Brief Encounter ..... Film Noir

As I sat and watched Brief Encounter on Sunday afternoon, I felt as if I was being taken back in time. I remember watching black and white films of the 1940 and 50's so often as a child on a Sunday afternoon. I didn't know then that they were Film Noir. The visual elements of the lighting giving the films their dramatic effect.

The film is introduced on the DVD as one of the Greatest British Films ever made. Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson are perfect in their romantic roles. Johnson's facial expressions portraying her masterly skills as an an actor never fail to move the viewer and feel her every emotion.  Howard is perfectly cast opposite her.

On this ocassion I  was watching the film to take note of the techniques of lighting as we are currently working on Rembrandt or Chiaroscuso lighting for our Book Cover project. The light and shadow in the film encompasses every scene. It is used to its full dramatic effect.

I set up a studio at home to practice this lighting technique, but I have not yet mastered it. Using myself as the subject makes it more difficult to place that traingle of light below the eye where it is meant to be. But I can only continue to practice. We have been told that we will be given a workshop on how to set up a studio at home, so I'm hoping that this will help me.

Using a main light with a softbox and reflector.

Traingle not achieved, shadow/light near mouth.