Multilight

Multilight is a term used across fields to describe the use or management of multiple light sources to shape an image's appearance. It is not tied to a single technology or product and the precise meaning varies by discipline, but it generally involves planning, control, and the ability to adjust lighting after the fact.

In photography and cinematography, multilight describes setups that use several light sources—such as key, fill, backlight, kicker, and practicals—to create depth, separation, and mood. Practitioners rely on lighting diagrams, color temperature management, modifiers, and diffusion to balance intensity and color across a scene. The approach supports flexible retouching and consistent results across shots.

In computer graphics and rendering, multilight commonly refers to methods that preserve or expose the contributions of individual lights. Some render engines store per-light channels or layers in the final image, enabling post-render adjustments to intensity, color, or turning lights on or off after rendering. Others use the concept to describe the ability to render several lighting configurations from a single scene, speeding up design iterations.

The term's usage is interdisciplinary and historical rather than standardized; different communities may apply it to different workflows or features. It remains a general descriptor for multi-light workflows rather than a specific specification.