Conveying Emotions through Lighting

Conveying Emotions through Lighting
A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Animation
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the
Degree of Master of Fine Arts in Animation
at
Savannah College of Art and Design
Junyi Zhang
Savannah, Georgia
©August 2014
Thesis Chair: Debra C Smith Moorshead
Thesis Committee Member: Ashwin Inamdar
Thesis Committee Member: Larry J. Valentine
Table of Contents
List of Figures ..................................................................................................................................1
Thesis Abstract.................................................................................................................................2
Introduction ....................................................................................................................................3
Introduction ..........................................................................................................................3
1: Light ............................................................................................................................................4
1.1 The Science of Light ......................................................................................................4
1.2 Color as the Character of Light .................................................................................................. 5
1.3 Digital Color ............................................................................................................................ 13
1.4 Light Color ............................................................................................................................... 15
1.5 Human Emotional Response to Lighting ................................................................................. 16
2: Shadow................................................................................................................................................... 18
2.1 The Art of Shadows ................................................................................................................. 19
3: Mood ...................................................................................................................................................... 22
3.1 Visual Contrast......................................................................................................................... 23
Incorporation into Thesis Film ................................................................................................................ 26
1. The Inspiration ........................................................................................................................... 26
2. Visual Aesthetic ......................................................................................................................... 27
3. Color Schemes Choices ............................................................................................................. 28
4. Lighting Analysis ....................................................................................................................... 29
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................. 32
Bibliography .............................................................................................................................................. 34
Page 1
List of Figures
Figure 01. Light enter a prism Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Web. 5 Aug. 2014.
<http://0www.britannica.com.library.scad.edu/EBchecked/media/155316>. ........................................... 4
Figure02. Cars 2 2011 Pixar Animation Studio and released by Walt Disney Pictures. ......................... 7
Figure03. Despicable Me 2010 Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment. .................................7
Figure 04. Despicable Me 2 2013 Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment ...............................8
Figure 05. Angel of Death Designed by Anne Stokes, Skull, Grim Reaper. Digital image. Origin.
Wallpapers in Fantasy, 17 Sept. 2013 Web. 5 Aug. 2014.<http://www.wallpapert.com/wallpaper/skullgrim-reaper.html > .............................................................................................................................9
Figure 06. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2009 Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation .. 10
Figure 07. Epic 2013 Twentieth Century Fox Animation, Blue Sky Studios ....................................... 11
Figure 08. Avatar 2009 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Dune Entertainment, Ingenious Film
Partners ...........................................................................................................................................12
Figure 09. RGB & CMYK color models Khan, Emy. Digital image. Stylebizz. N.p., 7 May 2013.
Web.5 Aug 2014. <http://stylebizz.com/how-designers-choose-right-color-mode-in-adobe-photoshop/>
........................................................................................................................................................ 14
Figure 10. Combine different light colors Digital image. Cwx.prenhall. Prentice-Hall, Inc., n.d. Online.
Web. 5 Aug. 2014 <http://cwx.prenhall.com/bookbind/pubbooks/morris2/chapter3/custom5/deluxecontent.html> ...................................................................................................................................16
Figure 11. Notorious 1946, Vanguard Films, RKO Radio Pictures, Directed by Alfred Hitchcock .......18
Figure 12. Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror 1922, Jofa-Atetier Berlin-Johannisthal, Prana-Film
GmbH .............................................................................................................................................19
Figure 13. Susana 1951, Internacional Cinematográfica ................................................................... 20
Figure 14. Bigger Than Life 1956, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation ................................... 21
Figure 15. Sister 1973, American International Pictures (AIP), Pressman-Williams ............................ 21
Figure 16. War and Peace 1956，Ponti-De Laurentiis Cinematografica, Paramount Pictures............. 22
Figure 17. Toy Story 1995, Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures ....................................... 24
Figure 18. Noir Genre .................................................................................................................... 25
Figure 19. Shot One Image from thesis film, time change lighting.....................................................29
Figure 20. Shot Two Image from thesis film, lanterns lighting ........................................................... 30
Figure 21. Shot Three Image from thesis film, interior lighting .......................................................... 31
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Conveying Emotions through Lighting
Junyi Zhang
August 2014
Abstract
In the real world, light exists everywhere. In animation, lighting can enhance the mood and the
feel of a scene. The light itself shouldn’t distract the viewers from characters and main events.
But what happens when the light becomes the main character? This thesis will research and
discuss how to convey emotions using light.
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Introduction
“We are affected and defined by light, light is the most important tool we have to work with, not
only as cinematographers, but as people.”
