From the perspective of creating a Mood with Light, two elements are detrimental: Light Quality and Light Direction. Within any Lighting Mood, there can be a Lighting Style. The degree of drama within a Lighting Mood is created by fluctuating the lighting contrast between the value of Ambiance and the value of Key Light. Lighting style is determined mainly by the direction of the Key Light and the type of Lighting Setup – Broad versus Narrow Lighting Setup. Just as there is a countless number of emotions, so there are Lighting Styles suitable for their expression. Before engaging in the creation of styles in lighting, it is appropriate to grasp the understanding of fundamental properties of light such as Ligh Quality, Light Color, and Light Direction. Understanding of light comes from observing and contemplating its phenomenon in nature. Seeing and understanding reasons for light changes throughout the day helps in trying to recreate some of its nuances on stage. The process of lighting is rarely about recreating reality. Artist will frequently exaggerate expression for the reasons of being visually eloquent. The subjectivity of interpretation is the element that makes the process very exciting. Light is around us and has been for billions of years. Those who tune-in are rewarded with a perpetual Light Show in Motion, where not a single moment is ever the same – Panta Rhei. After all, all that we do on stages, in studios, and on locations are but infantile approaches to simulating something that flickers out there from the beginning of Time. In cinematography, main light attributes we need to be concerned with are Light Quality, Light Ambiance, Light Direction, and Color.
