Above is a still from “Scarface.” The setting is a nightclub, so all of the multi-colored lights are shining on his face, including both the highlights and shadows. He is close to one of these purple-pink lights, as the left side of his face is very pink. The happy colors juxtapose his angry expression.
Above is a creepy frame the Stanley Kubrick film, “Full Metal Jacket.” Aside from his creepy expression, the side lighting creates a cast shadow across one eye. So, one eye you can’t see, and the other is just white. The shadows are just not flattering at all.
Above is a still from “Apocalypse Now,” (featuring Marlon Brando again) by Francis Ford Coppola. If I remember correctly, Colonel Kurtz is a very bad man. The lighting here makes him look even more evil. Since we’re only able to see half of his face, and one eye, it forces us to look directly into his one eye, as if we can see into his dark soul. The darkness of the scene also gives us an eery feeling, as it is an innate human behavior to be afraid of the dark. The contrast also heightens the intensity of the moment.
Above is a still from “The Godfather.” Mr. Corleone is a bad man, and the lighting here makes him look even more sinister. There appears to be few light sources, the main one being from directly above, which creates deep shadows where his eyes are. This heavy contrast of his facial features gives me a skull-like appearance.
Above is a still from “The Titanic.” I’m pretty sure this scene was filmed in a pool with a green screen, so I have to say the nighttime lighting on Rose and Jack is pretty convincing. They did a good job at convincing me that the light is coming from the moon, as well as emergency lights on the ship. A nice rim effect is also created.
Above is a still from yet another stop-motion film. However, this one is directed by Wes Anderson. It is clearly sunset, and I think the lighter for this shot did a good job matching the color temperature of the spot lights shining on the foxes. It also seems like they used a foliage gobo to project a leafy highlights on the tree trunk.
Above is a still from another Tim Burton stop-motion film, “Coraline.” This is a good example of using light to single out something in the set. The secret passageway is made more obvious because it is illuminated within a spotlight (with shutter cuts perhaps). It’s a little too conveniently placed to be coming from a window, even though that’s what it looks like.
Above is a still from the stop-motion animated film, “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” by Tim Burton. I like the blue floodlight in this shot, with the white spot lights highlighting the characters. There is a spotlight for each of them, but the other also receives light from the other’s spotlight.
Above is a still from the TV show, “Game of Thrones.” I like how the sunlight catches the particles in the air (water molecules, dust, etc.). There are also rays of light that are separated by the gates in the window, which is a pretty effect. I also like how the light changes the color of her dress from pink to peachy to pink-white to light pink. It’s a nice gradient.
Above is a still from “Crimson Peak,” by Guillermo Del Toro. I like how he uses complementary colors in this shot to bring attention to the actress’ face. The background is a blue-green and the candlelight is yellow-orange (not strict complementary, but close enough). Her face is close enough to the candles that the candlelight makes her skin tone much warmer, and helps her pop against the background.
jennymthompson 