-Laszlo Kovacs
Everyday life involves the interplay of light and color. It is something that affects every
aspect of peoples’ lives and yet it is usually not given a second thought. Humans have a natural
and emotional response to lighting; it can make people dislike a room with just a glance. But, it
can also help to create excitement in a themed event. Scientists, physicists and artists who spend
time studying and working with lighting still do not fully understand how much it can affect
people physiologically, psychologically, and sociologically (Bent-Goodley, 2004). Furthermore,
when discussing light, one cannot avoid discussing color. Color and light are connected to each
other; people cannot see color without light. The nature of light, which involves colors, intensity,
and movement, relates to the changes of emotions and the way it connects with its audience.
These changes also will impact the environment’s mood and overall atmosphere. This thesis will
focus on the impact of light upon formal design in digital animation. How can light become the
character in a scene and help create believable CG images that communicate and express
emotions to the audiences? Believability in animation doesn’t mean that lighting has to be a
perfect copy of the real world. This thesis will analyze realistic lighting and how digital lighters
can use it as a basic structure to stylize and exaggerate the idea and tell a story.
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1: Light
Painters know how pigments work and the aesthetic use of colors. Photographers understand
how to use light in their work. Digital lighting artists act almost as a combination of those two
fields and still, they need to know even more about light. This includes deep understanding, not
only of the physics of lighting, but how colors are represented by digital computer graphics. As a
result, digital lighting artists should have a general knowledge of the science of light and color in
order to create believable lighting situations and deliver emotions.
1.1. The Science of Light
The complete definition for light is complex. For this discussion, the author will review some
facts most people are familiar with, but that are often easily forgotten.
All the colors of the visible spectrum are contained by white light. When white light goes
through a prism, the light refracts into rays of differing wavelengths, thereby helping humans to
see different colors (Figure 01).
Figure 01. Light enter a prism
White light entering a prism is bent, or
refracted. This separates the light into
its constituent wavelengths. Each
wavelength of light has a different color
based on the angle at which it bends.
The colors of white light always emerge
through a prism in the same order—red,
orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and
violet.
Refraction; prism.
Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica
Online. Web. 5 Aug. 2014.
<http://0www.britannica.com.library.scad.edu/EBchecked/media/155316>.
Page 5
The color of light that is reflected off the object’s surface is the color of that object. The
surface of an object absorbs some of the wavelengths of light and reflects others when light hits
it. The color of light that is reflected is the color the object appears to be. For instance, under
white light an object that appears blue means that the surface reflects wavelengths of 475nm
which correspond to the color blue and absorb all other wavelengths. The way light bounces
from object to object is the equivalent of a painter mixing pigments in order to achieve a
representation of light in the scene. This is why it is important for a digital lighting artist to know
how light reacts in the real world.
1.2. Color as the character of light
I was pleased with myself when I discovered that sunlight, for example, could not be reproduced, but that
I had to represent it by some other means… by color
Paul Cezanne (1839-1906)
Most people learn about color when they are kids and work with pigments. Some became
fine artists and learn more about color and how to work with it. And just a few learn about light
and how to work with the colors within it. Because digital lighting artists need to deal with the
digital representation of both light and color, they have to have a solid understanding of both.
Meanings of Colors
No matter the cultural backgrounds color links everyone. In ancient times, the use of color
was functional and practical in that it was symbolic. When a color is used to represent an idea or
a belief, it is considered as a Symbol-Color. The meaning connected to a color does not always
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have to be the same; it can be different or even ambiguous depending on the culture. According
to Hornung (2012):
The color blue, for example, can signify loyalty as in “true blue,” or melancholy (the “blues”).
Red can mean loss of profit (“in the red”) or indicate illicit sexual activity (the “Scarlet Letter”).
Purple can signify royalty, but also dramatic excess as in “purple prose.” Some of these
associations are literary but are rooted in observation. Whatever the precise origins of such
associations, this kind of COLOR SYMBOLISM is generally not the result of a spontaneous
psychological response to observed color, but rather a learned connection bound by time and
place. …Color symbolism is almost always based upon pure hues as seen on the spectrum and
typically involves a single color. There are, however, several examples of simple color
combinations that have symbolic meanings. Certain holidays in North America are associated
with symbolic color pairs: red and green with Christmas, orange and black with Halloween, and
purple and yellow with Easter. (p.123)
The following are some symbolic meanings often assigned to specific colors.
Red -------- Red is a warm color. It is easily connected with fire and blood. It is considered as
having high energy, emotion and intense color. On the positive side, red is associated with love,
passion, power and strength, but it can also represent rage, danger, murder, and war.
Red can increase blood pressure, breathing rates and human metabolism (Mayer, 2014). It can be
noticed very easily which is why a lot of signs, such as stop signs or fire equipment, use red.
