From the course: Creating a Short Film: 07 Cinematography

Unlock this course with a free trial

Join today to access over 22,400 courses taught by industry experts.

Lighting from above

Lighting from above

- In the last movie we looked at lighting placed around a subject, but if we place a light above a subject, that creates a unique look all on its own. Here's our model, Lucy, with a single diffused light bulb above her head. I absolutely love the way this lighting looks on her face. Lighting from above the subject makes the brow cast a shadow over the eyes. This look can be great for horror movies or when we want characters to appear mysterious. In Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal Lecter is often filmed with the light directly over his head. We see that here when he's in his cell. Light from this angle darkens his eyes, which makes him look menacing. As we'll look at later when we talk about eye lights, anytime we can't see a character's eyes, we get suspicious of them. Hannibal Lecter was also lit from above in this scene. Here he tilts his head forward, which casts a shadow over his whole face. It's definitely a sinister look. But, lighting from above is also great for making…

Contents