The American film industry moved its base from New York to California in the early years of cinema largely due to the extra hours of sunlight the latter could provide. However, once cinematographers started taking advantage of electric lighting this ceased to be a problem as the lighting could recreate a realistic natural daylight effect for any time of the day.
In the early cinema of the late nineteenth century artificial light was used only to complement or replace natural sunlight, in order to provide a clear picture. It was not considered an asset that enabled a filmmaker to create a particular aesthetic. From the 1910s onward, filmmakers became more aware of the special effects that lighting could produce. For example, the introduction of directional lighting, through the use of arc and mercury vapor lights, allowed one area of the set to be lit brightly while other areas remained dim.
Lighting can have a major impact in helping viewers to understand a film. In the 1960s and 70s filmmakers began to introduce a dark, low-key style that reflected the often gloomy, serious narrative tones of the films of the era. The great cinematographer John Alton named his lighting aethetics "comedy," "drama" and "mystery," which would respectively exhibit bright lighting with low contrasts, varied lighting according to narrative tones and an approach that utilized swaths of deep shadow.
Lighting can be used in movies to enhance the appearance of the actors. Soft lighting techniques, which used reflectors to redirect unwanted shadow on the actors' faces, were introduced in the 1910s. This had an effect in making the stars seem more attractive. The incorporation of a three-point lighting system helped created the right balance to highlight eyes, clothing detail and hair definition, while removing shadow that exaggerated physical features to an unflattering degree.