Most children are also taught that red suggests danger and is something that they should pay
attention to.
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One may also notice that red is the favorite color for companies to use in signs and with words
like sale or buy it now because it can bring the text and image to the foreground and creates a
sense of urgency, encouraging people to make quick decisions. Red can also be used to evoke
sex, for example, in movies or advertisements which show red lips, red nails
Figure02. Cars 2 (2011 Pixar Animation Studio and
released by Walt Disney Pictures).
The main character Lightning McQueen is in red color
fits to his character which contains high energy.
or women in red. Sports, energy drinks, cars,
and highly physical activities use red because it contains high energy (Figure 02).
White--------- White, from a physical standpoint, refers to the color of a surface
reflecting all the light. It is the opposite of black and represents the maximum lightness. It is
related to silence, simplicity, cleanliness, purity, and perfection (Figure 03).In western cultures,
white is connected to marriage; most
Figure03. Despicable Me (2010 Universal
Pictures, Illumination Entertainment).
Vector’s room use white and orange colors
to create really interesting contrast. White
represent high-tech feeling, orange create
strong attention.
brides wear white to represent
purity (Figure 04). Angels always
wear white in movies and cartoons.
Doctors,
hospitals
and
medical
products use white to represent safety. In advertising, a lot of companies use white to present
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high-tech products, not only on products but also on backgrounds. For a product, white can
create a perfect, cool and sleek feeling; for the background, it creates a feeling of simplicity and
cleanliness to help audiences focus on the main object.
Figure 04. Despicable Me 2 (2013 Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment).
Bride wear white to represent purity in western culture.
Black---------- Black has the opposite feeling of white, as it is absorbs all the light which hits
a surface. It is associated with death, evil, mystery, strictness, and grace. If someone were to ask
the other to pick a color to represent mystery, fear or the unknown, the first color to pop in
peoples’ minds is often black. Unlike white, which connects to positive feelings, black has
negative connections. At the same time, it also denotes formality, elegance and strength. Black is
often connected with funerals and grief in western cultures. It can also represents evil, and death
such as fallen angels in movies (Figure 05).
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Figure 05. Angel of Death. Anne Stokes. Digital image. Origin. Wallpapers in Fantasy, 17 Sept. 2013 Web. 5 Aug.
2014. <http://www.wallpapert.com/wallpaper/skull-grim-reaper.html >
Black delver very clear information in this artwork. It represent death.
A black background will make other colors pop and create great contrast. It also can create a
really aggressive color scheme when combined with other powerful colors.
Yellow-------- Yellow is associated with pleasure, joy, and cheerful energy and is the color of
sunshine:
Wassily Kandinsky, a prominent post-modernism abstract painter renowned as a pioneer art
theorist, attached several meanings to various colour themes that are still relevant today. For
instance, he found the colour yellow to be exuding warm, exciting and happy emotions. Its sheer
brightness can be seen as a source of excitement that communicates blissful feelings. The colour
is associated with the sun which appears yellow during the day. (Meaning of Colour in Graphic
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Design, 2014.)
Yellow creates a warm cheerful feeling—— many graphic artists use this color to present
brain activity or muscle energy. Yellow is also a favorite color of children’s products and related
areas. In ancient China, yellow was a color only reserved for kings; it represented power, honor
and loyalty. Yellow can also help gain people’s attention easily, which explains all the yellow
taxis and yellow traffic signs that combine yellow and black as warning signs. In the same way,
using yellow to highlight the important elements of a design is an effective way to work out a
composition (Figure 06). But, if artists want to present a feeling of security, yellow will not be a
good choice due to its feeling of instability.
Figure 06. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009 Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation).
In this scene, the most important object is giant jelly, which yellow help to draw great attention and create strong
visual focus point.
Green---------- Green is the color of life and nature. Freshness, growth, hope, safety and
fertility are the common symbolisms associated to it. In America, it can also call refer to money
and wealth:
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Green is another colour stuffed with symbolism. Generally regarded as natural and exuberant…
European brides in the middle Ages preferred to wear green wedding dresses, symbolizing
fertility, a hangover from old Celtic religions. …Today, however, green is making a comeback as
it is now more associated with peace, harmony, and balance and environmentally correct thinking.
Political parties calling themselves green invariably emphasize a conservationist, environmental
platform. But just to be confusing, we still talk about people as being green with envy. Not a
particularly pleasant association for green! It is interesting to note that chromo therapists maintain
that too much green is actually bad for you. As it is supposed to have a hypnotic tranquillizing
effect, too much of it is energy draining (O’Daniel, 2014, pare.3).
