Advanced Cinematography – Using Shadow

Although we tend to talk about lighting in videos we often fail to recognize that we are also invariably talking about shadows.

It really is a matter of paying attention not only to where the light is but also where the light isn’t.

Working with shadows rather than with the light itself is far more difficult to set up and control so requires meticulous planning and attention to detail.

Silhouettes create diversity whilst hard light creates contrast and sharp edges.

Shadows are often seen as things to avoid but as is the case with most “rules” you can creatively bend or break them to great effect.

Key Takeaways:

Decide how you want to use shadows in your shot.
The main points to consider are silhouettes, hard light and casting shadows.
Planning and experimenting are the keys to getting a great look.

“You can’t have light without shadow. Every time you shine a light on something, you’re also creating a shadow.”

Lance Carr

Lance is a fully qualified video editing tragic and renowned techno-struggler. He has put in the hard yards working out all manner of things technical... so you don't have to!