Research - Mrs Quinlan: Mise en scene: Lighting and colour

Mise on scene: Lighting and Colour

Lighting is an element of mise on secne . The use of different lighting techniques helps to create an atmosphere or mood. These type of lighting technique are used draw attention from the audience to a person or an object. Lighting can also create suspense and also to enhance the film for example using back lighting to show a villain is behind a person helps creates fear in the audience. Colour is another element in Mise on scene that is added to the effect of lighting. Combing both lighting and colour allows the film have more an impact on the audience aswell enhancing the film itself.

Different angles of lighting

Angles of lighting are when lighting is put in different places to create an effect on certain objects or characters.

Under Lighting

The lighting is coming from below the person. This is mostly used when the portraying a character is dark, evil or scheming something. Under lighting gives a distorting effect on the character. This type of lighting is used mostly on Antagonists.

Top-Lighting

The Lighting is coming from above the person. This type of lighting is used highlighting the features of a character creating a glamorous look, and mostly on used characters that have good intentions or in heroic scenes, therefore its used mostly on protagonists.

Back-Lighting

The light source for back lighting is usually behind a person. Not much light is used for back lighting since they make silhouettes on the character this is useful when you only want to see a shadow of an character.

An example of back lighting would be the famous murder scene in psycho: The photo below shows the moment the antagonist was about to kill his victim and the use of back lighting in this scene creates an silhouette of him about to stab the victim.

Types of Lighting

These are different types of lighting that are used to create an shadow or to enhance the film.

Low Key

The lighting is dark with small areas of light which also creates a shadow.

Low key lighting is when there is low lighting in some small areas in others areas there isn’t any. With this type of lighting

Heres an example from the The night of the hunter. You can see that lighting is in a few places while the rest of the scene is mostly pitch back.

High Key

High key lighting appears more natural and realistic to our eyes therefore the lighting effect is heightened

What type of lighting is conventional in thrillers and why

Most thrillers has a dark story-line and therefore use lighting in effect has to reflect the story-line not only that different sub-genre may use lighting in different ways. Thrillers that have a dark story-line or might only use Under Lighting, back lighting and Low key lighting to create a dark scene in which the characters might be threatened by someone mysterious or something that they don't know about.

What type of Colour is conventional in thrillers and why

Most thrillers would use red or black lighting with some or most of these scenes as it would attract the audience attention to the character. The use of the colours means that audience would be associate these colours with different meanings. For example Red is usually associate with blood and the black would be associated with darkness. The use of colours during scenes can help with the lighting and the mood within the film.

Red Lighting

The use of red lighting is seen here in the image aboce you can seen here that the victim is looking for someone or looking scared and could also be panicking. The red filter used in this scene usually connotes danger or death. Also the use of low key lighting shows something is about to happen. After couple of secs would have progressed the victim would of been death.

Black Lighting

The use of black lighting in this image Connotates Darkness and also the danger that may occur during the scene. Another colour they are using with the lighting is hints of whites. This is an important since it creates tension within the scene since the audience wont be able to see well in this film and the use of white lighting show some action.

Thriller Opening Analysis

Most of the opening had dark colours with the occasional red and the was mostly low key and back lighting. this created a dark atmosphere during the opening scene this reflected what was happening throughout the film. when the colour changed to the hint of red was when there was blood shown how was mostly dark. This makes the audience feels a bit apprehensive since they cant see much unless the lighting allows. most of the scene was mostly running and stabbing the response from the audience would of been shock of what just happening. at the end of the opening scene the audience reaction would be shock because an person was killed in the opening which some of members may not have been expecting.

Conclusion

When i am creating my film i would have to make sure that i used suitable lighting which are used in the thriller genre which is back lighting and under lighting, Co lours has to to be dark but not too dark and has to enhance the film. Lighting must be used in a subtle but noticeable way. For example i might use low key lighting if someone running through the forest. also i must try to use techniques for lighting if they apply to the thriller genre.