Chiaroscuro Lighting in Film — Balancing Cinematic Light & Darkness

Video Description

What is chiaroscuro? In this video on cinematic lighting techniques, we discuss the power of chiaroscuro lighting in film. What is Chiaroscuro? ►► http://bit.ly/cs-light Exposure Triangle eBook ►► http://bit.ly/exposure-ebook Master Rembrandt Lighting ►► http://bit.ly/rb-light Cinematic Lighting Techniques ►► http://bit.ly/5-lt Chapters: 00:00 - What is Chiaroscuro Lighting? 00:19 - Chiaroscuro Meaning & Definition 00:49 - Origin of Chiaroscuro 01:44 - Usage in Cinema 02:34 - Chiaroscuro in Mid-Century 03:14 - Scene Examples 05:14 - Chiaroscuro Takeaways Chiaroscuro Meaning: The term comes from the Italian words for “light” and “dark” — the perfect definition for a lighting style that mixes the two to great effect. Chiaroscuro lighting is a visually stunning technique that helps turn a two-dimensional image into a three-dimensional scene. It was Renaissance painters like Caravaggio that mastered this technique long before filmmakers got their hands on it. But when they did, they thrived in it. In this video essay, we’ll trace the roots of chiaroscuro lighting from Caravaggio, through German Expressionism, Film Noir, and everything in between. Like painting, cinema is (usually) a 2D medium. To add that third critical dimension, cinematic lighting can be used to create depth. Similar to how leading lines and shapes can guide the viewer’s eye to a perceived background in the distance, so too can light and shadow. In the early days of German Expressionism, cinematic lighting pushed the balance between light and dark to the extreme. The dark subject matter of these films could be enhanced by embracing shadows along with the light. But beyond its ability to add dimensionality to the image, cinematic lighting techniques like chiaroscuro can also be used to emphasize the thematic questions posed in these films. American filmmakers brought these cinematic lighting techniques to the gritty and pessimistic underworld in Film Noir classics. In these films, we find good characters led into corruption and the chiaroscuro lighting helped trap them in moral and existential dilemmas. Filmmakers figured out that there is tension between mixing light and shadow and have relied on the power of chiaroscuro lighting for over a century. #FilmTheory #VideoEssay #Filmmaking — Music by Artlist ► https://utm.io/umJx Music by Artgrid ► https://utm.io/umJy Music by Soundstripe ► http://bit.ly/2IXwomF Music by Music Vine ► http://bit.ly/2IUE0pT Music by MusicBed ► http://bit.ly/2Fnz9Zq — SUBSCRIBE to StudioBinder’s YouTube channel! ►► http://bit.ly/2hksYO0 Looking for a project management platform for your filmmaking? StudioBinder is an intuitive project management solution for video creatives; create shooting schedules, breakdowns, production calendars, shot lists, storyboards, call sheets and more. Try StudioBinder for FREE today: https://studiobinder.com/pricing — Join us on Social Media! — Instagram ►► https://www.instagram.com/studiobinder Facebook ►► https://www.facebook.com/studiobinderapp Twitter ►► https://www.twitter.com/studiobinder #film-theory, #video-essay, #filmmaker