Green implies safety and stability to human minds and helps the human body to relax and rest. It
is the color considered to carry a healing power. In the last decade, green has been used to
present recycling, the environment, and natural products. If red means danger, then green is the
opposite; it suggests safety, which is why traffic road lights use green to indicate that it is safe to
pass (Figure 07).
Figure 07. Epic (2013 Twentieth Century Fox Animation, Blue Sky Studios).
The green environment creates a fresh, natural, peaceful feeling.
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Blue----------- Blue is the color of water and sky. Stability, trust, wisdom, confidence,
intelligence and faith are the symbols people have given to represent blue:
Kandinsky identified blue as a deep, peaceful and supernatural colour. Blue is the colour of the
sky and many attach to water bodies. It is serene and has little attraction powers because of its
somewhat gloomy appearance. (Meaning of Colour in Graphic Design, 2014)
Blue can be used to relax the human body and mind; thus it is connected to calmness and
serenity and can also represent honesty and piousness (Figure 08). The Meaning of Colour in
Graphic Design mentions that blue is used for services related to water and cleanliness, servicerelated companies and products, air and sky companies and so forth. Compared to warm colors
like red and yellow, which contain high energy and emotion, blue is less emotional and
considered more placid and intellectual. Blue is considered a manly color. For instance, boy’s
clothes often use blue colors whereas girl’s clothes are more pink in color. In human society, it
would be difficult to find blue being used in food and cooking because it can lower the appetite
compared to warm colors.
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Figure 08. Avatar (2009 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Dune Entertainment, Ingenious Film Partners).
The overall blue color create a calm, intelligent feeling and some purple color adding some mystery.
The meanings of these colors link them to different cultures and backgrounds. Even though
everyone has their own preference, there is still a link to universal understanding. Understanding
the meaning of color and what the color represents in different cultures can help digital artists to
deeply understand color and use it at the same time to avoid mistakes when using it in work for
different cultures.
With all of these ideas in mind, it becomes evident that lighting and the resulting color scheme
have to be carefully planned in order to suit the narrative. For example, the lighting in Cars2 to
present the city of Tokyo provides a flashy, busy feeling. Red is used as a heroic color on the
main character; even though he is very small and far away, the light and color makes him stand
out from the busy city and helps audiences easily recognize him.
1.3. Digital Color
For a computer to give out a specific color, it has to be given specific qualities and numeric
values, as the computer cannot actually see color. There are several ways to present colors; these
are called color models.
RGB and CMYK
RGB represents the colors red, green and blue; CMYK stands for the colors cyan, magenta,
yellow, and black in print. These are the two sets of primary colors in digital programs.
Combining each color in different numeric amounts demonstrates how the RGB and CMYK
color models work (Figure 09).
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Figure 09. RGB & CMYK color models
Khan, Emy. Digital image. Stylebizz. N.p.,
7 May 2013. Web.5 Aug 2014.
<http://stylebizz.com/how-designerschoose-right-color-mode-in-adobephotoshop/>
RGB and CMYK are two different sets
digital color models.
The final RGB color people see is a numeric description of how much red, green, and blue
color is needed to mix the final color of the pixel. CMYK works in the same way but uses cyan,
magenta, yellow and black:
The amount of each primary color needed can be represented on a scale of 0 to 1. Zero means
none of the primary color is present, while 1 means full intensity of the color is present. In the
case of RGB, these numbers are always stated in the order of red, green, and blue…. a digital
RGB representation of the primary light colors would be as follows: Pure red = 1, 0, 0
Pure green = 0, 1, 0
Pure blue = 0, 0, 1
To see how other colors are formed from different RGB values, you only have to recall the
additive properties of light. Recall the secondary light colors are equal mixtures of any two fully
saturated primary light colors. Thus yellow is from equal mixture of red and green with no blue,
while magenta is from equal mixture of blue and red with no green, etc.(Wissler, 2012, p.240)
From learning the principles for the RGB color model, artists can apply these principles to
the CMYK color model as well. However, understanding RGB color will bring digital artists
many benefits. For instance, artists will know how to get the color they want by gaining more
control of their digital color. They will also be able to forecast what the color will turn out to be
under certain conditions, understand why a color shows a certain way, and know how to correct
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the color if needed. If anyone opens a digital image in Photoshop or other similar digital software,
they will notice that there are three or four channels showing red, green and blue. This is the
RGB/CMYK channel which can help artists visualize the value of the RGB or CMYK color.
Working with digital color models for the first time may seem difficult, but after a while people
will become familiar with it as they are used to using hue, saturation and value to describe colors.
1.4 Light Color
“Light is the source of all color, thus colored light is pure color. Pigments are a derivative of light.”
