How to Use Three-Point Lighting

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Christopher Rokosz, actor, director, producer. And I'm going to tell you how to do a three point lighting system. All right, three point lighting is the very basis of all lighting, and if you follow these things, it'll bring your independent film or your home movies to the next level. A three point lighting system is consisted of three lights. A back light, a fill light, and a key light. Now, instead of just telling you about it, let me show you. Guys, can you pull back for me please? I'm actually being lit right now with a traditional three point lighting system. You can see behind me, up at the top there, we've got our back light. I've got my key light over here with the TV box. And my fill light over here with the omni light. And I'm going to show you how we build and break that down. Matt, do me a favor and go ahead and kill all the lights. All right, now I'm in darkness, I'm going to start to bring it up. First thing is, let's bring up the back light. Now, you see how the back light cuts me out of the background. Without it, I tend to be very, very flat. And now, I'm just in shadows. So we need to be able to see me. Matt, can we bring up the fill light, please? All right, that's going to fill in all the details, and now hit me with the key--nice. And now everything is nice and vibrant. Anthony, go ahead and push in, get the lights out of the shot quick for me. All right, now as we push back in, you know, within our background, you can see how it builds up. Now, Matt, go ahead and pull back just a little bit Anthony there, just a perspective--just take it in so we can't see the black. Matt, go ahead and take my back light out. Okay, you see how I fall flat and become part of the background? Now we're going to show you another way of how that's important. Go ahead and bring the back light up and kill my key. There we go. And again, I'm still cut from the background, got a nice crowning on the shoulders and the head, but I'm still in shadow. And now go ahead and flip flop it--bring down my fill, and bring up my key. Okay, now I'm in a good shot, you'll see this in interview style things there, but to get the rich non shadowy parts over here, we need that fill light again. All right, let's do three point lighting again, guys. All right, and now I'm lit. So, remember, it's back light, fill light, and key light, and you'll have a great production. I'm Christopher Rokosz, we'll see you in Hollywood. Good job guys."