Final Lighting Choices

After obtaining the two filming locations, I really took time to figure out the final lighting for both scenes.

Starting with the auditorium, I got very lucky with what I was able to get away with. Again, the bare minimum would've been just a bare stage with all the lights turned on. After contacting some connections, my group and I were able to use the lightboard. I used the advice from the Phoenix Union Youtube video (which I studied from the "Lighting Ideas" blog post). We were able to turn off all the lights in the seating area of the auditorium. We kept one singular light on at the ceiling of the stage. The light I chose was a long strip of LED bulbs which could be raised and lowered. We raised the row to a height where it showcased each of the actor's faces, but didn't light up the whole room. We stationed the performance to where the light shined directly in the the space between the conductor and the performers. 

This oval of brightness was still a little brighter than I pictured, but it's okay. The key light above the subjects is admirable, but I actually really appreciate the darkness of the picture. You can barely picture some of the instruments and chairs throughout the scene. There are specific parts during the rotation around the conductor where the lighting is exactly how I pictured it would be from the storyboard. Although I said I wanted a spotlight in the "Lighting Ideas" blog post, I realized that the spotlight would have to come from the room in the back of the auditorium (pictured below). It would not be able to light up the conductor's face at all, and there would probably be a terrible shadow placed on the performers. 

My favorite parts of this segment are where the camera pans across the conductor's reaction. The minimal backlight of this picture really produced the ethereal aspect of an imaginary episode.

Figuring out the classroom was much easier.

I did not have to manipulate the lighting at all for the classroom. There were basically three settings for the lights: Bright, Less Bright, and Off. The brightest setting was perfect. Although the ceilings were high, everything was able to be lit up. The bright colors in the room helped create this temperature which contrasted the intense and illumination-based claustrophobic scene before. 

After making these lighting choices, it greatly improved my film opening by setting the mood and tone, enhancing visual appeal, and directing attention to where I wanted.