Research Project - Useful Reading Material

I am currently in the reading phase of the research project/document, so will be posting some good quotations from useful sources here for future references and to share. :)

Using Lighting to Create Mood

Written by  Alan Blakely
http://www.prophotoresource.com/home/item/74-using-lighting-to-create-mood.html

"...When we talk about bright and airy lighting we're usually describing broad daylight sources with medium to low contrast. Daylight sources cast shadows downward. When we talk about romantic and moody lighting, we're often describing tungsten lighting with medium to high contrast. Tungsten sources often cast shadows in a variety of directions, including up."

"Let's Summarize
Almost any desired mood in lighting can be achieved by manipulating the following four variables:Color temperature
Light source contrast
Light source direction
Depth of focus
Rarely does an assignment come my way that doesn't require manipulation of the existing mood. Having a grasp of the lighting values that work together to create mood will allow you to make the best of any situation--what's more, you''ll amaze your clients!"


ELEMENTS OF MISE-EN-SCÈNE
http://www.filmreference.com/encyclopedia/Independent-Film-Road-Movies/Mise-en-sc-ne-ELEMENTS-OF-MISE-EN-SC-NE.html

"Mise-en-scène is generated by the construction of shots and the ways that they lead to visual coherence, across the edits from shot to shot. It includes all the elements in front of the camera that compose a shot: lighting; use of black and white or color; placement of characters in the scene; design of elements within the shot (part of the process of production design); placement of camera vis-àvis characters in the set; movement of camera and/or actors; composition of the shot as a whole—how it is framed and what is in the frame. Even music may be considered part of mise-en-scène. While not seen, at its best music enhances the visual and narrative construction of the shot."

"Mise-en-scène can also be an evaluative term. Critics may claim a film does or does not possess mise-en-scène. For example, if a film depends entirely on dialogue to tell its story, if its visual structure is made up primarily of a static camera held at eye level on characters who are speaking in any given scene, if its lighting is bright, even, and shadowless, it lacks mise-en-scène. On a more subjective level, if a viewer's eyes drift away from the screen because there isn't much of interest to look at, the film lacks mise-en-scène."

Elements of Cinema - Cinematography - Camera Angles
http://elementsofcinema.com/cinematography/camera-angles.html

"Whereas shot sizes direct who and what we see, camera angles affect how we perceive it. Is a character going to appear dominant and tall? Or short and weak? A strong weapon in the cinematographer’s arsenal is the ability to position the camera in relation to the subject or scenery."

"Low angles are captured from a camera placed below the actor’s eyes, looking up at them. Low angles make characters look dominant, aggressive, or ominous."


Planning Animation Cinematography and Shot Structure to Communicate Theme and Mood by Kevin Kennedy and Robert E. Mercer

"The broad approaches to setting mood are well understood. To set up a happy scene, one should use a technique such as bright lighting to create a “feeling up” mood. A sad, dramatic, or scary scene should use a low-key, “feeling down” effect such as cool colours. De-saturation can be used to draw viewers into the scene, or high saturation can make them feel like outside observers. These techniques are often applied in the visual medium to give films a specific mood."

"Lighting is used to set mood, direct viewer attention, and provide information. The computer cinematographer can apply lighting to characters and backgrounds independently. The quality of lighting can be adjusted to alter the amount and sharpness of shadows. The brightness and direction of lighting is changed to achieve communicative acts as required."