Lighting

Objective:

·         To  learn the film language used to describe lighting techniques and effects

·         Analyse lighting techniques and their effects, using the correct  terminology

Outcomes:

Ø  All: Will be able to describe one style of lighting techniques (E)

Ø  Most: Will be able to identify 2-3 lighting styles and explain the purpose it has in the film (C)

Ø  Some: Will be able to identify style and will also be able to use media language effectively to describe the purpose it has (A)

Lighting helps to convey mood and atmosphere in a scene; it can also be used to guide the audience’s attention to a particular object, person gesture. Lighting can also be used to cast shadows and build tension and suspense.

Lighting Terminology

Key Light – Is usually the brightest light and the most influential

Back Light – Helps to counteract the effect of the key light, making the character or object look more rounded

Filler Light – Helps to soften the harsh shadows that the other light create. There may be more than one filler light

Here is an example of different types of Filler Lights: http://ecbcnz.com/hireProfessionals/lighting.php?p=lighting&sp=lighting

Angles of Light

Under Lighting – Is when the main source of light comes from below the subject, this tends to have a distorting effect on the character or object that is being lit and is often used in Horror films.



Top Lighting – Is when the main source of lighting comes from above highlighting the features of a character it can be used to create glamorous look in a star

Back Lighting – Is when the light source is behind the subject, if little or no light is used, silhouettes are created

 

Types of Lighting

Low Key – Lighting is created by the use of back lights, this will produce a sharp contrast of light and dark areas on the screen and cause deep shadows to from, and this effect is known as Chiaroscuro

High Key – Lighting means that more filler lights are used, the term means lighting that appears more natural and realistic to our eyes. It can be used to describe lighting on brightly lit sets such as a recreated sunny day in the park, or to describe a more subtly-lit night time scene. Although shadows will be produced the contrast is a lot softer



Cameo lighting - in film is a spotlight that accentuates a single person in a scene. It creates an angelic shot, such as one where God is shining down and a light shines down onto this person.





Stage lighting instruments - are used in stage lighting to illuminate theatrical productions, concerts, and other performances taking place in live performance venues. They are also used to light television studios and sound stages.

Soft light - refers to light that tends to "wrap" around objects, casting shadows with soft edges. The softness of the light depends mostly on the following two factors:

• Distance. The closer the light source, the softer it becomes.
• Size of light source. The larger the source, the softer it becomes.

The film Noir is the term given by French film critics to a group of Americans films released in the late 1940’s and 1950’s. The plots were often based on detective novels set in big cities with dark alleyways, wet pavements and sleazy bars. The films were termed ‘Noir’ because of the dark look of films. The lighting was low key with strong areas of contrast between light and dark. Actors’ faces were sometimes it this way to cast a dark shadow over one side suggesting a darker side to the character

My own clip: Dark Knight

To show that I have full understanding of lighting I have a full understanding of lighting I have decided to analyse my own film clip. I have looked at the following extract from the film “Dark Knight”. I have chosen this film clip because it is a thriller film and conveys the generic conventions of a thriller film.

Natural lighting – When the Batman jumps on the car, this is to make the film look realistic and this also intrigues the audience with the film making it look exciting

Natural lighting – At what time Batman is standing on the building, this is to emphasise on the batman and his authority, and this makes him look powerful. Through this the audience feel more involved in the film and prepares them for the narrative

Cameo Lighting – On the joker because he is the only character in the frame, this makes him also look important in the movie, the audience already can see that he is the bad guy, furthermore this grabs the audience’s attention.

Back Lighting - As soon as the two police officers are together there is back lighting behind them, this makes the place to gritty and people will automatically think that it is a prison cell. This makes the audience feel more involved in the narrative.

High Key Lighting – This is when the joker is sitting down this makes him look important in the film, furthermore the audience will know that he is the bad guy because is follow the generic conventions and they will expect a bad guy in the film

Natural lighting – whilst the Batman is driving the motorbike, it is natural lighting because they want to make it realistic

High Key Lighting – When the batman is sitting in the boardroom, this is making the place look like a high earned business or hotel room. This prepares the audience for the narrative

High key – When they girl is in the restaurant and there is high key lighting of her and this to show an introduction of a character or a new transformation for the character. This also makes the character looked rich because the restaurant looks like an expensive place

Top lighting - Bruce Wayne is seen walking in his underground layer where he keeps his gadgets for batman. This is top lighting because the main source of light is coming from above him

Low key – The Joker is in prison, they use low key lighting to emphasize the gritty and dirty prison. This is a good use of low key lighting because the audience think that the place is realistic which makes them feel more involved in the film

Low Key Lighting - the Batman has is seen questioning someone this makes him seem scary and mysterious to the audience and to the other character

Advanced Editing

Objective: To be able to show an understanding of how editing and to create a meaning

Straight Cut – When one shot moves into another shot in an edit and it does not confuse the audience

Fade to Black – When one shot goes into another and there is a black filter in between

