Video · LightingNO.040 / 166

Watch: A small, hard lamp moves left and right: the shadow on the wall has edges as clean as a knife cut and swings the opposite way.A line-art demo that only illustrates the technique, not finished footage.

Video · Lighting

Hard Light硬光

A small source shining directly, with sharp-edged shadows and strong contrast.

Category: Lighting
Group: Basics
Medium: Video
Library: 040 / 166

Want to merge it with other techniques (shot size, lighting, style…) into one full prompt? Click “Add to combo”, then pick one from each of the other terms.

Prompt templates are written from how generation models usually behave and have not yet been verified one by one with real generations. “Common pitfalls” are judgment from experience, not official limits.

When to use it

Suspense, harsh midday sun, interrogations, emphasizing tension and discomfort.

Prompt template

single hard light source, crisp shadow edges, strong contrast with detail retained in shadows, clearly shaped light pool.

Sample prompt · generate a video directly

The technique comes first, followed by the scene, action, performance and duration. Paste it straight into a video model and swap in your own characters and plot.

A single hard light shining directly, shadows with sharp edges, strong contrast between light and dark. At the mouth of an alley at noon, an old bicycle repairman squats tightening a bolt, his and the bicycle's shadows cast crisply on the wall; he looks up, squints at the sun and wipes his sweat. 4 seconds, shadow shapes clear and stable, no multiple shadows.

Common pitfalls

Hard light on the face makes it shiny and plastic.
The shadow direction doesn't match where the person is facing.

Parameter tips

State the light direction; one key light is enough, don't add soft light on top.