THIS IS AMAZINGLY INSIGHTFUL. I AM MAKING SEVERAL MOVIES INSPIRED FROM FILM NOIR AND WITH SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN THE GAME... THIS WAS SO SO INSIGHTFUL. THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS. I AM A HUGE "LOW KEY LIGHTING" ADVOCATE AND FILM NOIR CINEPHILE!! YOU ROCK!!! THANKS FOR SHARING.
Yes - I would recommend the black foil if you can buy it (you may need to order it). As far as wattage - it depends on how much light you need. The higher the wattage, the brighter the bulb and the more heat it creates. I generally keep some low wattage bulbs (40w) a couple medium wattage (100w) and a few high wattage (150-200w) for variety.
Great talk. I actually own Painting With Light by Alton. For me, The Big Combo will always be the epitome of film noir. Recent film noir suggestion is Dark City. That is an incredibly great film noir with a sci-fi kick.
Great video. I clicked on it bc i know what im talking about but in my notes i always forget these terminologies! Youd think id remember after looking it up 15 times lol it takes a minute to even find the terminology too since the internet is hard to find "correct" information in all the information that is useless and just takes up virtual space.
For one of the most striking film for it's lighting I've ever seen was "The Third Man" with Orson Welles and Joseph Cotton (1949). I got a bit tired of the Zither by Anton Karas, but Robert Krasker work in this movie - characterized by expressionistic camera angles, chiaroscuro lighting and conspicuous close-ups made this one of my all time favorites.
+Inura Facititia Most of that film was done by an Australian called Robert Krasker. Another brilliant example of his work is David Lean's "Brief Encounter", which was made about three years earlier. I think it's the best lit film I've ever seen, although "The Third Man" is pretty obviously my favourite.
@@thethirdman225 for a different opinion, one that I share. Here is a quote from the legendary American critic Manny Farber. "But it bears the usual foreign trademarks (pretentious camera, motorless design, self-conscious involvement with balloon hawker, prostitute, porter, belly dancer, tramp) over-elaborated to the point of being a monsterpiece. It uses such tiresome symbol-images as a door which swings with an irritating rhythm as though if had a will of its own; a tilted camera that leaves you feeling you have seen the film from a fetal position; fiendish composing in Vuillard’s spotty style, so that the screen crawls with patterns, textures, hulking shapes, a figure becoming less important than the moving ladder of shadow passing over it."
@@thethirdman225And why should it? We all have our own taste, thank heaven. It is almost universally praised. Even Welles, whom I LOVE as a director, loves it. Too bad he didn't direct it--he knew just how many off kilter angles to use and when to stop. I got plenty of flak on a film noir site when I posted my whole review which mentioned some good points also. But not the overused Dutch angles or the overused soundtrack...lol.
@@willieluncheonette5843 The thing about the Dutch tilts was that they were relatively new to the genre. It's not that they hadn't been used before but they were intended to add to the sense of mystery and confusion, mixed with a bombed out city. You either love them or you don't. Some say they're overdone. I don't think so. Looked at it from the perspective of a cinema goer in the 1940s, it was pretty radical.
Great stuff! Thank you. I'm not a filmmaker but I love Film Noir movies and I want to learn as much about them as possible. These movies are amazing. Thanks so much for the tutorial..
Actually filmed a Noir type short story back in the late '80's. Using donated equipment, costumes and cameras, we created a great suspense type movie (reminiscent of "The X-Files"). It was only 30 minutes and even earned an award. Lol...I still have the unopened box in my collection: A 24 Disc set titled "100 Greatest Mystery Movie Classics". I also retain the award winning trench coat.
No, a ring light is for creating a soft flat shadowless light on the face - it functions really as a super fill - combining the key and fill light in the same space. The look can be anything from cosmetic fashion to clinical but you won't get the moodiness that film noir requires.
If you don't have one of those fancy lights that have the barn doors, can you use tin foil to make a tunnel and put it over the end of a light fixture? what wattage of hallogen bulb do you recommend?
can you recommend a transportable light I could use while doing scenes downtown on the street where there won't be a plug in? I need to cast a light against a wall to created silouettes
This is an exceptionally fine tutorial. It's pertinent to point out that in the "old days," when film noir lighting was the norm, actors had the ability to "hit" their lights…a skill sorely missing from almost every modern-day actor's repertoire.
There are several Star Trek episodes where William Shatner's eyes are illuminated by the flag technique. That's about the only time I've seen this used on a "modern" TV series.
