Lighting Techniques

Lighting Techniques

Tron: Legacy

Tron: Legacy implements a lot of low key lighting throughout the film. This effect is successful in this particular film seeing as it is set in a video game world where everything seems to be going wrong and is very dark. There is an evil that is taking over the world that requires a sort of cool, dark, shadowy setting which is exactly what this lighting allows. The main character of this film, Sam Flynn, is clearly an outsider to this world and by using the low key lighting effect the audience gets a better feel for just how isolated and different he feels from everything surrounding him. Using this low lighting gave a sense of entrapment as the character is trying to find an escape from this deep, dark mess he has found himself in.

Skyfall

Skyfall is another film that successfully uses low light to tell a story. In this action film, there is a quite larger array of color used, typically changing from scene to scene, unlike Tron: Legacy which focuses on the cooler, more blue tones. Despite jumping from white to yellow to blue, however, Skyfall still relies heavily on the low lighting to create suspense and danger in each scene. Seriously though, it wouldn't be a James Bond movie without a heavy amount of mystery and tension.

The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz uses a lot of high key lighting throughout the film to display the bright, wonderful world that is Oz. Every character in the film is lit very brightly to display their unique beauty that is individual to themselves. Dorothy is often lit brightly -- especially for close ups -- to display her innocent nature as well as her optimism that there is good in everyone.

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby has a pretty good mix of high and low key lighting. However, I would say there is probably a good bit more high key lighting in this film as everything about it is romantic in more of a sweet, almost cheesy way rather than in a passionate, seductive way (where low lighting might be more effective). The scenes that seem to never fail to be very bright are the ones in which Gatsby throws an elaborate party or those in which Daisy is included and not upset about something. This film is set in an age when everyone is attractive and fun and in love. And what better way to highlight these defining characteristics than with high key lighting?

Shot x Shot Analysis

Inception

"You're Waiting for a Train"

The scene begins with a close up shot of Mal who is clearly distraught over the story Cobb is about to tell that she has never heard before.

Next, we move to a close up of Cobb for a reaction shot. Here we can see he is expressing a similar emotion as it is a story he does not like to tell.

Back to a close up of Mal for a reaction.

Close up of Ariadne.

Back to a close up of Cobb to show his uneasiness about the subject.

Back to a close up of Mal.

Close up of Ariadne.

Final emotional close up of Cobb before flashback begins.

Medium wide shot of Mal and Cobb with a shallow depth of field to focus on them as they walk alone in a world created for only them.

Close up of Mal from a low angle as she sees something important.

Over the shoulder to reveal the house.

Medium close up from behind Mal as she reaches into her daughter's doll house.

Close up of Mal's hand twisting the dial and unlocking a safe strategically hidden in the doll house.

Close up of Mal's face from a low angle as she reaches into the safe for the top.

Extreme close up of the top (the bigger the small item is on screen, the more important it is to the film).

Close up of Mal's hand as she closes the safe once again.

Back to present time, close up of Cobb.

Over the shoulder close up of Mal for a reaction shot.

Flashback to another moment in time. Medium close up from a low angle of Cobb as he walks.

Over the shoulder of the same house from the earlier flashback. The shots in this part of the scene directly align with the shots of Mal from the first flashback.

Medium close up of Cobb opening the doll house.

Close up of Cobb's hand as he opens the safe.

Close up of Cobb's face from a low angle for a reaction shot.

Extreme close up of the top.

Back to a close up Cobb's face as he reaches into the safe.

Back to the extreme close up of the top as it continually spins.

Back to a close up of Cobb as he begins to close the safe with the top still spinning.

Close up of Cobb's hand as he closes the safe.

Wide shot of Cobb and Mal walking along railroad tracks to establish the next series of events.

Back to present time for a close up of Mal for a reaction.

Close up of Mal. This shot is sideways as she lays upon the railroad tracks.

Close up of Cobb holding onto Mal's hand.

Over the shoulder close up of Cobb, sideways as he lays on the railroad tracks.

Close up of bolts of railroad track with a shallow depth of field to express the distance of the train.

Close up of Mal as she lays on the tracks.

Ove the shoulder close up of Cobb.

Extreme close up of Mal.

Over the shoulder close up of Cobb.

Extreme close up of bolts of train tracks, still with a shallow depth of field.

Extreme close up of Cobb and Mal's hands. As the scene intensifies the shots get closer and closer and cutting becomes much quicker.

Even closer close up of Cobb as he looks behind Mal at the approaching train.

Close up of Mal, not quite as close as before to show the train just behind her until it moves into fram before cutting to black.

This scene effectively portrays the story Cobb is telling in the background as the scene plays out. He explains that he and his wife were trapped in this dream state for many years, and Mal had let this dream state become her reality. The top was Mal's "totem," an item that she could use at any moment to test whether or not she was in a dream or real life. By locking her totem away, Mal had chosen to forget that she was only dreaming. Once Cobb realized his wife had reached the point of no return, he deemed it was no longer safe for them to live this way. In order for them to wake up, they needed to die in this dream state (thus the part where they lay on train tracks and yell back and forth to each other until they are run over).