Virginia Wissler
Understanding light can help artists understand color; understanding light color is the
requirement for digital lighting artists. Digital lighting artists will need to light a scene and they
cannot work without light. More importantly, light’s primary colors represent digital colors. So
lighting artists, matter painters, compositors and all the digital artists who need to deal with
digital images need to understand light color:
The primary colors of light are red, green, and blue … Unlike pigment, light does have true
primaries. From these three light colors, all of the colors visible to the human eye can be mixed.
The secondaries for light are cyan, magenta, and yellow. You can see the secondary color formed
by overlapping two light sources, one in each primary color. An interesting relationship you may
have noticed is that the pigment secondary colors are the same as the light primary colors, and
light secondary colors are the same as the pigment primary colors.
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Light primaries = pigment secondaries (red, green, blue)
Pigment primaries = light secondaries (cyan, magenta, yellow) (Wissler, 2012, p.238.)
Combining different colors of light results in lighter colors. This result is completely
different from pigment, where mixing all pigment colors together will result in black. Artists will
get white or bright light when they combine all the colors of light together (Figure 10). Black
means light is absent, while white means all light colors are combined together. In the CMYK
color wheel, overlapping any opposite two light colors will give white light. Similar results will
occur when artists mix a primary light color and a secondary light color in pigment.
Figure 10. Combine different light colors Digital image. Cwx.prenhall. Prentice-Hall, Inc., n.d. Online. Web. 5
Aug. 2014 <http://cwx.prenhall.com/bookbind/pubbooks/morris2/chapter3/custom5/deluxe-content.html>
Combing primary light colors will result in white light.
1.5 Human emotional response to lighting
Humans respond to light subconsciously. When someone walks into a new place, they will
have a first impression of it; if the lighting conditions change, it can result in significant changes.
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It can create impressions like pleasantness, relaxation, or reduce anxiety. Humans will naturally
respond to the changes. The connection between emotion and lighting can be used by digital
lighting artists to enhance the lighting work and give audiences strong impressions:
German neuropsychologist Kurt Goldstein conducted a series of experiments and found that color
affects a wide range of perceptions. Under a red light, time seems to pass slowly and objects seem
longer, larger and heavier. Under a blue light, time seems to pass quickly and objects appear
smaller and lighter. A black suitcase is perceived heavier than the same suitcase painted white.
Carrying a black suitcase that is identical to a white one will tire you more. (O'Daniel, 2014)
Even though it is very difficult to get absolute results for the psychological responses to color
and light, the significant relationships between psychological response to color and light have
been clearly shown. The viewer’s heart and mind will be stimulated by light. No one can ignore
this aspect of lighting experience. Human emotions respond to light, but these can be highly
personal, like color preference and cultures. Cultures, if narrowed down further, can be specific
to a particular location or area. For example, in Asian culture, light in restaurants tends to be
bright and neutral in color, so people can see the dishes easily and increase their appetite. But in
western culture, light in restaurants is darker and warmer to evoke a sense of intimacy. Therefore,
there are many factors that can affect how people are going to respond to light, and we cannot be
one hundred percent certain that everyone will have the same feeling for certain light conditions.
In this chapter, light and color have been explained from an objective and subjective view.
Colors have a link to universal understanding while also their own culture meanings. In the
digital word, the most common color model is the RGB color model which is based on light
primaries. Digital lighting artists not only need to work with RGB channels, but also need to deal
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with different scenes and different surface colors which will have to interact with light. Thus,
digital lighters will gain deeper understanding of color and light, better control, and will result in
stronger work.
Chapter 02 Shadows
“Where there is much light, the shadow is deep.”
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,
German Playwright, Poet, Novelist, and Dramatist (1749-1832)
In the real world, if there is light, it will create shadows. In a digitally rendered image, the
artist has to the create shadows. A bad
lighting work will make a render look
unrealistic and viewers will feel it is
fake.
Figure 11. Notorious (1946, Vanguard Films,
RKO Radio Pictures, Directed by Alfred
Hitchcock)
In this still, shadows are very important for
directing the eye and creating the mood.
Turning on a shadow is a very easy thing in 3D Software applications; users just need to click a
selection box. It is one of the first things 3D digital lighting artists learn. But, it is not that easy to
make it look good. Fully mastering the use of shadows is a skill that involves a fair amount of
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knowledge and takes time and practice. In this chapter, a deep understanding of shadows will be
explored. Digital artists will get better rendered images when they know how to use shadows
effectively.
2.1 The art of shadows
In an image, shadows are very important visual elements. They have a huge impact on setting
mood and establishing the visual style. Placing shadows in the right place can help artists hide
some objects as well as direct the viewer’s attention by pointing to specific objects (Figure 11).
