# Background light

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{{Short description|Lighting used to illuminate the background area of a set in theatre and film}}
{{refimprove|date=February 2024}}
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Movie Lighting.jpg|thumb|250px|Background lighting on the New York City set of ''[I Am Legend](/source/I_Am_Legend_(film))''.]] -->
[[File:Four point lighting diagram.svg|thumb|A typical [four-point lighting](/source/four-point_lighting) setup]]
A '''background light''' is used to illuminate the background area of a [set](/source/theatrical_scenery). The background light will also provide separation between the subject and the background.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Desfor |first=Irving |date=May 11, 1974 |title=Camera Angles |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oGMtAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22Background+light%22&pg=PA25&article_id=4755,3059556 |work=Schenectady Gazette |pages=2}}</ref> Many lighting setups follow a [three-point lighting](/source/three-point_lighting) or [four-point lighting](/source/4-point_lighting_setup) setup. Four-point lighting is the same as three-point lighting with the addition of a background light.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 12, 2015 |title=Three-point and four-point lighting: an introduction |url=https://www.ilexinstant.com/ilex-posts/ilex-photography/2015/08/12/three-point-lighting-introduction/ |access-date=February 2, 2024 |website=Hachette UK |language=en-US}}</ref> In a four-point lighting, the background light is placed last and is usually placed directly behind the subject and pointed at the background. By adding a background light to a set, filmmakers can add a sense of depth to shots.

In [film](/source/film), the background light is usually of lower intensity. More than one light could be used to light uniformly a background or alternatively to highlight points of interest.

In [video](/source/video) and [television](/source/television), the background light is usually of similar intensity to the key light because video cameras are less capable of handling high-contrast ratios. In order to provide much needed separation between subject and background, the background light will have a [color filter](/source/color_filter), blue for example, which will make the foreground pop up.

== See also ==
* [Bias lighting](/source/Bias_lighting), a weak light used on the wall behind a monitor
* [Backlighting](/source/Backlighting_(lighting_design)), the illumination of elements in the foreground

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*http://www.videomaker.com/article/7271

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Category:Lighting
Category:Cinematography
Category:Photographic techniques

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Background light](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Background_light) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Background_light?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.