Planning - Lighting

High Key Lighting

High key lighting is where the subject is fully lit they do this as they want the specific subject to stand out above over things. In the image there will be no shadows and is quite homogenous. You will often see high key lighting used in comedies, happy places and where dialogue is used. The advantage to high-key lighting is that it doesn't require adjustment for each scene which allows the production to complete the shooting in hours instead of days. The primary drawback is that high-key lighting fails to add meaning or drama by lighting certain parts more prominently than others. The term "high-key" has found its way from cinema into more widespread usage, for example referring to an event that requires much organization or is subject to a great deal of publicity.

 Low Key Lighting

Low key lighting is where the subject is not well let so it gives off a spooky impression. The contrast is that it goes form dark to light therefore there is no shadows in the image. You usually find low key lighting in horror films and places where there is mystery and suspense so it gives off different illusions because the audience wont no what to think.The term "low key" is used in cinematography to refer to any scene with a high lighting ratio, especially if there is a predominance of shadowy areas. It tends to heighten the sense of alienation felt by the viewer, hence is commonly used in film noir and horror genres.