Lighting blog tasks

Still image analysis

The image uses low-key lighting, creating deep, dark shadows. The top lighting emphasises her beauty, accentuating her facial structure and make-up, making her appear glamorous. The darkness envelops most of the shot, revealing only her face and hands. This creates a mysterious tone and may connote this woman is a femme fatale sort of character with scheming intentions. The lighting highlights the cigarette in her hand, further emphasising her feminine and mystifying appearance.


This image uses underlighting to create a distorted and terrifying effect. The shadows underneath his eyes and mouth emphasise his angry and determined expression, sinisterly glaring at the camera. The image is quite highly-lit , perhaps to allow the viewer to see all the details of his clothing and crown, connoting wealth and power. He appears to be a villain, or at least a person with bad intentions, due to the sinister appearance of his face created by the chiaroscuro. His crown also can be symbolic of devil horns.


The atmosphere of the image can be easily grasped from the use of back/top lighting. The man's silhouette is accentuated clearly, creating a dramatic outline of this character. The low-key lighting is important in emphasising the large contrast of light and shadow (chiaroscuro) in the image, in which the man's gun, badge and the rain that clashes with him are all highlighted. The viewer's eyes are attracted to those parts of the image, cluing them in as to the profession of the character and also his personality. The fact that half of his face is basked in shadow connotes that this character is serious and mysterious, perhaps a two-sided anti-hero.



The lighting in this image comes from the top-left, casting the woman in a dark shadow beside her. This is low-key lighting due to the chiaroscuro . The shadow emphasises her face and her fearful expression, crafting her to be vulnerable and exposed. The fact she is half covered in shade and half covered in light can perhaps show that darkness is creeping up on her, demonstrating how her fate is sealed as she has nowhere to run.


Lighting from blinds is a visual used in many film-noirs, showing this is a neo-noir film. The use of low-key lighting with the main light seeping through the blinds connotes that this is a risky and rebellious scene that will have consequences in the future.


There is a very intense back light used to create chiaroscuro and emphasise the silhouettes of each character in the shot. The shadows of 4 characters are extended along the floor, creating an extremely sinister and imposing effect as their presence dominates the shot. The strong silhouettes also allow for their weapons to be seen, connoting the sinister nature of the characters. There is a 5th silhouette in the corner, appearing to be a man lying on the floor. The shadows of the other 4 characters extended past him, perhaps foreshadowing the violent scene about to take place, as well as emphasising the vulnerability of the man.


The lighting in this shot is low-key, as the dark shadow of the woman is cast strongly behind her. The chiaroscuro emphasises her concerned/shocked face, also creating enigma as to what she is fearful of. She seems backed into a corner by the framing of the shot, as well as the shadow cast in the corner with her.


The lighting in this shot is high-key, as the shadows are fairly minimal. The top-lighting can connote heavenly light and divine intervention, as further emphasised with the person praying. This person seems to be at peace or perhaps looking for guidance, as connoted with the softened shadows and lighter shades of the image.


The lighting in this shot is very low-key, as most of the shot is bathed in dark shadow. A back-light is used to create the horrifying silhouette of a masked figure, highlighting the giant blade wielded in his hand. The chiaroscuro easily emphasises how much of an active threat this antagonist is. The only other place light shines is through what seems to be a banister, which also highlights a clock of some sort. The use of setting creates a further sense of threat as the viewer is faced with the vulnerability of being hunted in your own home. The banister lighting may connote those of prison bars, starkly demonstrating that this murderous serial killer has escaped the law and is exactly where he shouldn't be.


Both characters are well-lit, however there are still quite prominent shadows cast on the side of their faces we can't see. There is a great sense of enigma as the expressions on both of their faces contrast greatly. The woman's arms flung around the man's shoulders cast dark shadows, perhaps showing a sinister side to their relationship. The man's gun is behind her back, yet quite well-lit. Perhaps this connotes that he has the intention of shooting her and she just doesn't know, or even that she doesn't feel threatened by it.

Film noir research 

The lighting commonly used in Film Noir is low-key lighting, creating deep, dark mysterious shadows and extreme silhouettes. The Chiaroscuro can be used by directors to reveal more about a character’s true intentions than their words could.
Lighting effects:

• venetian blinds create great contrast
• foggy backgrounds add great effect to a silhouetted figure when combined with back lighting. It also casts an eerie glow.
• shadowy figures are imposing and intense

Film noir YouTube clip analysis 

Double Indemnity

The lighting in the scene is primarily low-key, basking both characters in minimal light and creating an unsettling and on-edge tone. The scene begins with the two conversing in fairly dim light. When the man goes to close the window, he is shot at, draws the curtains and darkens the scene further, creating greater chiaroscuro, a darker atmosphere and shift in tone. I chose this clip due to how the Venetian blinds were used; the woman is standing up and the light from the blinds shines on and behind where she's framed. As the man approaches her, he is basked in almost complete shadow with only a slight silhouette to define him. This creates a great contrasting effect and emphasises the difference between the two characters. His character has resolved to kill the woman, and is thus bathed in darkness, however the woman has decided that she isn't going to murder him, and so the horizontal light that is cast behind her reflects this.