Wipe Cut – When shot slides into another

Dissolve – When one shot disintegrates into another

Reaction Shot – Any shot (often used as a cutaway) in which a subject reacts to a previous shot

Invisible Editing – most films are now edited in this way makes things fluent it supports rather than dominates the narrative the plots characters are focus. The techniques give the impression that the edits are motivated by the events in the reality screen

Montage – Is the speed of editing where shots are quickly juxtaposed together to create excitement

Slow Editing – Is when clips are juxtaposed together at a slower paste and this is to create suspense

180 Rule – image a hypothetical line drawn between two or more actors, the camera must shoot on the side of the line and this is because it can confuse audience and also the shooting will not be consistent

Shot Reverse Shot – This is mostly used in films where a conversation is taking place and it is when one quickly follows another shot

Jump Cut – A drastic camera movement that is noticeable to the eye

Linking of section – Is where one section of a film is linked to another scene which has significance

Linking Shots – Is where a number of shots are linked together to add emotional impact

Timing shots – In editing stage some shots are either slower or quicker to add emotional impact or to create suspense

Kuleshov Effect – Is where two shot equals create meaning

Graphic Match – Is when one from one shot of the next for example a women screaming

Editing of Physco

At the beginning of Physco the speed of editing is slow from when she is writing on a letter until she jumps in the shower, then the speed of editing quickens when she is being attacked.

The faster paste of action when she is being killed fast editing because it is getting faster and faster also the music also changes to make to add tension to the killing.

Adulthood Analyse

Point	Evidence	Explain
Wipe cut	There is a wipe cut when they show a car	This is because they want to show the audience the someone new is entering the scene also this does not confuse the audience because it clashes with the scene
Shot reverse shot	When the two men are talking and Sam is talking to a drug dealer	This is to show that there is a conversation taking place between two people. This also does not confuse the audience when they are talking
Straight cut	When  the drug dealer leads Sam in the room	This is to show and not confuse the audience from they go scene to scene
Jump cut	When Sam enters the room he looks straight at the clock for some reason and the time is 8:45	This does confuse the audience because we want to know why the camera is focusing on clock and maybe thinks someone is coming or something bad is going to happen because he looks worried
Reaction shot	There is camera shot when the focus on Sam to see his reaction	This is because they want us to see as an audience how Sam will react to the question he is being asked.

Slumdog Millionaire Analyse

Point	Evidence	Explain
Fast editing	When the bus drives past and all the men come running across the road	This is to emphasise the men running and make it look like they are running really fast and makes the audience feel involved with in the film
Wipe cut	There is a wipe cut of when the boy has a flash back	This is for the audience so it gives them an idea of what his life was like when he was growing up and also it gives the audience a idea of what his child hood was like when he was younger
Linking of section	When the boy has a flash back	This is relevant because it is linking the two scenes together and also it does not confuse the audience because we have a wipe cut which helps us understand what is going on in the film
Reaction shot	There is a reaction shot if when his mum dies	This is to show the emotion and shock of the little boy when he sees his mum die there is a lot of tensions because you want to see how he is going to react

From my own research I found a editing clip on youtube which contains all types of film editing techniques.

Cinematography

Learning Objective: To show understanding of the word cinematography and how it is used in thriller films.

Three elements that make up cinematography are:

·         Camera Movements

·         Camera Angles

·         Camera Positions

Sin City Analyse

Below is clip of Sin City, and I will analyse cinematography which contains camera movement, camera angles and camera positions

Point	Evidence	Explain
Long shot	There is a long shot of the woman in a red dress and she is walking towards the balcony	This is so that we are been set up for the scene as we are wondering why she is walking the balcony
Two shot	A man enters the scene as the woman in the red dress is known by this presence she turns her head to the side but does not turn her whole body this is to show that she is not really interested in him	This is so that the audience can see that the woman is not interested in him, because her shoulders and body language  are not facing the man this shows that she is not interested
Over shoulder shot	The over shoulder shot is  to show that they are engaging conversation and that the man has finally got her attention	We know that he had her attention because the woman in the red dress turn around so show that he has her at interest
Close up	A close up of when the man offers her a cigarette	This is to show the conversation is becoming more friendly and that she is beginning to take a liking to him
Shot reverse shot	When the male and female are talking the camera goes back and forth looking at both characters	The two characters have engaged conversation making the audience feel more involved in the conversation and the narrative
Close up	There is close up of when the woman inhales in her first pull of the cigarette and her eyes go green	The woman eyes go green, but as the audience this they do not understand why but her eyes change colour to green and our eyes are focused on them
Two shot	When the male character goes behind the female character	This is to show that they are becoming closer and they are husband and wife
Close up	When the man is going in for kiss, we see this because we now know what the males intentions are	This is so that we know the relationship that the characters have with each other
Long shot	When they show the woman in the red dress and the male character holding her as the camera is zooming out	This is because the scene is coming to an end, as the man is crying while the camera zooms out to show the title and the credits this was so that the audience know that the scene was over