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Objective
Analyse a micro-element from a film,
specifically looking at lighting
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Lighting
Lighting can be considered the most importantcomponent of mise
en scne. The way in which afilmmaker illuminates the objects and
characters in afilm frame can greatly influence our understanding
of a
scene.
By brightly lighting an object or gesture important tothe
storyline, whilst keeping other minor details inrelative darkness,
the viewer's attention can be guided.At the same time a director
can build up suspense byconcealing something the audience is keen
to see witha shadow.
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Lighting
The background light is used to illuminate the backgroundarea of
a set.
The background light will also provide separation betweenthe
subject and the background
Cameo lighting in film is a spotlight that accentuates asingle
person in a scene. It creates an 'angelic' shot, such asone where
God is shining down and a light shines downonto this person.
Fill Light (often simply fill) may be used to reduce thecontrast
of a scene and provide some illumination for theareas of the image
that are in shadow.
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High-key lighting is a style oflighting for film, thataims to
reduce the lighting ratio present in the scene.
Its used to suggest an upbeat mood. It is often usedin action
films, sitcoms and comedies.
The advantage to high-key lighting is that it doesn'trequire
adjustment for each scene which allows theproduction to complete
the shooting in hours insteadof days. The primary drawback is that
high-key lighting
fails to add meaning or drama by lighting certain partsmore
prominently than others.
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MOVIES
High-key lighting found its use in classicalHollywood cinema
because it was well suited for
three-point lighting and other filmmaking
traditions. It is an overall lighting design which
uses the fill light and backlight to create lowcontrast between
brighter and darker areas. It
can be used for both daylight and night scenes.
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The key light is the first and usually most important light that
acinematographer, will use. The purpose of the key light is
tohighlight the form and dimension of the subject.
The key light is not a rigid requirement; omitting the key light
canresult in a silhouette effect. Many key lights may be placed in
ascene to illuminate a moving subject at opportune moments.
The term "low key" is used in cinematography to refer to
anyscene with a high lighting ratio, especially if there is
apredominance of shadowy areas. It tends to heighten the sense
of alienation felt by the viewer, hence is commonly used
indramas, film noir and horror genres.
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Cinema Paradiso
Why might low key lighting been
used in this scene?
What types of lighting are used?
How do they create meaning?
What can we conclude about how
lighting is used in film?
