TCL (T3:3-3) Place and Fill

Place and Fill

The Place and Fill process is an effective way to get quality lighting for a scene by adjusting the light ratio of all fixtures as the light hits the important places of the scene. 

This process involves two steps.  First is the placement and intensity of the main light, which is done by moving the fixture’s position and adjusting the intensity of the lamp.  The second step involves using other fixtures to fill other areas of the scene with additional light.  This also requires moving the fixtures and adjusting the intensity levels to help illuminate and shape the people and objects in the frame. 

Here is an explanation of the steps involved.

1. Decide which part of the scene will have the brightest lighting.This could be the main subject, an object, or some other important part of the scene.  Aim the lights on this part of the scene, and then set the iris on the camera for the widest possible opening (shown by the smaller numbers on the scale.)  This will keep the depth of field very low and will give the image a richer look which focuses on the main subject or activity.  This may require using a neutral density filter (ND) to limit the amount of light entering the camera.  This first step allows you to place the most light exactly where you want it to be for your scene.

2. After placing the main light, you’ll then creatively fill the rest of the scene for artistic effect.Set the lowest light in the scene (areas that you choose to be in shadow) so that the level of light is about five stops below the key lighting.  Then choose how much light to fill into other areas of the scene.  For example, while the main character may receive the most light (the key light we set in step 1 above) perhaps you choose to have that light only on one side of the face.  Once the key light is set, fill the other half of the face with light that is about two or three stops below the amount of key light.  You can also make the brightness even lower if you want a high key effect.  This method uses the light and shadows to help give depth to the face and is a beautiful way to create the look of film on video. 

3. If you want to see more grain like you see on film with a narrow depth of field you can create this by backing the camera away from the subject and using the zoom lens for closer framing.Zooming the lens decreases depth of field, giving you softer background focus.

Doing a couple of camera tests in advance, using different lighting styles, will let you see the results and decide what will work best to tell your story visually.  Be sure to watch the test footage on a good television or video projector so you can see what it might look like in the final production.