Determine the lighting style envisioned for the film, the locations where the scenes will be shot and the lighting equipment available for the production.
The director, in collaboration with other film creatives involved in cinematography and art direction, provides the treatment and overall visual look for the movie. Movie locations depend on what the script requires and the actual venues available for the shoot. These are largely affected by a place's visual effect in the story and its proximity and cost for the production. Lighting equipment is typically rented out from film equipment rental houses, especially in professional productions. Low-budget productions usually prefer shooting with available or natural light (like the sun and practical lights already available on location such as street lamps and lampshades) to minimize cost.
Discuss the script and storyboard with the film creatives, then visit the chosen locations for the movie shoot. Survey each area depending on the camera angles the director intends to use. Look at where the sun rises and sets, especially in exterior locations or even interior locations that require shooting beside opened doors and windows.
Consider the frequency of bright and sunny or cloudy days and the general weather conditions in the area when planning what equipment to use in the movie.
Apply the basic concept of three-point lighting for your movie set. Even the more complex lighting designs are generally based on this lighting concept. This requires knowledge in using available or natural light and/or various lighting equipment to provide a scene with a key light, the set's main source of light, a fill light, a more diffused light used to blend out the key light and a back light, a support light to help illuminate the main subject and other objects shown on frame.
Adjust your three-point lighting setup depending on how your scene's subjects (actors and/or props) and the foreground and background look. Make sure your scenes are properly exposed, as overusing or underusing your lighting sources would lead to loss of image details, such as overexposure where the scene or part of the scene becomes extremely bright, or underexposure where the scene or part of the scene becomes extremely dark.