Shadows hide things, but more than that, they show more. A viewer can tell the light position
from where the shadow is, as well as the space relationship between each objects. How shadows
lay across surfaces will help to show form. What the shadow looks like on certain surfaces will
reveal the material of the surface. It also can show the objects that are off screen.
The film style called German
Expressionism is significant for its
use of atmospheric lighting and
harsh contrasts between dark and
light. German Expressionism
focuses on shadows and silhouettes.
In the famous film
Figure 12. Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922, Jofa-Atetier Berlin-Johannisthal, Prana-Film GmbH).
In this still, shadow shows character off-screen.
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Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922), the shadow shows the vampire off-screen in order to
deliver a sense of horror while at the same time leaving space for the viewer to imagine the
creature off-screen (Figure 12).
Shadows can be used as symbols. In the film Susana, lighting is used to communicate the
situation to the audience. The resulting shadows act as symbols for very specific ideas that the
director wants to convey. In the beginning scene, Susana is in prison and feels regretful. The
window bars cast a cross-shaped shadow on the ground. Using this as symbol shows she hopes
God can forgive her and regain freedom (Figure 13). These two films use lights and shadows to
tell the story; effectively doing all the acting in shots.
Figure 13. Susana (1951, Internacional Cinematográfica) in this still, shadow is used as a symbol.
Page 21
Shadows can reveal a character, power, evil, twisted. In the film Bigger than Life, there is
a famous scene in which Ed is teaching his son math and his wife walks in. Only Ed’s shadow is
shown as incredibly big and twisted when compared to the other characters in the scene. The
director uses shadow to reveal Ed’s insides as arrogant and evil (Figure 14).
Figure 14. Bigger Than Life (1956,
Twentieth Century Fox Film
Corporation).
In this still, shadow is used to show
the character’s inside world. The
father’s shadow is bigger than the
mother’s shadow. The bigger shadow
shows the inside of the father as
arrogant.
Shadows in violent reverse POV shots can help avoid directly showing violent, bloody
scenes. In the film Sisters, the director uses shadows on the wall to show the murder scene.
Instead of directly showing a knife being stabbed into the victim’s mouth, using shadows
prevents the scene from becoming too bloody for audiences (Figure 15).
Figure 15. Sister (1973, American
International Pictures(AIP),
Pressman-Williams).
Director uses shadows to avoid
showing extreme violence directly
in this still.
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Shadows can reveal potential power. At the beginning of War and Peace, a shadow is
gradually covering the map. The director uses shadow to show that Napoleon’s power is
increasing. (Figure 16.)
The combination of light and shadow in the previous examples are the key characters in the
shot. This allows the directors to communicate to
audiences’ ideas that would have been much less
effective and, in some cases, less artistic if it were
not for them.
Figure 16. War and Peace (1956，Ponti-De Laurentiis
Cinematografica, Paramount Pictures).
The shadow extends in this scene, which used to reveal
potential power that is growing.
Chapter 03 Moods
“Film as dream, film as music, no form of art beyond ordinary consciousness a film does,
straight to our emotions, deep into twilight room of the soul.”
Stanley Kubrick (1928-99)
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An emotional tone can be set by the lighting of a scene. Different types of lighting can arouse
spontaneous reactions just like music. These reactions are universal and intuitive. The mood of
an image can be influenced by high or low lighting contrast, an array of colors or monochromatic
color schemes. Studying visual contrast, emotion, and ambience can help artists understand how
lighting, although subtle, can create mood. Understanding how lighting works, will help artists
enhance a particular moment and connect with the emotions of the audience.
3.1 Visual Contrast
Lighting establishes the contrast level of a scene. Contrast can be manipulated by making
some areas lighter than others, controlling the intensity of the light and at the same time
adjusting the contrast of the entire scene. This is one of many ways for lighters to control
contrast. As Wissler (2012) mentions in his book,
Contrast can be reduced by brightening shadows so these areas are not significantly
darker than areas under direct illumination. Lighting plays a direct role in juxtaposing
contrasts in value by illuminating objects so that bright edges appear next to dark ones.
The hardness or softness of the light affects mood as well. Dark, crisp shadows and harsh
transitions (as with hard light) lend themselves to stark moods. On the other hand, light,
blurry shadows and gradual transitions (as with soft light) lend themselves to gentle
images and softer subjects. In general, hard light produces more contrast and more visual
tension, while soft light produces less contrast and less visual tension (p. 100)
Visual tension can be created by surprising and disordered elements; think about lighting that
is unexpected and unusual. When the light is put in an unexpected place, it can affect the mood
considerably. For instance, a very typical way to present villains in film is by putting an upwardpointing light on the person’s face to create a disturbing scene (Figure 17).
