How lighting is used in The cabinet of Dr Caligari
Uses low key and crisp lighting techniques to create exaggerated shadows and a sharp contrast between light and dark.
Use of shadows to emphasise the characters personality
‘Chiaroscuro technique’ – commonly seen in 16th century paintings and used by artists to express light, shadow and add definition to subjects in the scene.
Microsoft stream link:
https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/062d4fd5-ca7c-4bd8-8407-332963858e63?list=studio
‘Hall of mirrors’
‘Citizen Kane’ opened with an establishing shot of Kane’s dark Palace surrounded by fog, setting the mood for the upcoming scene where Kane is alone and mutters his last word, “Rosebud”. With a snowglobe rolling and eventually breaking on his floor.
Kane’s snowglobe plays a significant part in Kane’s story, as it represents his childhood home and links his death to his childhood. This is important as it shows the contrast between Kane’s comfortable and carefree childhood to his difficult adulthood after he was taken away from his family and childhood home. When his snowglobe shatters it represents his childhood and innocence being fragmented and lost.
The ‘Mirrors’ scene can be rooted back to Kane’s snowglobe as while he was destroying Susan’s room (his now ex wife) he uncovers the snowglobe that reminded him of his childhood, which was carefree, peaceful, and in order. When he picks it up he’s reminded of his early childhood and about the innocence he once had. Kane’s last words were “Rosebud,” which was his childhood sled. This is an additional representation of Kane’s childhood innocence being lost.
After finding his snowglobe Kane walks through a ‘hall of mirrors’ where Kane’s reflection is mirrored infinitly, which is used by Orson Welles to represent Kane’s fragmentation and loneliness. The endless duplicates of himself suggests Kane’s multiple personalities; a complex personality with different versions of himself that manifest into one person, ‘Charles Foster Kane’.
A notable technical element used would be the use of deep focus and lighting/shadows to produce an effect that progressively shows Kane’s loss of control and decent into darkness. The deep focus technique works in combination with lighting, composition and camera angle to create the desired effect. Deep focus is most effective when Kane is seen to be no longer in control of his situation and space because it provides the audience with a clear view of when Kane has control, and when he lacks power. With the addition of the use of Welles lighting the end product was that to of a Noir film style, which is associated with dark, moody and mysterious environments to create a tense atmosphere within a scene.
ref: https://www.sparknotes.com/film/citizenkane/section2/
Role 1: Sound
“I love the idea of using film language similarly to how musicians use music – combining images and sounds in a way that they create an emotional effect.” Damian Chazelle expressing the importance and effect of sound to an audience. Sound is an important contributor to setting the mood for the film or specific scene, and is one of the key elements to establishing a connection between the audience and the film. A common sound technique used to increase immersion: using sound that accurately matches with what is happening on scene, refered to as ‘synchronous sound’.
When these techniques are used correctly in combination with editing and cinematography the film has the ability to create a heightened emotional response within the audience. The film ‘Meshes of afternoon, 1943’, encorperates the use of instruments to further emphasise the characters emotional state. The audio composed by Teiji ito features a diverse range of instruments and tools to represent the character’s fluctuating emotions.
| Production role 1 | Production role 2 | Production role 3 – complete film | |
| Role | Sound | Cinematographer | Editor |
| Genre (Subgenre) | Psychological Horror/haunted | Thriller | Experimental film |
| Movement influence | Japanese new wave | German expressionism | Soviet montage |
| Practitioner Influence | ethan van der ryn ( A Quiet place, 2018 ) | Roger Deakins (1916 film, 2018) | Stan Brakhage (Dog Star Man, 1964) Maya Deren (Meshes of the afternoon, 1943) |
| Target Audience | Horror fans | Thriller fans | Psychological horror/experimental fans |
| Production scale | Very low – couple people | Very low – couple people | Individual work |
| Key/themes issues | Never safe | Fear | Mental Health (Disassociation) |
June 6, 1948 the Lumiere brothers created the film La Sortie des ouvriers de l’usine Lumière (1895; “Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory”), which is considered the first motion picture.
The concept of the ‘phantom ride’ a technique that originated from the point of view of a moving train being filmed, which gave the illusion of the camera floating; like a ghost.
“The sick Kitten”- the first film credited for using the first close-up “Life of an American Fireman”- scenes were cut to advance the narrative, giving the audience different perspectives
Florence Lawrence was the first movie star
(P1 Continued)
Buster Keaton- a film creator, comedian and American actor; who is most well known for his silent comedic films. His most significant feature (which remains consistent in all his films) was his stoic, deadpan expression that earned him the nickname “The Great Stone Face.”
Examples of his films:
Harold Lloyd- an American actor, comedian and stunt performer who is featured in various silent comedy films. His most memorable moment that is still influenced today, was his appearance in the (1963) film the Milky Way.
Examples of his films:
Charlie Chaplin- English comedic actor, filmmaker and composer who is considered the most influential figures in film history. Charlie starred in, wrote and directed some of the most important films during the silent era. He was nominated for best actor for an Academy Award.
Examples of his films:
