Micro Features: Lighting

Lighting is important to the mise-en-scene of a film and creates an different effect depending on which type of lighting is used.

A standard lighting set up involves three cameras which can all be used different and singularly to create different effects;  backlight, fill light and key light.




Key Light
Key light is a bright light placed to the side of a subject. This use of key lighting is supposedly used to create a big impact and create shadows along the face.

Back Light
Using a back light can create the effect of a silhouette. The lighting placed behind the figure will make it so the features upon the figure will not be shown, any facial features and such will not be clear and should appear black using back lighting.

Filler Light
Filler light is used to make sure shadows do no appear upon the figure. It is used to makes actors look youthful as shadows that may make someone appear to look old are rid of using the filler light.

Underlighting
Underlighting is most commonly used in horror films to make a subject appear sinister and frightening. The light source is placed below the characters face to creates shadows upon the subjects face.

Top Lighting
Top lighting is used to highlight features upon a persons face. Top lighting will show no lines or shadows upon their face and so the subject will appear youthful. Top lighting will usually accentuate their features eg. cheekbones

Low Key Lighting
Low key lighting is suitable for use in horror and thriller films to create suspension and fear in the audience. Low key lighting produces various deep shadows upon the scene, and can be used to produce shadows upon both the subject and the scene. It is a contrast between both the light and darkness of the scene.

Nosferatu

The scene above, the trailer of the film Noferatu (1922), is a good example of use of low key lighting within a horror film. Rather than show the figure of the antagonist low key lighting is used to show the shadow rather than the actual subject to create suspense and fear as the audience cannot see the vampyrs expression and this digs into the audiences fears.

Suspicion

This scene is an extract taken from Suspicion (1941) and is another example of low key lighting. The woman within this film is concerned her husband is out to kill her. We see the husband climbing the stairs but we do not see the husbands face nor any of his features, he is a black figure due to the low key lighting and this creates fear and suspicion within the audience. The audience cannot see the expression on the husbands face so we are unable to make a judgement about him and this gives a sinister feel to it. The glass of milk is very bright within this scene and so the focus is placed upon the milk, and this is so then audience will then make an assumption that the milk is poisoned.

High Key Lighting
High key lighting usually gives a more realistic look and is most commonly used in shots within films. High key lighting will rid the scene and/or the subject of shadows.