Cinematographer: the person responsible for the overall picture using light.
Black flag: restricts light from the side.
History of lighting:
Earliest cinema used natural light; studios had glass ceilings. As narrative became more complex in the 20th century, the shooting schedule became more demanding - therefore natural light could not be relied upon and artificial light was introduced.
Artificial lighting:
1901 Mercury Vapour Lamp
These were based on blue or green wavelengths to suit the orthochromatic film stock, which were sensitive to blue and green, not red and yellow, based on chemical film. This created a soft look but could not provide directional light.
1933 Klieg Lights
This made day-night shooting available.
1934 Arc Carbon Lights
Arc carbon lights had a strong light, which made shooting at night possible; however they were expensive and noisy. These lights evolved into everyday light bulbs.
Effects of lighting:
High key lighting
Bright, glossy look used in comedies and musicals to portray a happy mood.
Low key lighting
Dim, lots of shadows used mainly in film noir to create a sinister feel.
Top lighting
Highlights hair and cheekbones, producing a glamourous effect.
Side lighting
Highlights subjects in a distorting unnatural way.
Under lighting
Shadows eyes, creating a haunting look.
Back lighting
Completely hides the face, therefore creating mystery.
Hard lighting
Sharp shadows, from a small directional source, giving a dramatic effect.
Soft lighting
Large source, portraying a more natural light, less focused on a particular subject.
As 'Shadow' is a the opening of a fantasy film which focuses very heavily on mystery and fear, we chose to use low key lighting. This helped to create the dark, sinister atmosphere we were hoping to portray and our location worked well in that type of light, as it was a very bare, stark area, helping to add to the idea that Nema had nothing and was therefore unprotected from danger.
Black flag: restricts light from the side.
History of lighting:
Earliest cinema used natural light; studios had glass ceilings. As narrative became more complex in the 20th century, the shooting schedule became more demanding - therefore natural light could not be relied upon and artificial light was introduced.
Artificial lighting:
1901 Mercury Vapour Lamp
These were based on blue or green wavelengths to suit the orthochromatic film stock, which were sensitive to blue and green, not red and yellow, based on chemical film. This created a soft look but could not provide directional light.
1933 Klieg Lights
This made day-night shooting available.
1934 Arc Carbon Lights
Arc carbon lights had a strong light, which made shooting at night possible; however they were expensive and noisy. These lights evolved into everyday light bulbs.
Effects of lighting:
High key lighting
Bright, glossy look used in comedies and musicals to portray a happy mood.
Low key lighting
Dim, lots of shadows used mainly in film noir to create a sinister feel.
Top lighting
Highlights hair and cheekbones, producing a glamourous effect.
Side lighting
Highlights subjects in a distorting unnatural way.
Under lighting
Shadows eyes, creating a haunting look.
Back lighting
Completely hides the face, therefore creating mystery.
Hard lighting
Sharp shadows, from a small directional source, giving a dramatic effect.
Soft lighting
Large source, portraying a more natural light, less focused on a particular subject.
As 'Shadow' is a the opening of a fantasy film which focuses very heavily on mystery and fear, we chose to use low key lighting. This helped to create the dark, sinister atmosphere we were hoping to portray and our location worked well in that type of light, as it was a very bare, stark area, helping to add to the idea that Nema had nothing and was therefore unprotected from danger.
No comments:
Post a Comment