Lighting Direction

1. What do you notice about front lighting? Top lighting? Side lighting?
2. What does the angle of your light have to do with your character and story?
3. How can you incorporate this in your film noir?

Front lighting creates minimal shadows onto the face, creating a flat look. Lighting slightly above the head can define the cheek and  jawlines to create a beauty shot. a Top light will create deep shadows especially near the eyes, creating a mysterious and unsettling mood. Side lighting covers an entire side of the face while illuminating the other. Angle of light can illuminate or darken a specific part of the character, creating different moods. Adjusting lighting can identify which part of the character the audience is able to see. The film noir can utilize different lighting angles to convey different emotional states of the character. For example, a despicable character can have a top light so that their eyes are cast in shadows.

Lighting the Human Face

1. What do you notice about how the angle of lighting affects the human face?
2. Take a moment and pause the video in the article in different parts. What does the lighting to do the ladies face at those angles?
3. How could you start using lighting angles intentionally in your future productions?

The different angles a human face is lit can convey different emotions. For example, lighting from above the head creates dark shadows near the eyes. The inability to see the eyes clearly gives uneasiness to the audience, causing suspicion towards the character. A light source coming from the side can create a dramatic look depending on how crisp the shadows are. If a light source is coming from the center or the light is emitted from a large surface, the person appears to be hopeful or joyous. The color temperature can also tell how the subject is feeling or their intentions. In the future, I can convey the emotional background of the character by correlating it with different lighting techniques.

Using Flags

In a detailed paragraph, please answer the following questions:

1. What are flags used for on set?
2. What are three key things you learned in the video that you can put to use when lighting?

Flags are used to control the spill of light, highlighting the parts of the frame that is most important to the scene. Darkening the parts that are unimportant directs the audience away from such parts. These flags help shape the light in the liking of the cinematographer. Adjusting the angles and location of the flags can alter the darkness and the location of the shadows. I learned that light can be controlled so that the it only affects one specific portion of the frame. This allows for flexibility when shaping the light.

Film Noir Cnematography on a Budget

1. What are some issues you notice that the presenter runs into when lighting his scene?
2. What are three techniques he uses to make the image look more cinematic? How do they affect the shot?

When the presenter is lighting the scene, he runs into the problem that the desk is too bright, distracting the audience from the subject inside the frame. In order to combat this, he tilts the light off to the side. However, this causes a reflection in the background, and thus, he need to add a black wrapper to the side of the light to shut out some of it. This causes the desk to have an unnatural light. He then comes to the conclusion that the reflection can simple be blocked with a paper towel Using a black wrap, covering reflections with a paper towel, and changing the angle of the light all brought upon problems that had to be solved into another way.

Film Noir Lighting

In a detailed paragraph, explain three of the key concepts that the presenter says are important for film noir lighting. How does film noir lighting differ from lighting in other kinds of productions?

Low key lighting is the most common form of lighting in a film noir. This style of lighting can create depth and drama within the image. Three point lighting is the basic lighting technique that is often altered according to the scene. This lighting set up is composed of the key light, fill light, and the back light. In film noir, the fill light is often weak to create a highly contrasted image. A light can either be a hard light, creating a clear shadow, or a soft light, creating soft shadows. Film noir often utilizes cucoloris, or cookies. These are cutouts that create a specific shape in front of the ligting source so that the shadow has a specified structure. 

Sunset Boulevard

1. After reading this article, why do you think Sunset Boulevard seems like such a classic film?
2. After reading this article what are two interesting things that you are interested in seeing in the film?

Sunset Boulevard is a classic film because it highlights the cruelty of Hollywood themselves. This cruelty is established through the casting choices that featured actual stars of the silent era as the "has-beens." These casting choices ultimately embodied the cynicism that revolved around the film. The casting choices had such an impact on the film that it is hard to imagine what the film would have been like the actors and actresses been different. I am interested in seeing the famous dialogue this film features and the actor's performance that emphasizes the overall tone of the film. I wish to see all of these aspects come together has one classic film that is appreciated to this day.

Defining Film Noi P.2

How did societal fears play into the storylines of film noir?

Societal fears were reflected in the movie to have a stronger emotional impact for those who were watching it during the time period. For example, during the World War era, many feared the invasion of foreign countries that would pull them into an uncontrollable situation. The people also distrusted the manipulative government exploiting American citizens. The lower class generally distrusted those in higher power, such as the police force and lawyers.