As we know, for multi-person lighting, the 12-point circular lighting method is a popular choice for capturing high-quality video footage. This studio lighting design incorporates 6 types of lighting sources: background light, backlight, top light, side light, key light, and eye light. This blog post will discuss the design principles of these studio lighting sources.
Background Light
In many on-location studios, such as television stations or educational institutions, it is common to design a logo for the studio background, which can serve a promotional purpose during program recordings. Therefore, when designing the background light, LED panel lights are typically used. These lights provide even, soft illumination that uniformly casts light on the background.
Backlight
Positioned opposite the camera, backlight highlights the subject’s back and arms, helping to differentiate the subject from the background. This technique outlines the subject’s features and creates a sense of depth between the subject and the background, making the subject appear more three-dimensional. High-illuminance, strong-beam LED spotlights are ideal for backlighting, enhancing the vibrancy of the video.
Top Light
This light primarily illuminates the subject’s head and shoulders, separating the studio ceiling from the subject and adding spatial depth to the scene. Combined with key and side light, it increases the light ratio on the subject’s forehead and cheeks, accentuating facial features. LED panel lights are commonly used for top lighting due to their broad coverage and soft, even illumination.
Side Light
Serving as a supplemental light source to the key light, side light eliminates shadows in areas not reached by the key light, ensuring the subject receives comprehensive illumination. When effectively paired with the key light, side light creates a balanced brightness across the subject’s face, highlighting contours such as the forehead, nose, and lips, resulting in striking highlights that convey depth, strength, and determination. For side lighting, large, soft LED panel lights are recommended for their non-distracting glow.
Key Light
Proper use of key light is crucial for enhancing the texture of shadows on the subject’s face. When combined with other light sources and applied with a suitable light ratio, key light can help refine the appearance of the host’s face, making features appear fuller and minimizing wrinkles. Since the host faces the light source, soft LED panel lights are used to avoid glare, ensuring a more comfortable recording experience and a naturally appealing appearance.
Eye Light
This light creates a highlight in the subject’s pupils through reflection, making them appear vibrant and emotionally expressive. The host’s spirit often hinges on their eyes; bright eyes reflect vitality and character. Thus, eye light is vital for conveying the host’s emotional state. LED spotlights are particularly effective for eye light, emphasizing the subject’s liveliness and energy.
By understanding and effectively implementing these types of lighting sources, studio professionals can create visually engaging and impactful video productions.