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Figure 17. Toy Story (1995, Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures).
The light is upward-pointing to the baby doll, which creates a creepy feeling.
An interior light that flickers, an outside light that flashes on and off, both of these lighting
conditions will create uncomfortable feelings. If the light suddenly goes off, the room goes
totally dark, creating a classic horror movie opening. There is another very good example in Toy
Story3, when the toys are facing the trash compactor, suggesting they will soon be smashed and
torn into pieces; the revolving strobe lights enhance the danger and feeling of urgency in the
scene.
Deciding which elements to hide or reveal is a powerful technique to create mood and a
desired narrative. If an artist wants to convey mystery or a feeling of anxiety, they can use the
darkest values to hide the area the audience desires to see. Audiences are able to figure out that
most “bad guys” will be introduced in silhouette (Figure 18).
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Figure 18. Noir Genre
The light in this still introduce the character’s silhouette, audiences can’t see the face or much detail, which creates a
feeling of mystery.
Visual tension is created by visual contrast. The overall range of values found in the image is
the contrast range. Images can be classified as high contrast or low contrast.
High-contrast images contain black to white and can contain a very large range of values. Lowcontrast images means there is a limited range of values. Compared to low-contrast images, highcontrast images have more visual energy. If artists want to add drama to their image, highcontrast is a good method. The larger the range of values, the more visually interesting an image
can be. According to Wissler (2012),
Combining high contrast with a dominance of dark values will create an oppressive,
isolated, sad or scary feel … Primitive man had an instinctive fear and caution of the dark,
for dangers can be lurking where one cannot see. Dramas typically use high-contrast
lighting. Horror films use high contrast with a dominance of dark values. (p. 97)
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For all digital lighting artists, the first thing to consider when designing lighting is to think
about the style and overall mood for the whole work. Next they may need to consider the mood
for each scene, where it is coming from and what the main mood is. If this mood follows the
story, consider how lighting can enhance the moment. The overall range of values; how bright or
dark; how color schemes are selected and reproduced; how light is placed and its quality— all of
these help our emotions respond to certain lighting conditions as well as create atmosphere. This
is all done and planned ahead even before the actors or charters come into play. By looking only
at a color script one can, at a glance, get the mood, intensity and rhythm of a film.
Incorporation into Thesis Film
The inspiration
This thesis was inspired by a mood project in which digital lighters were asked to practice
using only lighting to convey different moods. There is no character animation, a few very
simple objects, and very little camera movement. The film has only lighting changes and its
effect on the emotional response, is obvious. Light becomes the main character in the scene; as it
changes, the whole set’s ambience changes. A good example of this is in Toy Story3, when the
main character stands in front of a snack machine in a dark room; the light comes from the snack
machine and directs audiences’ eyes to focus on the character. The shape of the light and the
whole scene uses a great range of values to create contrast and attract our attention. Without the
light directing the viewers’ eyes, they would not even notice where the character is. These
examples, bring up the following questions: Why is lighting so effective? What is the color of
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the light? Why do certain colors clearly tell people the time of the day? Why do different
intensities of light create different contrasts? Where is the light’s position? How does creating
light shadows create more visual interest? Why does just only using lighting tell a story and
connect emotions with audiences? How can digital lighting artists use digital colors to represent
lighting? These questions have to be answered to determine why lighting can play such an
important role in creating mood and environment atmosphere, enhancing a moment, and telling a
story. Which values are involved and what is the connection between lighting and emotions?
This thesis covers the basic science of light, color’s meanings, digital colors, shadow and mood
in order to help answer these questions. Hopefully, through deeply studying these aspects, digital
lighting artists will have a solid understanding of light and they can use it effectively in their
artwork.
Visual Aesthetic
The visual aesthetic of the piece is designed to look believable, but photorealism was never
the goal of this film. The slight stylization adds some character to the objects, but it is really the
lighting that sets the mood.
When creating these 3D environments, a very important consideration was that the style needs to
be consistent through the different scenes. Elements need to fit in with all the others in the film.
Since this thesis research focuses on lighting, all the objects have very simple designs. There are
no overly complex objects so that audiences will focus on the lighting changes rather than
complex details. At the same time, it was also important for the artist to see how much objects
can be simplified. In other words, this work explores the point at which audiences start to get
confused when objects are designed too simply.
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Color Schemes Choices
Shot one: Blue-gray and brown color scheme. For the first shot, all the color choices tend
toward a neutral palette. Different values of blue gray give the scene a feeling of a cold metal.