I am having a hard time creating the film noir look with the gear I got. I am wanting it for the webcam image for a gaming TH-cam channel I'm starting up. BUT what I'm getting is just grayscale. I am going for the biggest contrast. Like what you show at 2:15 in your video. Shadows completely black. Single light to one side. I have put up black felt fabric on all the walls of the room. But what happens is my face lights up like the sun when even a low 500-lumen LED light is turned on it. [Just FYI, when I put a back light on me, my blond hair lights up like a halo. Also, the room is too small to use regular lights as they'll quickly overheat the room so I have to do with LED lights.] What we have done is lots of combinations. The best so far is shining two LED ceiling track lights against a section of the wall that doesn't have black felt on it but a pale tan paint. But we don't get the stark dark shadows but grayscale. Now is it my webcam that's the problem? It is a Logitech c920. Suggestions???
+Jack Decker don't use LED lights for film noir unless they are the single chip variety. LED banks give a soft light and that's not what you want. Use tungsten lights but use really low wattage. Try a candelabra bulb or a night light as your key and backlight.
Thanks for replying back! Aside from a panel LED light I already owned (it had 120 LED lights), all the ones we tried were single chip LED lights, as that's what I got from your and other videos on how to shoot film noir (single point of light). One was 1,500-lumen single-chip LED and it just make my face shine like the sun. Kept going down and down in lumens until the lowest one was a 500-lumen. I cannot use regular blubs as it is a small room and overheats easily and quickly. I will try a candelabra and night light. Hopefully they make them in LEDs now. Thanks for the suggestion! Tomorrow I am going down to Camera Corner in Davenport, Iowa to see what they suggest. Doug there is always helpful and not always looking out to make a sell.
I am looking for a roof top or balcony backdrop for my shot film which I will use with green screen so my actors can walk a bit then do the scene looking like on a roof or balcony. Can anyone help please ?
You made this so entertaining, I have a backstory in my mind of this guy being kidnapped just so lighting can be tested on him...lol
This is a really good and informative video. Great job!
This helped me so much in my college film class. I got an A 😭
W
I learn so much from your channel, I'm going to start telling people that you're my film school instructor. 😐
MrCartierG That's a great Idea! I would have to add a lot more instructors to the list. :)
lucky I'm not so far behind I can't binge watch all of them to catch up on lessons. love this channel. subscribing now.
These guys are the real deal. I'd love it if you did more videos exploring lighting
Yes, I may have something in mind for a series on light the way we covered sound and sensors/lenses but that is a little further down the line.
You are awesome, very informative, and easy to understand. Will definitely use these techniques in some of my own productions! Thanks!
THIS IS AMAZINGLY INSIGHTFUL. I AM MAKING SEVERAL MOVIES INSPIRED FROM FILM NOIR AND WITH SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN THE GAME... THIS WAS SO SO INSIGHTFUL. THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS. I AM A HUGE "LOW KEY LIGHTING" ADVOCATE AND FILM NOIR CINEPHILE!! YOU ROCK!!! THANKS FOR SHARING.
Quite illuminating.
A year of cinematography school, or a couple of comprehensive visits to this channel.
This is by far the best video I’ve seen on the subject! Thank you!
Yes - I would recommend the black foil if you can buy it (you may need to order it). As far as wattage - it depends on how much light you need. The higher the wattage, the brighter the bulb and the more heat it creates. I generally keep some low wattage bulbs (40w) a couple medium wattage (100w) and a few high wattage (150-200w) for variety.
I needed to do a presentation of lighting in film noir, you saved my life, thank you so much!
Nice video so creative and informative, thank you!
Great talk. I actually own Painting With Light by Alton. For me, The Big Combo will always be the epitome of film noir. Recent film noir suggestion is Dark City. That is an incredibly great film noir with a sci-fi kick.
+hhhhh-
Wow, kudos from Italy for the perfect pronunciation of chiaroscuro! [And for all those great videos of yours, of course ...]
Great video on three point lighting!!!!! Very to the point!
Bravo!
+sparkybluefox Punny. :P th-cam.com/video/gu5g86nhWK4/w-d-xo.html
Very nice, creative and humorous way to present this genre of photography and cinematography.
Great video. I clicked on it bc i know what im talking about but in my notes i always forget these terminologies! Youd think id remember after looking it up 15 times lol it takes a minute to even find the terminology too since the internet is hard to find "correct" information in all the information that is useless and just takes up virtual space.
By far the best introduction to noir lightning! Thanks!
Best film tutorials on TH-cam!
Endless knowledge in his each n every video. Thank you.
Wow this is much better, more useful and even more entertaining than that DSLRguide channel.
Very interesting vid. Plus, form an Italian speaker, props for the perfect pronunciation of "Chiaroscuro"!
