In the cinema you can
arrange the lights in such a way as to leave darkness between the area
illuminated by the backlight and the area illuminated by the fill light,
depending on how moody you want the shot to be. This works very well and
usually the light is always used to enhance the expressions of the characters’
faces. It is the basic technique to put the character “in the spotlight”.
The Cabinet of Dr Caligari
1910s to 1930s
During the latter half of
the 1910s, filmmakers adopted two significant new techniques, both derived from
other art forms. One was the use of carbon arc spotlights, which had previously
been used in theater and which allowed a strong light to be directed from a
distance onto a particular actor or area of the set. The other was the use of
diffusing screens, which already belonged to the repertoire of the still
photographer. Diffusers could be used to transform a hard light into a soft
light that did not cast such severe shadows. The increasing use of soft
lighting techniques, whether they relied on reflectors or diffusers, had
particular benefits for facial lighting. Soft lighting produced more flattering
effects and, with the rise of the star system during this decade, it was
becoming ever more important to make the actors look attractive. The dark was used to shoot movies with more drama, or for horror movies like Nosferatu by Murneau (1922). In the 1930s movies continued
to be in black and white. They only used bright light in order to convey a
happy emotion and to shoot comic films.
The Third Man
1940s
In the 1940s, the techniques
were more or less the same as in the 1930s. For example The Third Man by Carol Reed
or The Birds by Hitchcock used the same techniques as in the 1930s.
1950s
In the 1950s, many movies
ended with a sunset. The directors used really intense lights and filters.
Sometimes, six filters were used on the camera, one to control the shadow and
the other ones to control the colors.
Ivan's Childhood
1980s
In the 1980s, directors
insisted on the landscapes which were lit with the natural light of the sun or
really bright spots. They preferred natural elements. The movie Ivan’s
Childhood by Tarkovski is the perfect example of this technique. There is a
scene where a child goes straight in the marsh and a torch crosses the screen
before the sunset.
The Silence of the Lambs
1990s
Using lights of different
color temperatures was one of the techniques used. This means using lights of
different colors in the same shot. It can be use to reinforce the emotions that
the movie director wants to convey. It’s the technique the director of The
Silence of The Lambs used to inspire fear when Hannibal Lecter appears…
A.I.
2000s
One of the most used
techniques in the years 2000 was silhouetting. It uses a dark subject and a
very bright background to give a mysterious and a dark mood to give suspense.
Also, the movies of this decade used a lot of light, especially in action
movies like Avatar. In the movie A.I., the light reflects danger and mystery, a
feeling of adventure. Then the lights convey hope when the child gets the
possibility to talk to his mother. It is an angelic light, a really intense
one. The visual elements became really important in the 2000s: the colors and
the camera motions. The light has major importance in this decade. The use of a
punctual light has an influence on the perception of the visual elements which
must captivate the eyes of the spectators.
Lincoln
2010s
The movies of this decade
favor grey tones. The movies are dark, like Lincoln by Steven Spielberg. The
directors want to tone down colors in their movies. Warm colors have
disappeared, the colors used are mostly grey and blue. The light must be
blocked because the themes are dark and the directors don’t want the light to
undermine this.
