Lighting the side of the face turned toward the lens, making faces appear broader and more open than Short Lighting.
Technical Details
The key light is positioned on the side the subject is looking towards, with a typical light intensity of 2000-4000 lux for LED panels or 2K-5K tungsten lights. The ratio between key light and fill light is usually 3:1 to 4:1. Modern setups use softboxes measuring 60x90cm or 120x180cm for soft illumination of the broad side of the face. Fresnel lenses with 6-8 inch diameters allow for precise light shaping for harder looks.
History & Development
Broad lighting developed in the 1920s in Hollywood portrait studios as a standard technique for glamour shots. Cinematographer Karl Freund first systematically used this method in 1926 for "Variety" for performer portraits. In the 1940s, the technique was established by cinematographer Gregg Toland ("Citizen Kane," 1941) as a dramatic stylistic device. Modern LED technology since 2010 allows for continuous color temperature adjustment from 2700K-6500K during shooting.
Practical Use in Film
Roger Deakins used broad lighting in "Blade Runner 2049" (2017) for Jared Leto's character portraits to emphasize his striking facial features. The technique is suitable for close-ups of narrow faces and dramatic dialogue scenes with a frontal camera position. Typical workflow: key light setup, reduce fill light to 25% of the main intensity, add hair light at 500-800 lux for contour. Disadvantage: round faces appear wider, flat lighting reduces facial modeling.
Comparison & Alternatives
Contrast to short lighting, where the side of the face turned away from the camera is emphasized. Rembrandt lighting creates characteristic triangular light patches through a 45-degree angle, while split lighting divides the face in half. Butterfly lighting with a frontal light source completely eliminates side shadows. Modern ring light systems with 400-600 LEDs offer even all-around illumination as an alternative for beauty shots.