Brown is a color connected to earth. Using it adds a sense of warmth, safety and protection. At
the same time, dark brown shows the material’s quality. The metal hasn’t been cared for, so it
has become rusty and shows dark brown colors in contrast with the least weathered parts which
have a blue tint to them.
Shot two: dark green, orange and yellow scheme. Green means freshness and growth. But it
can also signify greed and selfish desire. Orange is used to represent energy, stimulation and
attraction. It is considered warm, cozy and pleasant; when it is used in light, we normally think it
is pleasant and relaxing. However, orange creates a different feeling in this scene. Some of the
lights’ colors are orange yellow and low value green yellow. Combining these different values of
orange and yellow creates an uneasy ambience for this scene. Dark green and orange are colors
opposite each other on the color wheel; their use can create strong contrast and great visual
tension. Furthermore, putting these colors next to each other can increase the apparent saturation
of the other to create a heightened visual interest.
Shot three: white, low values of cyan green and yellow green color scheme. Yellow-green
suggests cowardice, conflict and fear. Dark value cyan green also can create an unpleasant
quality. The light color is white, but because it is bouncing off the wall, the glow of the light
looks cold, as if it had the light cyan tint in it. In this shot, all the colors are adjacent on the color
wheel. Their use lowers the environment’s visual tension but highlights the white interior light;
at the same time, it evokes a mood of depression and fear.
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Lighting Analysis
Shot one: lighting in shot one is focuses on time changing. The light color is a bright warm
pink which represents the color of a late evening sky. It then becomes a deep blue which means
that the sunlight is going away. The shadows change position to imply that the source of light
meaning the sun position is moving across the sky. There is no high contrast in this scene; all the
values are controlled around a mid-gray level. By using low contrast, the artist creates a calm and
relaxing atmosphere. Because this is the beginning shot for this scene, the lighting is set up to
convey a new start (Figure 19).
Figure 19. Shot One Lighting change from early evening to late evening.
Shot two: The second shot contains several lanterns hanging in the ceiling. There are
different intensities of light coming from them. Some of the lights are orange and others are
yellow. Orange becomes attention grabbing when placed against a dark green background and
helps bring the audience’s attention to the area of focus. Orange light is usually thought of as
warm and safe, but in this shot it leans towards creepy rather than warm. Darker values of yellow
light can create an unpleasant, dingy feeling. All the lanterns have some movement, which in
turn affects all the shadows. All of these elements can create a sense of unrest and uneasiness,
which is a clue for the next shot (Figure 20).
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Figure 20. Shot Two
Different values of
orange and yellow
light come from
lanterns.
Shot three: The lighting in the third shot is an interior white light. Light is on the wall and
above on an electric chair. The environment is a very simple room without any attractive details.
There is a shadow being cast on the wall by a window off screen. The shadow creates a cross on
the wall and also on the chair. Using the shadow’s symbolic characteristic shows the underlying
meaning of the scene — that this is an evil place and people who did evil things wished for
forgiveness. The white interior lighting stands out and catches the audience’s attention with its
unpleasant blue-green-yellowish color. Later, the light starts to flicker faster and faster. Then
suddenly, the light goes off, and the whole room goes dark. This scene evokes unstable lighting
conditions which can create very an unconformable and nervous atmosphere in the audience
(Figure 21).
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Figure 21. Shot Three Light flickers in the dark room.
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Conclusion
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”
-Albert Einstein, Physicist
Lighting, compared to an accurate copy from the real world, is more important than beauty.
Most people may think that beautiful equals pretty, but this is not true. There is a difference
between beautiful and pretty: beautiful can mean visually interesting, powerful, or aesthetically
pleasing. Beautiful lighting in digital animation can be a character to tell a story by itself.
Visually interesting, aesthetic, powerful lighting can evoke audience’s emotion to respond to
certain conditions. It establishes and enhances a specific atmosphere. Through this thesis, digital
art learners get a deep understanding of light from the basic science of light, light colors, to the
meaning of color, digital color, shadows and lighting to create mood and emotional responses to
lighting. All of those aspects help accomplish the final goal— creating visually interesting
lighting to tell a story. Specifically, they learn how it helps to increase visual interest: establish a
specific atmosphere, leading eyes to the focus point which digital artists want to create, and
using shadows to create interesting composition. Besides those techniques, the aesthetic abilities
of a lighter also plays a role in creating beautiful lighting to convey emotions. Learning all the
techniques can help digital lighters, but they can’t make a digital lighter into a great lighter
unless the lighter has the special “eye” (artistic ability) for it. All the aspects discussed in this
thesis need to be deeply understood to have a solid knowledge of lighting for all the digital
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lighters, but how to use it well and strengthen all the skills requires lighting artists to improve
their art aesthetic.
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