# Lighting Controls

You can use After Effect’s built in Lights to Light your scene. There are 4 different lights to choose from, as they all can affect your scene differently. Go to Layer/New/Light to create a new light, and from the pop-up then you can choose what kind of light to use. Element can use up to 8 lights in a scene. There are also built in Element lighting presets to very quickly light a scene, see [Render Settings/Lighting](https://video-copilot.gitbook.io/element2/render-settings/lighting).&#x20;

<figure><img src="https://1328767753-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F7qidp1rnQ82jR1qoBU2y%2Fuploads%2FkjuH5kzbg0u7Y0xn6Wek%2Fcreate%20lightt%20thumb.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=157e560c-b309-480f-8e37-f439a8f116d1" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="https://1328767753-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F7qidp1rnQ82jR1qoBU2y%2Fuploads%2FZFFhSKgmGzpP3hyXMTic%2FLighting.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=4167ce86-fad8-45c8-8c70-3b895909f48f" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Light Types

### **Point**

General light with a spherical falloff

<figure><img src="https://1328767753-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F7qidp1rnQ82jR1qoBU2y%2Fuploads%2F8Bsjwx6mmlS5HkW2rPOO%2FPoint%20Light.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=baabebfc-4d11-43d7-8104-387962af7a93" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### **Parallel**

Light is infinite in a single direction

<figure><img src="https://1328767753-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F7qidp1rnQ82jR1qoBU2y%2Fuploads%2FA6LhwnZU7ZLeTUp7T2f3%2FParallel%20Light.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=a029ed9e-76b2-4b1d-b6a8-577ea57e5fb1" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### **Spotlight**

Cone shaped light that focuses on radial area

<figure><img src="https://1328767753-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F7qidp1rnQ82jR1qoBU2y%2Fuploads%2FdCmD3tVO7ahQEKF8OQer%2FSpot%20Light.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=e2324ab4-4e1d-4aac-b424-55ffea6f6f25" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### **Ambient**

Lights evenly infinitely. Normally good to use as a fill light at a low level.

<figure><img src="https://1328767753-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F7qidp1rnQ82jR1qoBU2y%2Fuploads%2F0I4GlnagTF21oSDHNnAn%2FAmbient%20Light.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=9f6220ee-c900-4313-91af-22a36c67bde7" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### **Mixing Lights**

Mixing all kinds of lights at different intensities help to create more organic and fully lit scenes.

<figure><img src="https://1328767753-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F7qidp1rnQ82jR1qoBU2y%2Fuploads%2FMhYfporXq72hdaTWgP5P%2FMixed%20Lights.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=9c90ef37-1bf6-45c8-b804-5e09cbb22fca" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
