.html You can see several lights going on. First off, there are a bunch of practicals in the form of the candle light bulbs on the walls. At 0:29 you can see the key lighting on Dan Aykroyd coming from the front left. At the same time, there is a bright light coming from above that lights the top of the pack on his back. I doubt those small candle practicals could be lighting his pack. At :49 there is a noticeably bright light lighting the table that slams into the wall. That light seems to be far brighter than any of the lights in most of the scene, but is necessary to see all of the food and dishes go flying when the cart crashes.