Today we did some more filming with multiple cameras (not a multi cam set up), setting up lights and running through some scenes/ideas as a class. I think the process of running through a scene is really great, and I’ve discovered that I actually really enjoy lighting. Of course, setting/packing up lights is never going to be the highlight of anyone’s day, and I’m not saying its as exciting as camera work, but I am finding myself to be genuinely interested by the effects of different lights as we use them in class, and how much of a difference they can make. I guess before this I just really didn’t care/couldn’t be bothered thinking about lighting. It always seemed to take a back seat to everything else, but I guess I’m starting to think that it’s a really simple thing that could take your scene from looking amateurish and rushed to semi-professional. It’s also interesting to see what lighting the director of the scene will choose. I really liked the lighting that Mimo had for her scene today, and I think what I liked about it was the contrast. She had her key light to the right of Ella (who was acting) and a fill light to the left, however the key light was so strong there was still clear contrast on Ella’s face, lighting her offside.
Whenever I think about lighting like this, my brain always seems to jump to this interview I watched when I was in year 9 that’s somehow managed to stick with me. It was a ‘making of’ that accompanied season 1 or 2 of The Vampire Diaries (I can’t remember which…), and yes, I know it’s not the most renowned of shows and its certainly not pushing any boundaries as far as cinematography goes, but in this interview I remember them saying that the creators made a choice to always light from behind the characters and to avoid using fill, and I can remember going into media in year 10 and just finding this to be the craziest thing I’d ever heard, especially when in shots like the second picture I’ve posted, the background is well lit and in focus but the characters are not. Of course, this isn’t exactly an original idea, and they’ve purposefully chosen to take from the genres of noir and horror to add that supernatural/horror element to the otherwise teen-drama based format of the show, but it is something I still really love about it. The lighting always looks nice, even if its pretty unrealistic, and it’s something that’s stuck with me personally for some reason, so I thought I might as well bring it up here. Im also thinking this won’t be something I’ll be replicating for my project, but it’s still interesting regardless, I think.
