Beetlejuice

The proper lighting in any movie matches the stage and dialog for the storyline and it's characters.  Lighting enhances the tone and mood the director and cinematographer is attempting to convey to the audience.  The three types of lighting used in movies are high-key lighting, low-key lighting, and three-point lighting.  High-key lighting is used to limit contrasts and shadows; a very bright light is used over all.   Low-key lighting looks dark overall; everything seems to have a limited source of light.  Three-point lighting has good contrast, but not overwhelming in shadows, three lights are used in various angles.

Beetlejuice  is a great example of low-key lighting.  There is no great contrast in any of the scenes.  even the clothing the characters wear seems to have a monotone or drab look to them.  The low-lighting in this particular film creates a darker tone without a scary or uncomfortable feeling.  If Tim Burton used high-key lighting in this film, it would have had an award contradictory tone to it.  The ghosts are meant to be portrayed as uncomfortable, unsure, and most of all, dead.  Lydia is portrayed as depressed, lost, and also unsure.  Seeing these characters in bright lights, limited shadows, or brighter tones, it would have been contradictory to their truth and also the storyline.




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Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. This text is a Constellation™ course digital materials (CDM) title.