Lighting Continuity Design

Use this skill for mood + continuity, not just pretty light adjectives.

Source Basis

• StudioBinder lighting ratio guide.

Ratio Heuristics

• 1:1 to 2:1: soft, open, calm, commercial, flattering
• 4:1: dramatic but readable
• 8:1 and above: severe, moody, foreboding, oppressive

Rules

• Keep lighting ratio logic stable across adjacent shots unless the story beat intentionally changes mood.
• Track key direction, fill behavior, rim presence, and practical light motivation.
• Match material response to the chosen contrast level.
• If the scene is ash-grey and backlit, do not suddenly make it glossy daylight-clean in the next shot.

Prompting Heuristics

• describe light direction
• describe shadow density
• describe practical motivation
• describe atmospheric medium: haze, smoke, dust, rain, mist

Continuity Failures To Block

• unexplained switch from hard backlight to flat frontal light
• palette shift without narrative cause
• inconsistent eye-light or silhouette logic for the same sequence