Lighting design (film)

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In film and television, lighting design refers to artistic lighting . Artificial light sources are usually used for filming in unfavorable lighting conditions. Balanced lighting is a prerequisite for an appealing and technically perfect picture. The lighting design is also an important dramaturgical stylistic device, it significantly influences the audience's reception .

Standard lighting

See the article on lighting , as the explanations largely coincide with photo practice.

Photographic styles (lighting styles)

Lighting is not just a matter of technical necessity; By varying the light sources in terms of quantity, direction and intensity, a visual language can also be created that considerably supports the reception of the scene and the intention of the dramaturgy. This varied use of light is usually already implemented by the spotlights on the set; however, post-productive light changes, for example using a computer, are often also possible. The best-known example of this is the day-for-night method.

Based on black and white photography, a distinction is made between three styles of lighting design:

Low key lighting

Low-key lighting is a lighting style mainly used in film noir , in which large parts of the image remain dark and shadows play a major role.

The darkness is usually intensified in the almost completely too darkly illuminated image by a white reference . This white point in the picture is often a reflection and serves to prevent the eye from getting used to the darkness, and the scene is then no longer referred to as dark / gloomy.

Normal style

With a normal lighting design, a natural viewing habit is suggested, i. i.e. there is a balanced light / dark distribution. The normal style is therefore almost equivalent to the standard lighting.

This lighting style, which is the most widely used, creates a realistic, naturalistic atmosphere.

High-key lighting

With this lighting style, the scene appears evenly (without shadows) or even excessively bright. High-key is used to convey an optimistic to depressed mood (e.g. in comedies or soap operas ).

Logical vs. dramatic lighting design

As with many other technical film measures, it should also be taken into account with the lighting design that a shot does not necessarily try to realistically capture the actual conditions of the scene. Scenes that supposedly only have a candle as a natural light source are often much brighter than they would be in reality. According to the audience, there are still scenes that are largely “naturally” lit.

At the same time, however, there are deliberate violations in order to put a scene in the right light, that is, no consideration is given to natural light sources. This is reflected, for example, when the shadow cast is different from what the scenic sun as a natural light source could allow. In such cases, the drama comes before the logic. For example, lighting from below emerged from the theatrical tradition of the spotlight .

Furthermore, logical lighting design can only be equated with the normal style outlined above in certain cases , since, for example, a sparsely lit cave with many shadows also appears quite logical in terms of lighting technology . So low-key (in this case) and high-key are not all for dramatic reasons.

Narrative function of lighting design

This function is made possible by the fact that light - as already indicated with high and low key - can create moods and can be used to characterize the characters involved. Here it is not only a matter of the viewer's world knowledge of light and shadow, but also of the narrative knowledge of the stories associated with certain types of light. Brightly lit places and sunlit landscapes are what people associate with friendliness and clarity, as nothing indicates that something is hidden. While brightness appears to be clearly defined as positive, darkness always has a double meaning. On the one hand, z. E.g. dark alleys and dimly lit rooms hide something eerie and dangerous, on the other hand the darkness can just as well offer protection from pursuers.

literature

  • Achim Dunker: "The Chinese sun always shines from below". Light and shadow design in film (= Praxis Film. Vol. 47). 6th, revised edition. UVK Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Konstanz 2014, ISBN 978-3-86764-394-8 .
  • Werner Kamp, Manfred Rüsel: From dealing with film. Volk-und-Wissen-Verlag, Berlin 1998, ISBN 3-06-102824-2 (reprint. Volk-und-Wissen-Verlag, Cornelsen 2011, ISBN 978-3-06-102824-4 ).
  • Lothar Mikos: Film and TV Analysis (= UTB 2415 Media and Communication Studies, Literary Studies ). 2nd, revised edition. UVK Verlags-Gesellschaft, Konstanz 2008, ISBN 978-3-8252-2415-8 .
  • Gerald Millerson: Handbook of Lighting Technology for Film and Television Productions. Translation of the 3rd edition. Mediabook-Verlag, Gau-Heppenheim 2001, ISBN 3-93297-281-3 .
  • Peter Sbrzesny : camera work and lighting design. VEB Fotokinoverlag, Leipzig 1967.

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