Star Trek TNG Lighting Study (Patreon)

A piece of reference I created for my own use, that I thought some of you might find interesting. These are not hard rules, but more of a general guideline:

They don't always use all three types of lights.

Sometimes they opt for two lights, with the accent light and hair light duties performed by the same light.

On sets with built-in overhead lighting, the additional hair light is sometimes omitted, as there is already substantial light from above.

On some "outdoor" sets the accent light will be omitted, to give a more natural look.

They love to set up a three-light, dramatic lighting situation, and then have the actors step forward into it for extra emphasis. So they will start with normal, realistic lighting on the actor, and then BAM, drama, as they step toward the camera to deliver a line or react.