. Using Side Lighting in your Film & Video Shoots Filmmaking: Lighting techniques Side lighting can also add a dramatic look to your movies. With a side lit shot, one side of your subject will be illuminated while the other side may be in total darkness. Obviously there are varying degrees to which you can exaggerate the effects caused by side lighting. You can alter the intensity of the shading by ensuring the dark side has very little lighting and the bright side has a lot of lighting. You can also alter the dramatization of the effect by positioning the light at different angles. Next are two examples of shadows caused by effective side lighting. Notice in this example, the light coming in from the window is enough to cast a substantial amount of light on his face, while the rest of the room remains dark. You can also use side lighting in less extreme ways. Notice how in this picture the side lighting is much more subtle. In nature, side lighting can be a filmmaker’s dream and at other times side lighting can be a nightmare. It all depends on what the Director of Photography (DOP or DP) is tying to capture. Note, depending on the intensity of the light coming through, the shadows cast in the frame can be too dark, almost creating objects in and of themselves. Other times the lighting may not be strong enough giving a washed out look to the footage. In the picture below, notice how side lighting caused an undesirable effect by creating dark shadows behind the model’s back. Another benefit of side lighting is that it is great for bringing out texture in a shot. In fact there is no better way to bring out texture than by using a good side lighting source. You’ve probably seen movies before where you can see every single texture detail. Maybe it is the vividness of wrinkles in a person’s face, maybe it’s the fuzz on plant leaves. These things can be amplified and you can make texture a primary element by ensuring you are shooting when you have a good natural or artificial side lighting source. Look at the picture below to see how side lighting can really help bring out texture.   Continue Below... Filmmaking: Lighting tutorial How to create a backlit scene in your film The importance of side lighting in your films Filmmaking techniques: Hard vs. soft lighting Diffusion & light reflection       .

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