Visual References

I came into film with a strong theatrical background. On stage, the idea is to make everything readable for the audience members all the way in the back of the house. This means that everything has to be big: the acting, costumes, props, even the lighting. I think that this, apart from any sort of individual reference, influences my style. I never personally designed lighting for a show, but I have been the poor individual assigned with circuiting, hanging, and focusing the lights. I have also sat through hours of light cues and adjustments. This has built a strong appreciation in me for how a subtle change in lighting can shift the entire mood of a scene or moment. While sometimes lighting is meant to be strong and dramatic, it is never meant to be noticed on a conscious level.

The Lion King

I love animation. Disney is great when it comes to personifying color. Here, when Mufasa is talking to Simba about his future, the tone is warm and serene. The scene is lit by the sunrise and everything has a soft glow.

However, scenes with Scar make use of cooler colors like this eerie green that suggest his evil nature. This entire scene also has these awesome shadows of scar and the hyenas throughout it.

The Illusionist

I love the dreamlike quality of this movie. This is achieved by how the edges of the frame darken, and the center is highlighted. The color is washed out just enough to make it feel antique, like you are looking into the past.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

I love musicals, but they are really hard to translate into film. However, I think this musical was captured beautifully on screen. The cheerfulness of this scene, especially the halo of light cast on the actors in comparison to..

...this is great. Once again, the dreary world of the present in this film is depicted in the cool tones of blue. Also, this film makes use of dramatic shadows. I love the window here as it functions much like a spotlight would on stage.

Rashomon

Japanese film holds a special place in my heart, and this is such an amazing film. Considering how little there was to work with in terms of lighting and equipment, it was an awesome achievement to capture some of the shots.

Moulin Rouge

This is another musical movie that I love. The style looks very staged, but it works with the film. The lighting in the movie blend the best of both worlds. In the shot below, the lighting is very natural. It is pouring in from the window and there is that sort of 'halo' look that I like. It is very soft and simple.

In this scene the lighting is much more selective and shadowy. The blue tint gives it that 'theatre' feel. The entire relationship between Satine and the Duke is an act on Satine's part and the lighting highlights that nicely.

And of course the dance numbers in this movie are amazing. This was very well done with the lighting coming from the back and almost silhouetting the dancers. It has a very sharp, dramatic look that goes well with the tango. The shadows that are cast from the dancers also give a very ominous look that suits the scene well.

I Am Legend

I was very intrigued by this movie. I still am not sure if I like all of it or not, however this scene is really well done. This is where he is locking his house down to avoid the 'monsters' from finding him. This is the transition between the safety of daytime to the unknown of nighttime. This particular shot where he is closing this window shows very clearly the line between light and dark. However, what is most interesting to me is the shadow of the main character being cast and how much it looks like one of the zombie creatures.

This is a pretty shot and a forewarning to what happens later in the movie. The sun reflecting in the lower left of the window and the orange tint on the window frame give a sort of fire's glow feel.

Another thing that was conveyed well in this movie was how desolate New York City had become. Since there is no electricity left, Will Smith's character runs everything off of generators, and he does that as little as possible. Through most of the movie during the day the house is lit only through windows which makes everything feel really still and quiet. I love this shot because of how golden Smith and the dog are, but everything around them is a lot whiter.

Hero

This is another example of how color can be used in the extremes. Every separate version of the story being told has a different color scheme to it, and it makes this movie a visual feast. Even without knowing what was going on this first shot is so white and evenly lit that it gives off the feeling of purity.

However the camera angle and the red of her kimono as well as the light coming in through the wall gives a much different feeling of passion or anger.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Here, the main character is having his memories erased of Kate Winslet's character. Most of these scenes start out very soft, like you might dream of something where the color isn't completely vivid.

And then they turn into this where it looks more like a photograph that has started fading. Only the brights and darks really stand out, and a lot of the little details from before are lost.

Citizen Kane

The way the light is coming through the big archway and how small and swallowed up the person looks in the light with his shadow is really striking. The statues in the corner are also a nice touch with the hard shadows.

Amadeus

This still looks like a painting you might see from this century. This movie did a wonderful job of keeping the lighting as natural as possible: coming from candles, open windows, etc. Since these were the only devices available in the time period for lighting, it effectively keeps the viewer immersed in Mozart's world.