Film and TV Language: Lighting

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E:\My docs\My Pictures\Film Stills\18631_Bladerunner-3.jpg
This image uses low-key lighting, in particular side key lighting. The way it's positioned shrouds half her face in darkness and the other half in light. This creates an effect of mysteriousness as half of her face is covered in darkness and smoke while the other half isn't.

E:\My docs\My Pictures\Film Stills\Annex%20-%20Dietrich,%20Marlene%20(Shanghai%20Express)_03.jpg
This picture uses low key lighting. The type of lighting used is top lighting is which puts focus on only the woman's face and the hand. This picture creates an enigma code because of the due the dark lighting as well as well as the fact she stares at the little light there.

E:\My docs\My Pictures\Film Stills\macbeth_rgb.jpg
This picture uses high key lighting. The use of top key lighting shows shadows at his eyes, under his nose and his neck. The effect of this is an increase of perceived serious from this image. It also highlights that this may be the main character due to the way the light is displayed on him.

E:\My docs\My Pictures\Film Stills\Sin_City_005.jpg_cmyk.jpg
This picture uses low-key lighting. The uses of top key lighting that is positioned more to the right allows half of the characters face to be more apparent than the other half. The lighting used helps create action and enigma codes as most of the picture is darker than the character himself. Not only this, even in the darkness his revolver is still visible.

E:\My docs\My Pictures\Film Stills\Psycho_1.jpg
This picture uses high-key lighting, in particular, underlighting. The shadow created is bigger than the figure of the woman so it can be assumed she is being chased. Also, due to the lighting, all of her facial features are apparent, showing that she is scared.

E:\My docs\My Pictures\Film Stills\18631_Bladerunner-4.jpg
This picture uses low-key lighting. Backlighting is used in this picture, but in a way that the lighting is very subtle, and smooth which goes with the romantic feeling being shown by the two people.

E:\My docs\My Pictures\Film Stills\clockwork1.jpg
This image uses low-key lighting created by using backlighting, and that is obvious because of the shadows that are produced by the characters. An enigma code is produced since the characters aren't visible and are covered in darkness. 

E:\My docs\My Pictures\Film Stills\chienandolou1_cmyk.jpg
This picture represents low-key lighting, created by using an angled down top lighting, a which is evident as the women's shadow is shorter than her actual height. A
n enigma code is produced, also the lighting on the wall, face and shoulder is very harsh and bright.
E:\My docs\My Pictures\Film Stills\Joanofarc1.jpg
This picture uses high-key lighting created using top lighting. The lighting here is possibly used to replace them because the character is sort of praying and looking almost directly at the key light.

E:\My docs\My Pictures\Film Stills\H_003_rgb.jpg
This picture uses low-key lighting, which is created by backlighting. An enigma code and an action code since we can barely see the character which adds mystery to them, the knife in his hand does could be used as an action code.

E:\My docs\My Pictures\Film Stills\double.jpg
This picture uses high-key lighting. The bright lighting helps us as viewers identify the man as the main character. This is also reinforced by the fact that the man is holding the gun.


Film Noir

  • Film noir is a genre of cinematography film marked by a mood of pessimism, fatalism, and menace. 
  • It is a style of filmmaking characterized by such as cynical heroes, stark lighting effects, frequent use of flashbacks, intricate plots etc.
  • Film noir in the 1940-1950s is classified as the classic period of American film noir, it was associated with a low-key black and white video or image style
  • The stories and attitudes of classic noir derive from the hardboiled school of crime fiction that emerged in the US during the great depression.
  • Film noir which means black film or dark film in French, was first applied to Hollywood films by Nino Frank in 1946.
  • Film noir also has a range of plots: the central figure may be a private investigator, a plainclothes police officer, an ageing boxer, a hapless grifter etc.

Film Noir

The Low-key lighting added with the close up of the characters fits with the nighttime car chase.

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