lighting in wilderness
TRANSCRIPT
Lighting in Wilderness
By Tom O’Driscoll
The diegetic key light of the projector draws focus away from the location and
towards our disturbed character, establishing his importance in the thriller
The diegetic candlelight acts as a fill light to create a warm, familiar tone to the scene, whilst also connoting
cult-like rituals
We decided to predominantly use diegetic light as it made the clip seem more real; the more non-diegetic light used the less absorbing the clip would become.
The hard light of
the projector creates
an abrasive
and uncomfor
table tone to
the scene.
A chiaroscuro effect is created via the stark contrast between light and dark in this scene, enforcing a sense of drama
The mise en scene of this shot is very dark and the unnatural yellow diegetic light of the
street light enforces the urban location
Similar to the candles in the last shot, the colour temperature of the street
light is warm and familiar, making this shot unnerving.
Once again, the low key lighting of the shot continues to create a dark mise
en sceneThe light is much softer in this shot which
lulls the audience into a false state of reassurance
The diegetic light of the projector becomes a backlight that emphasizes Gareth’s strength, despite his childish attire and surroundings
The diegetic green light of the emergency signs created a sickly tone to the scene, as they jut into the clip randomly and unnaturally
This shot is predominantly in darkness, continuing the dark mise en scene of the thriller as a whole. The lack of hard or fill light in this shot makes it especially dark: Its location near the
end of the clip foreshadows his inevitable dark actions
The positioning of the projector allows some rim light to briefly outline Gareth, reminding the audience of his real stature and power
Freya’s sudden entrance is dramatized by the flood of non-diegetic backlight behind her as the door opens; she breaks
through the darkness of the hall.
The static coming through on the projector creates a hazy overlay on Gareth, this is reflective of his mental state: Like a television between two channels, Gareth is caught between a child’s mindset and adult responsibility
The sudden burst of light silhouettes Freya, demonstrating to the audience that the focal point is
Gareth’s knife
Once again, the chiaroscuro effect is
prevalent