Cinematic Lighting - Final Lesson and Assignment

Beginning Students:

This is the final lesson on lighting techniques, and final lesson of the semester, and I get a little more in depth about cinematic, or film, lighting techniques.  I hope you find this Power Point interesting, as I have used frame grabs from movies to illustrate the techniques.

Please look at the Power Point and learn the techniques before you attempt the assignment.  Even though you don't have the luxury of our light kits at school, you can be really creative with flashlights, portable garage lights, windows, a reflector built from foil-wrapped cardboard, your phone light, or whatever you have around the house. to create your masterpiece, which is your final video assignment, described below.

There are a couple of great websites that explain film lighting that you can check out.

https://www.adorama.com/alc/basic-cinematography-lighting-techniques

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/film-101-understanding-film-lighting#how-to-light-a-scene-without-professional-equipment

You can also search "cinematic lighting", "film lighting", "movie lighting", "lighting techniques for film (or movies)" and many more search words online to find a wealth of information on lighting.  You can even watch a movie and identify the techniques yourself!  One of the best, classic movies that illustrates a creative use of lighting is the film, Citizen  Kane.  It's an oldie, but a goodie, and it is considered one of the best movies of all time.  Also, Casablanca is a good one.

Here is your assignment and it is DUE Tuesday, May 19th:  Create a short, mini movie on anything you wish.  Your story has to have a beginning, a middle, and an end and must illustrate your efforts on all the techniques we've studied including, shot composition, audio, lighting, story telling, etc.  Do not make the movie more than five minutes and it can be as short as one minute long.  It can be a drama, a comedy, a mystery, a thriller, or whatever genre you'd like it to be.  It should have a title, and ending credits.  You may be the only star, or you may involve your family and friends in it, if you'd like, just be sure to honor social distancing and stay safe during your production.  Please share it with me via Google Drive, making sure to turn link sharing on and emailing me a "shareable link".

More than anything, have fun with your production.

Your final exam will be posted on the 19th.

Here is the Power Point:  (Be sure to listen to the audio narration)