Location/set design –

Blade runner is set in Los Angeles in the dystopian year of 2019, the setting is made to feel dark, mysterious and scary. This is done in a few ways.

Firstly, the skyscrapers in the city do a good job of giving a daunting vibe to the film by making everyone feel small, in comparison to the massive structures all the characters look small which makes the audience feel as if they are less powerful, which in turn makes the film more suspenseful as the characters face off against the antagonists.

Also, the constant clouds of smoke pouring out buildings adds an eerie atmosphere to the whole film, in multiple scenes of the film the smoke is used to aid the scene by means of adding suspense or camera work for example.

lighting-

The lighting in blade runner is not just there for the aiding of scenes and audience enjoyment, but it also serves a more metaphoric purpose.

Everything about blade runner is dark, the story, the characters, the place, there are very few highly lit shots however these are done with neon lights that are scattered about the city. The contrast of the neon lights against the dark smokey setting, suddenly bright then suddenly dark makes the city feel scary to the audiance and gives the film and unpredictable nature.

Lighting is also used in the film to portray character, for example in the scene where we see Deckard’s apartment.

In this scene Deckard’s apartment is poorly lit and we have very little detail in what we can see, similar to how Deckard has been closed up and not showing too much of himself as a person or the way he feels. However, later on while he is with his girlfriend Racheal, not only does the character of Deckard open up from the cold or emotionless person he showed at the beginning of the film, but the lighting also opens up and we more more details of this apartment allowing the audience to learn more about him.

costume-

Costume design is probably one of the most iconic parts of blade runner to many viewers, the costumes combine the attire of the 1930s and 40s with a futuristic look that fits the setting of the film brilliantly.

Costume is used in blade runner, more so in the female characters, to make them unforgettable. For example Racheal’s rather wide shoulders in her costume. The first time you see the character, immediately this part of her costume is noticed by everyone in the audience, this focuses the attention of the audience on her even more and helps to solidify her as an important character in the minds of the viewers.

The same can be said for the character of Pris, her extensive makeup/face-paint immediately catches the viewers attention and makes her a memorable character, and also her clothes may not be as outgoing as her hair/makeup the all black gives a mysterious touch to her appearance along with her odd personality ands mannerisms.