The Birth
The motion picture was born in the late 19th century, where the first movies were continuous loops of still images such as dancing women and animals. Despite electrical technology revolutionising the outside world, many film-makers still relied on natural daylight to shoot, rather than using the same artificial lighting that was replacing gas projection onto lime (known as ‘limelight’) in the theatre.
Growing Up and Moving Out
It’s this stoic reliance on natural light that most film-makers credit as the reason for the growth of the film industry in Los Angeles, rather than New Y
ork. However, by 1900 the first indoor studios were opening, in order to shoot at night and use artificial light to create mood and atmosphere. With a lack of dialogue or colour, lighting could show suspense, time of day, and where the action was focused. Lights were made from carbon and electric sparks, or mercury in a similar fashion to modern strip lighting, which enabled film-makers to illuminate certain parts of the set.
Innovation
Early Hollywood film-makers such as D.W Griffith and Cecil B. DeMille are credited with pioneering dramatic lighting techniques such as the ‘soft-focus’ ,which allowed camera operators to perform a close shot of an actor by redirecting harsh back lights, softening the edges and portraying the player in a romantic or melancholic light.
During the 1910s Griffith also experimented with high contrast lighting, to create strong shadows for intense scenes, and light diffusers to make scenes and people look more attractive.
As well as generic ‘fill light’ which lit the entire set, the three-point-system was developed to light actors in these early years and is still used by lighting technicians today. The first ‘key’ light was shone at the side of the actor’s face, a softer ‘filler’ light at the other, and a final ‘backlight’ at the back of their head to create a halo of light and help the actor stand out in monochromatic film.
Over the 20th century, more optional lights were added to accentuate different facial features and create different character effects. It was also used to define genre- for example, light and shadow was a key feature of Film Noir in the 1940s.
Fade Out
As colour films began to dominate the middle of the 20th century, the need for innovative lighting techniques was more limited- as different surfaces and objects were more easily defined by colour.
However, with the advent of television, general ‘fill light’ was more useful than ever, as studios were building large sets with multiple cameras. This trend expanded into film and productions grew to be bigger and more expensive, due to multiple lighting and scenic effects.
Electric lighting continued to be used, and increasingly complex effects were developed to add colour and focus.
The Future
In the 21st century, sophisticated film editing computer software means that lighting issues can be rectified by manipulating the image. However, lighting remains an important part of film-making, and actors are still lit with the most flattering techniques, just as they were 100 years ago! What do you think will be the next revolution in movies?
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’][/author_image] [author_info]Stephanie Broad is an entertainment and lifestyle journalist and is trained in acting and film-making. When she’s not at the cinema, she’s making her own short movies! She writes for Litecraft.[/author_info] [/author]
