Butterfly / Paramount Lighting

In plain words

Light from directly above and in front of the face casts a small butterfly-shaped shadow under the nose and brings out the cheekbones and jawline, like a glamorous classic-Hollywood beauty portrait.

When to use it

Beauty, cosmetics and fashion ads, portrait close-ups, retro glamour shots.

Example videos

Butterfly Lighting Setup | Film Lighting Techniques — Explainer: See a movie-scene setup with the key light above the front of the face, making the shadow under the nose.

Lighting Patterns You Should Know: Butterfly Lighting — Explainer: See how the light height is changed to find where the butterfly shadow under the nose appears.

AI Filmmaking: The Ultimate Guide to Cinematic Lighting (20 Prompts) — AI: See the shadow under the nose and the bright cheekbones in an AI-made butterfly-lit portrait.

Will AI handle it well?

Public AI example available — The 'Butterfly Lighting (The Paramount Look)' section of the 20 AI lighting prompts video

One-click prompt

Butterfly lighting beauty close-up, key light high and directly in front of her face casting a small butterfly-shaped shadow under the nose, sculpted cheekbones and jawline, glossy lips, she slowly turns her head toward the camera, soft gradient backdrop, locked-off camera, 85mm lens, glamorous classic mood, 5-second shot.

Tell the AI like this

butterfly lighting, key light high and directly in front of her face, small butterfly-shaped shadow under the nose, glamorous beauty portrait

Example films

Josef von Sternberg's 1930s films shot with Marlene Dietrich. The name Paramount lighting also comes from this studio's lighting of its actresses (StudioBinder — Butterfly Lighting).

See it in real films and ads

StudioBinder — Butterfly Lighting Explained

AI-made examples

AI Filmmaking: The Ultimate Guide to Cinematic Lighting (20 Prompts)

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