Planning: Lighting and Colour

What is lighting and colour?

Lighting and colour are a part of media that helps to create various meanings within a scene, whether it be a film or music video. Lighting can also help to convey unique but relatable moods and atmosphere, e.g. a certain type of lighting may make audience feel as if the character is represented by the colour and contrast of the lighting, bright – angelic. The use of colour in a music video can help support, in creating deeper meanings to a scene through connotations and interpretations.

Angles of lighting

Top lighting- This lighting style makes the character look rather innocent, glamorous and can help to identify a clearly prominent protagonist, the source of the lighting generally comes from above or a raised level and looks down on the character rather than looking up to the character.

Under lighting- This makes the character look scarier, have more fear, obvious antagonist, as the source of light comes directly below. An example of this is The Dark Knight Rises as the light appears below him making him look more superior. Not many music videos may use under lighting, it is common in rock however as it is used to show the dark tension within the room.

Back Lighting- This is where the light source may be directly behind the character or object, whether very little or no light is used, a silhouette forms. It is rare music videos use silhouettes but if executed greatly then it can create something of the highest quality.

Types of lighting

Low-key- The lighting is dark with small areas of light, which also creates shadows. The lighting, often a scene set in a dark room, may have the effect of expanding on the darker areas of the character in the room if there is one, and can create the type of element that action films use when introducing the audience to a villain, or their secret lair.

High key- When the lighting appears more natural and realistic to the naked eye. This specific lighting effect creates an angelic view of the character and exercises on the emphasis that this character is either a protagonist or innocent. Due to its common use, the audience will rarely see it on the antagonist in films or music videos due to the message it conventionally sends.

Conventional Lighting in music videos-The lighting used in music videos from the first day to now has changed and lighting has widely become a common element of music videos. Natural lighting, such as from the sky, street lights when its dark, cars driving by and even the sunlight, are drawn upon for assistance in a music video, with no extra effects or authentic lighting used as they have the ability to have as much impact as authentic lighting. High key lighting is the most conventional as directors use it to retract from the negativity; darker lighting brings to a music video. Back lighting is commonly used in indie genre music videos.

Conventional colour in music videos- The problem with mainstream music videos is that different genres use different lighting and colour, to create a different effect and feeling within the video. Colours also play a fact, as it would be very unlikely for a heavy rock band to wear bright colours in their music video, and it is more conventional for them to use darker, surreal colour mixes. A pop music video would often consist of primary colours and the lighter shades of secondary colours, whereas a genre such as Jazz would be more suited to royal, darker shades of the colours purple, gold, blue and other colour associated with royalty.

Conclusion – For my groups music video we have constantly instigated that we use natural lighting and top lighting to carve an angelic silhouette out of the main character rather than record it outside with the weather not being reliable enough, as a sunny day would be a most preferable time to record our music video. After carefully looking at other hip-hop music videos with an upbeat tempo, rhythmic groove and innocent vibe, which is primarily what my group has gone for, it is safe to say that they have acquired the director to film with brighter colours, and conventional lighting for hip-hop, which are commonly the primary colours on the colour wheel.