Final answer:
The lighting style associated with Classical Hollywood cinema that uses a key light, fill light, and backlight is known as three-point lighting.
Step-by-step explanation:
The lighting style associated with Classical Hollywood cinema that utilizes three different kinds of light is known as three-point lighting. This technique includes a key light, which is the brightest and primary source of lighting that casts the dominant shadows.
Then there is a fill light, used to soften or eliminate shadows created by the key light. Lastly, a backlight is employed to outline or highlight the contours of the subject from behind. Together, these three types of lighting create a balanced and visually appealing image in both film and still photography.
Effective lighting is not just about visibility, but also about creating an appropriate mood and directing the viewer's attention. By skillfully manipulating the key light, fill light, and backlight, an artist or cinematographer can emphasize certain parts of the scene, create a three-dimensional look on a flat surface, and evoke specific emotions.
To give an example, in a traditional staged setting like a theater, lighting designers strive to make the scene look as realistic as possible by carefully positioning the key and fill lights to enhance the motive source of light, such as a table lamp, without making the artificial fixtures visible to the audience.
This creates an immersive experience, allowing the audience to focus on the story and actors. Similarly, in painting, an artist may use the direction and quality of light, as well as shadows, to bring focus to the subject, create a particular mood, and suggest depth.