Still Image Analysis
1) In this image, I am able to identify that there is a use of low-key lighting due to the key light and back light being used in order to create a shadow for dramatic effect. This can be recognised due to the chairoscuro at the bottom and top left of the image. The bottom portion of the image is completely dark while the top has some light to illuminate her facial features.
2) The still image clearly uses top lighting as we are able to see the source of light is coming from directly above the subject.
3) The use of low-key lighting in this photo creates a theme of darkness over a majority of the image which causes the audience to wonder what else could be hiding in the darkness- it gives the impression that this movie is likely to be a horror movie. The top lighting used in this photo accentuates her features which could indicate her significance in this movie compared to the darkness around her. Also, the contrast between lightness and darkness in the photo could represent the contrast between good and evil- which could be a theme in this movie.
1) In this still image, it seems as though there is mainly the use of high-key lighting as there are hardly any noticeable shadows- this is likely due to the use of filler lights that remove the shadows that the key light and back light have created and create a more realistic look for the subject. Even though there are small shadows around his eyes and surrounding his face, I don't believe they are significant enough to say that low-key lighting is being used.
2) This image very clearly uses back lighting as there are shadows on the man's face- there also seems to be a sky behind him which could indicate that the sun is coming up from behind him and this emphasises the fact that back lighting is mainly used in this image.
3) The use of back lighting in this image creates shadows around the main subject's eyes which may be symbolic to represent that this man sees things for the worst or has a negative/dark outlook on life. The fact that we aren't able to see his eyes very well reinforces the mystery about this man, we are unable to see how he is feeling. The crown he is wearing is highlighted by the back-lighting and it can convey the fact that he holds a lot of power but due to his pessimistic views on life, we can make the assumption that him being in power will not end well.
1) This image has evidently used low-key lighting to portray the contrast between light and dark- due to the lack of filler lights, a more dramatic and dark tone is adopted which leaves the audience frightened.
2) The still image has used top lighting which can be determined through the light shining on the top of his head and no light coming from the other directions.
3) The use of low-key lighting allows us to infer that this may be a neo-noir movie due to the dark colour scheme and little light being used. The angle of the camera is also significant as it suggests this character has a sense of power and dominance and is ready to take on whatever comes at him. The deliberate use of having a shadow over only half of his face acts as a symbol that he maybe conflicted throughout this movie and make tough choices that leaves him in two minds.
1) This still image uses high-key lighting due to the brightness on a majority of the image. However, the shadow behind the woman leads me to believe there are aspects of low-key lighting incorporated into the image due to the chiaroscuro between the shadows and light which has definitely been done intentionally.
2) This image uses top lighting which is clearly displayed through the fact that the only shadow in the picture is from behind the woman so the brightly coloured part is coming from the top of her head- which is what leads me to believe that top lighting has been used in this photo.
3) The use of low-key lighting combined with the frightened look on the woman's face leads me to believe there is something that has taken the woman by surprise that the audience can't see in this picture. The lack of knowledge for the audience of what could be scaring her causes a sense of uneasiness which allows me to infer that this movie must be a thriller. The use of the top lighting here highlights the heavy make-up that she is wearing which gives the suggestion that she is likely to be a damsel in distress.
1) I believe that this image uses low-key lighting due to the reasonable amount of shadows that have been created despite the light that comes in through the gaps in the blinds. Although low-key lighting has been used, I believe that the intention was to create a sense of realism instead of a sense of drama.
2) This still image uses back lighting that can be seen through the use of light coming from the blinds and although back light tends to be stronger, the blinds have reduced the strength of the lights.
3) The effect of low-key lighting being used suggests that the relationship between these two people is meant to be hidden- which would explain the lack of filler lights and natural light because they don't want to be illuminated and exposed. The light shining through the blinds gives the illusion of cell bars which could also indicate that this relationship must be "kept in the shadows" and gives the suggestion of forbidden love.
1) This image seems to use high-key lighting as we can see the use of filler lights to give these characters a more realistic and 3D look. Despite the use of high-key lighting, we can still see the use of chiaroscuro between the shadows on the floor compared to the light coming from behind the men which suggests that low-key lighting has also been incorporated into it.
2) This still image uses back lighting as we can see the source of light is coming from behind the men. The use of back light here successfully conceals the appearance of each men but also casts clear shadows of the men on the floor which gives them a sense of mystery.
