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LIGHTING
Lighting can be hard, soft, or any gradation in between.
Hard lighting creates
strong shadows, while soft lighting is shadowless. The
type of lighting depends
on the type of story to be told. Lighting can be
manipulated to achieve a desired dramatic effect
..Depending on its context,
lighting can signify truth and wisdom
Dark or harshly lit pictures can
trigger feelings of fear, tension and a sense of impending evil in the
audience. 1
"Lighting creates atmosphere. A
mixture of dark shadows and pools of light may
create a sense of unease, as in a thriller; if the lighting makes everything
bright,
the atmosphere may seem more relaxed. The filmmaker can use lighting to
draw
our attention to, or hide, a person or object." 2
"Soft lighting and a low level of color contrast
(many gray tones) help give many
of the shots in To Kill A Mockingbird (1963) a soft, romantic, nostalgic
feeling." 3
DVD
Chapter 10 "A Look At Boo" Running time ( 23:44)
Consider this scene
in regards to lighting. Have students consider the following:
-
what time of day is portrayed in the scene?
- where (from what direction) does the lighting emanate?
- what might be generating this kind of light?
(i.e. moonlight; streetlight)
-
notice how half of Jem's face is in the light, the other half in the dark
-
notice the shadows on the wall created by the column on the porch and by
the rocking chair on which Scout is perched
-
notice the other shadows, for example, running along the length of the house
wall, perhaps generated by trees in the distance
-
in
what ways does the "dark
or harshly lit pictures (in this scene)
.trigger feelings of fear, tension and a sense of impending evil " ?
Recommended links
Lighting
As Storytelling
(full chapter from the text: Cinematography: Theory Into Practice)
Film
Language: Use of Lighting
Recommended book
Painting
With Light by John Alton
Recommended VHS/DVD
Visions
of Light: The Art of Cinematography
For a list of recommended
books about using motion pictures in the classroom, go here. |
See bibliography
for all source material cited here
©2003
Frank Baker
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