3 Point Lighting for Corporate Video Production

Three point lighting is one of the most important lighting setups in Corporate Video Production when filming interviewees. Proper 3 point lighting technique will have a huge impact on the quality of the interview footage.

As the name suggests, standard 3 point lighting involves a lighting setup with three distinct lights to light up a subject in a scene. The Key Light is the brightest of the three lights, and is responsible for lighting up the subject. It is the first light set up, and ensures that the subject is adequately lit for the mood that the director is trying to create. Next the Fill Light is set up next, and its role is to "fill in" unwanted hard shadows and dark areas created by the Key Light. For example, thick rim glasses can be especially challenging for the lighting technician, to remove the unwanted "raccoon eyes" effect. Finally, the Back Light is set up to create "separation" between the subject and the background, so that edges of the subject stand out. It creates highlights around the subject, and provides a sense of depth.

There are some excellent 3 point LED lighting kits available. At On Point, we prefer LED kits for their low heat generation which keeps an interview session comfortable.