88 Grammar of the Shot

FIGURE 3.28 Examples of high contrast, modeled contrast, and low contrast ratios.

Other contributing factors in the creation of high or low ratios are quality of light (hard
or soft) and angle of incidence. Hard lights, being more directional, are easier to con-
trol, cut, block off, and so on but they also generate the deep shadow associated with a
high lighting ratio. Soft light is not so easy to control (where it falls on your subject) but
because it tends to wrap around curved surfaces a bit, it can yield lower lighting ratios.
The main factor to all this, however, is the light xtures placement and the resulting
angle of incidence or from where the lights rays fall on the surface of the subject.

In ctional narrative cinematography, lighting is generally meant to be motivated or gen-

erated by some actual source within the reality of the lm world. A desk lamp, a TV icker,
a lantern, even the sun itself are all examples of objects that can motivate light on a lm
set. Then lm lights actually generate the recorded light that provides the exposure inten-
sity. Where these motivating light sources exist within the lms world usually dictates
where the lm lights must be placed as well. If the light is supposed to be coming from a
light xture in the ceiling, then the lm light must have an angle of incidence from higher
than the subjects head. If someone stands next to a camp re, then the lm relight effect
must have a lower angle of incidence and come from below the subjects head level.

Just as you know that the camera can be placed around the subject along imaginary
horizontal or vertical circles, lighting xtures can be placed in similar ways. When the
light is near the recording cameras angle on action, it is called front lighting, which
tends to atten out the face and be rather bland in appearance. Depending on the
height of the lamp head in this scenario, you may also cause a visible shadow on any
surface behind the actor who is front lit. Higher lamp heads from a higher angle of inci-
dence force the shadows down along the oor. Any lights at or below the talents physi-
cal height will throw shadows across the set, which will be visible to the camera lens
and is often not visually pleasing. In general, shadows of actors are not welcome on
lm sets, unless they are being used for creative or thematic purposes.

If we continue our way around the actor and place a light 90 degrees around the circle
from the camera to subject axis, it is called side lighting and can generate a half-
bright half-dark face split along the bridge of the nose. When the light is behind the