I was researching about John Dalton and came here. Very succint and instructive. Thank you.
Great glimpse into Noir lighting, Thanks for posting.
I think this calls for a Film noir marathon!
school teachers learn from him he is simply the best
Awesome video. I always like Film Noir style of lighting
I can't believe this Channel doesn't have more subscribers.
For one of the most striking film for it's lighting I've ever seen was "The Third Man" with Orson Welles and Joseph Cotton (1949). I got a bit tired of the Zither by Anton Karas, but Robert Krasker work in this movie - characterized by expressionistic camera angles, chiaroscuro lighting and conspicuous close-ups made this one of my all time favorites.
+Inura Facititia Most of that film was done by an Australian called Robert Krasker. Another brilliant example of his work is David Lean's "Brief Encounter", which was made about three years earlier. I think it's the best lit film I've ever seen, although "The Third Man" is pretty obviously my favourite.
@@thethirdman225 for a different opinion, one that I share. Here is a quote from the legendary American critic Manny Farber.
"But it bears the usual foreign trademarks (pretentious camera, motorless design, self-conscious involvement with balloon hawker, prostitute, porter, belly dancer, tramp) over-elaborated to the point of being a monsterpiece. It uses such tiresome symbol-images as a door which swings with an irritating rhythm as though if had a will of its own; a tilted camera that leaves you feeling you have seen the film from a fetal position; fiendish composing in Vuillard’s spotty style, so that the screen crawls with patterns, textures, hulking shapes, a figure becoming less important than the moving ladder of shadow passing over it."
@@willieluncheonette5843 LOL! Well, it doesn't change my opinion.
@@thethirdman225And why should it? We all have our own taste, thank heaven. It is almost universally praised. Even Welles, whom I LOVE as a director, loves it. Too bad he didn't direct it--he knew just how many off kilter angles to use and when to stop. I got plenty of flak on a film noir site when I posted my whole review which mentioned some good points also. But not the overused Dutch angles or the overused soundtrack...lol.
@@willieluncheonette5843 The thing about the Dutch tilts was that they were relatively new to the genre. It's not that they hadn't been used before but they were intended to add to the sense of mystery and confusion, mixed with a bombed out city. You either love them or you don't. Some say they're overdone. I don't think so. Looked at it from the perspective of a cinema goer in the 1940s, it was pretty radical.
The funny part is, I'm a game developer and it's possible to apply those rules in a game. Thank you! It helped me a lot!
Yup. I like how everything is connected.
This is so well done ! Love how simple and to the point it is and you did it all in a Noir style GREAT ;-)
five years later, here I'm finally finding what I looking for a long time, THANKS!
Awesome work! Had to watch this twice.
Very nice. Love the Noir look, thanks for the lesson!
Very concise and well-worded video - thanks from the UK!
Great stuff! Thank you. I'm not a filmmaker but I love Film Noir movies and I want to learn as much about them as possible. These movies are amazing. Thanks so much for the tutorial..
John, hope we can have a longer video or multiple videos on lighting. Thanks
That's a series I need to make one of these days
Just hit the bell
Please make other lighting tutorials like beauty etc. Your tutorials are always packed with trustworthy and useful pieces of information !
Even though I've never seen it. I have to say that shot in the big combo might be only of my favorite shots in cinema history!
WOW! Simple and straight forward. This brief clip is one of the best. Thank you!
This was more informative then my lighting class.
Really Awesome...well explained and straight to the point.
Bravo! Excellent source to the understanding of Film Noir.
That was a great vid on Film noir lighting thanks very much !
Hi there,Just wanted to thank you for all the great videos. Please Keep up the great work! Again Thank you!
Actually filmed a Noir type short story back in the late '80's. Using donated equipment, costumes and cameras, we created a great suspense type movie (reminiscent of "The X-Files"). It was only 30 minutes and even earned an award. Lol...I still have the unopened box in my collection: A 24 Disc set titled "100 Greatest Mystery Movie Classics". I also retain the award winning trench coat.
Thanks this is one of the best lighting tutorials I have seen
No, a ring light is for creating a soft flat shadowless light on the face - it functions really as a super fill - combining the key and fill light in the same space. The look can be anything from cosmetic fashion to clinical but you won't get the moodiness that film noir requires.
Very well illustrated, I learned a lot. thanks.
Great one John ! I will be looking forward to a sequel on Noir Lighting .
Great tutorial! Thanks.
useful stuff, ty for taking the time to post this bud....
Very informative and well done explanation! Subscribed to your channel, can't wait for another videos.
I absolutely love how you teach this kind of stuff.
best light tutorial ever. many compliments
Thanks John! Well explained and well done!