3) The high-key lighting of the still image replicates daylight but the intensity of the back light makes it almost blinding. Instead of using light to help us see the characters, light has been used to do the opposite- to hide the identities of these characters. This gives them a sense of mystery as we don't know who they are or what they are doing but they seen to be holding weapons which makes them dangerous and likely to be part of some gang or group of people who cause crime.
1) I believe that this image depicts low-key lighting due to the presence of key and back lights. We are clearly able to see the contrast between light and dark here which is a prime example of chiaroscuro.
2) I think that this image uses top lighting as we can clearly see the woman's face from one side but we are not able to clearly see the other side of her face which gives us the impression that the light must be coming from above the subject.
3) The use of low-key lighting in this image creates an ominous atmosphere which is further reinforced by the frightened facial expressions on the woman's face. The shadow that has been created by the top light can be interpreted to come from somebody else instead of the woman in the image. This creates a sense of mystery for the audience as we don't know what the woman has been faced with.
1) This image clearly uses high-key lighting as there is the undeniable presence of filler lights that removes the shadows and gives the subject a more realistic and brighter appearance.
2) This image uses top lighting and this is evident as we can see the light on top of the subject's head but there is still the presence of shadows around the neck due to light not being able to get there because of their head being in the way.
3) The use of high-key lighting makes the image appear brighter and more realistic and the lighting combination paired with the character's hands being placed together, we are able to make the inference that they could be praying and the intensity of the light reflects the character's pure intentions. The use of top lighting also means that the audience can clearly see the character's face and that they have nothing to hide which allows us to feel trusting towards this character because they don't seem to have any darkness surrounding them.
1) This image very clearly uses low-key lighting as we can't see any filler lights that try to illuminate the shadows created which creates a very dramatic and scary effect.
2) This image uses back lighting that seems to be coming from behind the character and even though there is a use of back lighting, the intensity of the light is very low which makes this scene even darker, which creates an even more dramatic and scary effect.
3) The use of low-key lighting with subtle blue hues gives off the impression that this movie is likely to fall into the science-fiction genre. Due to the back lighting coming through the door, we get a decent look at the character but it still is not clear enough to see what his intentions are. The darkness surrounding the rest of the room suggests that he brings darkness wherever he goes and this may cause the audience to feel tension as we don't know what he will do.
1) This image has clearly used high-key lighting as we can see the use of filler lights that make the characters look more realistic and reduce the presence of shadows.
2) The image uses top lighting as we can see the light on top of the couple's heads and the shadows underneath their heads where there seems to be a lack of access for the light which leads me to believe that the light is coming from above.
3) The use of high-key lighting is used to make the people look more rounded and realistic and perhaps this has been done in order to successfully replicate the appearance of a real couple holding each other to try capture the relationship as accurately as possible. The high-key lighting here successfully reflects a positive mood because the bright colours suggest happy moods and this is able to capture the positive and happy feelings that come incorporated with love.
Film Noir Research
- Film noir is a genre/style of film that is centred around themes of pessimism, fatalism, menace, cynicism and dystopia
- Film noir has a literal translation of 'black cinema' and it was a term that French critics used to refer to Hollywood movies with pessimism and darkness
- Some common elements of noir films include:
➡ Femme Fatale
➡ Tight, concise dialogue
➡ High-contrast lighting
➡ Post-war disillusionment
- The most important element of film noir is lighting
- It makes use of low-key lighting to create extreme silhouettes and dark shadows
- Low-key lighting is created by using key and back lights
- Film noir directors used chiaroscuro to reveal more about a character's intentions rather than words
Film Noir YouTube Clip Analysis
This clip is from 'The Maltese Falcon' and it illustrates the story of a private detective's partner being murdered after being shot with a gun. The beginning of the clip presents a woman giving a description of a 'dangerous man' with high-key lighting which is juxtaposes our expectations of the low-key lighting in a film noir which leads us to believe that this has been done intentionally. The bright coloured lighting may be used as a way to reflect the fact that there are no secrets in that room and that the room is a safe place in spite of the tragic event that just took place. However, after this scene, we are given a scene that uses low-key lighting to show an unknown person who has shot and murdered the detective's partner. The use of low-key lighting here successfully matches our expectations for a film noir genre that is about cynicism.
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