Greetings to my fellow producers, shooters and editors. In this column, I will share methods and techniques to help you get more out of your time behind the camera and in the edit suite. The tip for this issue is about lighting. Typical lighting for film or video involves three lights: the Key, the Fill and the Back lights. The Key light is the main source of light. It is usually placed behind and to one side of the camera. It should be elevated (light comes from above our heads, and if your light is down lower it will make the shadows look wrong or maybe even spooky). The Fill light manages and controls the amount of shadow that spills on the darker side of your subject (remember that shadows are natural and we should not try to eliminate them but use them to further enhance the look of our shots). The back light is set up behind your subject. Keep in mind that video/film is two-dimensional and that a back light adds the illusion of three dimensions to your image. If you do not pay attention to lighting, your shots are not going to look as good. First pay attention to whether your light is natural or artificial. If it is natural (sunlight) is it consistent? A partly cloudy day can wreak havoc on your image if you don't compensate for its changes. Video cannot deal with big differences between light and dark within a single frame, so try to avoid patches of sun and shade in a single composition. If you are working with artificial light, you have a lot more control over it. It might take more time to set up your shot, but it is much easier to keep the lighting level consistent throughout, which will keep your video image looking best. Above all, lock in the camera at the manual settings. The auto focus and auto iris could ruin your shot if they make a change that you don't want them to make. Please feel free to write me if you have a good tip to share or if you have an opinion, suggestion, criticism or trivia you think would help us all in our endeavor to create.