If you don't have one of those fancy lights that have the barn doors, can you use tin foil to make a tunnel and put it over the end of a light fixture? what wattage of hallogen bulb do you recommend?
Very cool video. Great production techniques and super informative. Can't wait to see your other videos.
I really loved the way you explained it
thank you for knowledge of lighting during the cinema production
Great job. Such a big subject yet you explained it in a way that is interesting and leaves me wanting to learn more.
Man, this is high quality. Just as good as any course I've taken on Lynda.com. Thanks for putting the time to do this.
Great show! These last videos are really helpful :) Thanks, keep it up!
How do I light something like the image @2:13
Fantastic - thanks very much. You guys are the best!
Awesome explanation!!!❤
I learn so much from you. Thank you! you break it down perfectly.
Awesome video! Thank you very much, sir!
thanks a lot for the info .......can we use this film noir touch for a fight scene
can you recommend a transportable light I could use while doing scenes downtown on the street where there won't be a plug in? I need to cast a light against a wall to created silouettes
This is an exceptionally fine tutorial.
It's pertinent to point out that in the "old days," when film noir lighting was the norm, actors had the ability to "hit" their lights…a skill sorely missing from almost every modern-day actor's repertoire.
A really fantastic workshop! Thank you!
Great Video! Your knowledge came in handy in a recent production :)
Great Video :) You helped me on my latest project!
Great video! Super useful info for people looking to get creative with lighting, whether it's noir or not.
Oh, okay. It kinda does and kinda doesn't some times. Do you know if there's a way to make it cast a hard light?
Love it! Amazing video! Can't wait to see what else you guys come out with.
Would flood lights be a suitable lighting source for students with no money?
Great. Will def use these types of lighting in my upcoming production.
Great initiative. Is there part II?
There are several Star Trek episodes where William Shatner's eyes are illuminated by the flag technique. That's about the only time I've seen this used on a "modern" TV series.
I am having a hard time creating the film noir look with the gear I got. I am wanting it for the webcam image for a gaming TH-cam channel I'm starting up. BUT what I'm getting is just grayscale. I am going for the biggest contrast. Like what you show at 2:15 in your video. Shadows completely black. Single light to one side. I have put up black felt fabric on all the walls of the room. But what happens is my face lights up like the sun when even a low 500-lumen LED light is turned on it. [Just FYI, when I put a back light on me, my blond hair lights up like a halo. Also, the room is too small to use regular lights as they'll quickly overheat the room so I have to do with LED lights.] What we have done is lots of combinations. The best so far is shining two LED ceiling track lights against a section of the wall that doesn't have black felt on it but a pale tan paint. But we don't get the stark dark shadows but grayscale. Now is it my webcam that's the problem? It is a Logitech c920. Suggestions???
+Jack Decker don't use LED lights for film noir unless they are the single chip variety. LED banks give a soft light and that's not what you want. Use tungsten lights but use really low wattage. Try a candelabra bulb or a night light as your key and backlight.
Thanks for replying back! Aside from a panel LED light I already owned (it had 120 LED lights), all the ones we tried were single chip LED lights, as that's what I got from your and other videos on how to shoot film noir (single point of light). One was 1,500-lumen single-chip LED and it just make my face shine like the sun. Kept going down and down in lumens until the lowest one was a 500-lumen. I cannot use regular blubs as it is a small room and overheats easily and quickly. I will try a candelabra and night light. Hopefully they make them in LEDs now. Thanks for the suggestion! Tomorrow I am going down to Camera Corner in Davenport, Iowa to see what they suggest. Doug there is always helpful and not always looking out to make a sell.
They make LED candelabra and night lights - but you can use regular halogen ones. They don't put out much heat at all.
Thanks for the info! I will definitely check them out!
this is pure gold
very useful lesson. thanks mate.
Thank you so much for the detailed explanation :)
It was very helpful!
Great production on the vids!!
loved this blog.
Just fantastic! Thank you.
great explanation sir
Top instructional - thank you!
I am looking for a roof top or balcony backdrop for my shot film which I will use with green screen so my actors can walk a bit then do the scene looking like on a roof or balcony. Can anyone help please ?
Dude, You are Awesome.
I can't tell if your talent is acting or reacting to the intense heat and light that boom work light is putting out. I know it can get flaming hot! :)
Tim Fryer Our actor Thurman Dalrymple is just that good - but I've tied him up in practically every production I've had him in.
Great tutor man, thumbs up
generally not unless they are cast hard light, of course all flood lights differ but you could test them
that was a badass class thanks bro !
Excellent as usual
Great video thanks for uploading.
I've used some of the very techniques, thanks!