Contrast Ratio

Contrast ratio is a measure of the difference between the brightest and darkest parts of a scene being filmed. A high contrast ratio or high key scene might be a dark room interior with a bright exterior seen through an open door. Such a high contrast ratio could produce a brightness range of more than 8 f stops which would be impossible for any film or video system to handle without experiencing severe over or under exposure. This scene could be managed by the DOP by adding fill light to brighten the shadow areas.