As I continue to discuss the technical of film-making attributes
of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, I
turn my attentions to the lighting effects designed in the movie. Why you might ask is lighting so important to
a movie? The lighting provides ‘the look’
of the film or setting within a scene. There
are three basic lighting effects used by the movie industry: high-key lighting,
low-key lighting, and three-point lighting.
High-key lighting is designed to be very bright with few shadows. This
type of design is mainly used for happy scenes and general everyday life
settings. Low-key lighting is designed to
be used in dark scenes depicting drama, mystery, and thrills. This is usually used in horror movies. The third type of lighting is called
three-point lighting and just as is sounds there are three main sources of
lights. This three dimensional
illumination softens the actor’s faces while making them stand out from the
action in the background. (Goodykoontz
& Jacobs, 2011) Let’s look at each
of these lighting effects in relation to The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
The use of high-key lighting is used in
the party/Time Warp scene to show the characters in a happy time before the
introduction of Frankie and Rocky. The introduction
of these two characters leads to conflicts with other characters as the movie
progresses. The party guests are at the
mansion for a joyous occasion full of song and dance and anticipation. This
high-key lighting has the opposite effect of the low-key lighting used in the
scene that introduces the characters Brad and Janet to the party room. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg-vgGuTD8A 
As in a foreshadowing scene leading Brad
and Janet through a rain storm, low-key lighting is used to set the mood of
impending mystery and doom. This
lighting effect lends a certain depth to the scene allowing the audience to
feel a sense of fear of the unknown as they follow Brad and Janet towards the
one light that can be seen in the darkness, a light coming from an eerie looking
mansion in the middle of a dark landscape.
http://vimeo.com/4833432
Three-point lighting
was used in the burlesque/floor show scene of the movie to show the actors both
in close=ups as well as in full stage group shots. While high-key lighting could have been used
in this scene, it would have diminished the effects of the costumes and the
overall setting of the performance. With
three-point lighting the actors faces need to be seen clearly without making
them appear harsh. The lighting coming
from separate angles also allows for the overall feeling of an older time of
live stage performances. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3-bskAymLc
References:
Floor Show image retrieved from http://article.wn.com/view/2014/04/27/Rocky_Horror_revival_offers_lashings_of_camp_humour_and_fun_m/
Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From
watching to seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
There’s a Light image retrieved from http://www.mortaljourney.com/2011/04/additional-doc/rocky-horror-picture-show-audience-participation-script
Time Warp image retrieved from http://www.rankopedia.com/Magic-Movie-Moments---The-Greatest-Musical-Moment-in-a-Musical-Film/CandidateData/25344/.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment