CHAPTERS 11 & 12: 180-

DEGREE RULE &

LIGHTING C O M M 1 1 9 : B R OA D C A S T P R O D U C T I O N

180-DEGREE RULE• “CROSSING THE LINE” is something you’ll hear

in Broadcast Production and it refers to camera placement during shooting as well as the “180-DEGREE RULE”

• When shooting, you want to always keep the viewer in mind and what they’re seeing and how they’re seeing it

• Viewers form “maps” in their minds of a scene they’re watching, even of things off-screen, and objects/people appearing where they’re not expected will only confuse the viewer

180-DEGREE RULE• The best way to be mindful of not confusing your viewer in regards to

their “maps” is to imagine there are two people in a scene facing each other; then draw an imaginary line between the two of them – we’ll call that line the 180-DEGREE LINE of the “LINE OF ACTION”. This divides the 360-degree circle into two 180-DEGREE halves.

180-DEGREE RULE• Now decide from what side you’re going to shoot the

scene and set up your first/establishing shot accordingly (see below)

180-DEGREE RULE• All your other shots should be taken on the SAME SIDE

as your establishing shot and in the same 180-DEGREE half of the circle

180-DEGREE RULE• Placing your camera into the other 180-DEGREE half

would result in shots that would confuse the viewer as their “map” is now invalid

180-DEGREE RULE

• Here’s a great video showing this rule in action:

180-DEGREE RULE• The LINE OF ACTION will often move

during a scene:

180-DEGREE RULE• This video breaks down the 180-Degree Rule

in even greater detail, including different ways to correctly “break” the rule and cross the line:

• Lighting is obviously a key component of a video shoot but not always under your control, depending on the type of shoot you’re doing. The lighting concepts discussed here are most applicable when shooting in a studio environment with a simple LIGHTING KIT and not on location/outside and/or without a LIGHTING KIT.

LIGHTING

•Three-Point Lighting: the basis for lighting design in many broadcast productions with three key components:–KEY LIGHT–FILL LIGHT–BACK LIGHT

LIGHTING

–We’ll be using this still of Sean Connery as James Bond to demonstrate THREE-POINT LIGHTING concepts

THREE-POINT LIGHTING

KEY LIGHT = •The brightest light source•Placed to one side so that it illuminates from an angle for desired effect

THREE-POINT LIGHTING

KEY LIGHT = •The brightest light source•Placed to one side so that it illuminates from an angle for desired effect

THREE-POINT LIGHTING

FILL LIGHT = •Used opposite/with KEY LIGHT to reduce or eliminate the harsh shadows created by the key light

•Less intense than the KEY LIGHT

THREE-POINT LIGHTING

FILL LIGHT = •Used opposite/with KEY LIGHT to reduce or eliminate the harsh shadows created by the key light

•Less intense than the KEY LIGHT

THREE-POINT LIGHTING

BACK LIGHT = •Originates from behind and either above, below, or to the side of the back of the main object you’re lighting

•Can create a silhouette effect

THREE-POINT LIGHTING

BACK LIGHT = •Originates from behind and usually above the subject (sometimes below)

•Can create a silhouette effect

THREE-POINT LIGHTING

THREE-POINT LIGHTING

THREE-POINT LIGHTING

• Here’s a useful video also detailing the THREE-POINT LIGHTING concept

THREE-POINT LIGHTING

•Even if you’re not using a lighting kit, you can still use the same concepts with available light. See pages 112 – 116 on your textbook for examples.

LIGHTING USES

•Basic lighting can affect three major aspects of your shot–HIGHLIGHT–MOOD–DEPTH

HIGHLIGHT LIGHTING• Here are some examples of using various lighting

techniques to highlight a specific part(s) of a shot as opposed to lighting the whole shot

MOOD LIGHTING

•A mood or feeling of a shot is often created by lighting – two major types of lighting used to do this that use the THREE-POINT LIGHTING concepts discussed earlier are:–HIGH-KEY LIGHTING –LOW-KEY LIGHTING

When the fill light and the back light are nearly as bright as the key light• Shadows are diminished and the effect is of an

evenly distributed light source in the entire shot• Often used to

create a happyand upbeat mood

HIGH-KEY LIGHTING

• When the fill light and the back light are much less intense than the key light; some areas are brightly lit while some are in deep shadow/blackness

• Often used to create a somberand downbeat mood

LOW-KEY LIGHTING

DEPTH LIGHTING• Good lighting can create a sense of depth in the room by

highlighting people/objects in both the background and the foreground; this gives the shot less of a 2-dimensional feel and makes it feel more 3-dimensional and layered

• Getting good at lighting takes lots of practice and can be very time consuming so be sure you allow yourself plenty of time when lighting is a key part of your production

• And remember that lights use electricity, get very hot, and can easily tip over so be sure to consider that when putting together a RISK ASSESSMENT for a shoot

LIGHTING

180-DEGREE RULE & LIGHTING QUIZ & BOARD DISCUSSION• Go to WEEK #11 and take the180-

DEGREE RULE & LIGHTING QUIZ• Go to WEEK #11 and participate in this

week’s discussion.