Coming into this studio as someone who has aspirations to become a filmmaker, I quickly realised how naive I had been for ignoring the importance of light. Fellini said it best when he declared “films are light”. It is a crucial element in which a film’s potential is dependant on; it is the difference between good and bad.

Throughout the semester, the emphasis has been on how to use lighting in an expressive manner; that is to create mood and atmosphere. We would often watch clips from a mostly bygone era of cinema, which provided a historical context for the way in which lighting was first used during the birth of cinema (Melies), and then developed along with the medium and its new demands. This, along with discussions centred around the key terms and principles of lighting were the fundamental basis for our practical endeavours.

When shooting, we were often divided into groups and provided with a generic script. The task was never to figure out how we ‘should’ light it, rather we were encouraged to see how we ‘could’. Errors were made, but this type of freedom of experimentation allowed for some truly unique and interesting work to be created.

Robin created an open and creative environment that fast-tracked our understanding of theory, and developed our skills as practitioners. Every class was an opportunity to learn something new and useful, and I myself feel this studio has created a foundation for me to advance my aesthetic.