Effects of lighting

                 High key                                     Low key



Lighting in a horror film is very important for how you want the audience to react.

High key lighting is when the atmosphere and location is very bright, with sunshine, colours and happiness. Often in horrors we see this at the start of the film before things turn bad.



Low key lighting is when the lighting is very dark with lots of contrast and shadows. This is used to create the effect of not knowing what is around the corner or what may be out there.

Some trailer examples with low key lighting:

Annabelle- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paFgQNPGlsg

In the first few seconds of Annabelle's trailer, the establishing shot is dark and shadowy, the audience can't see around corners and the only source of light is the one coming from the house. This creates an isolation around the house and a enigma code- what could be out in the darkness?
The Boy- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1U21VBSbSs
The Witch- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjBN0ByAqDk

German Expressionism links to this, as these films were known for their shadows, corners and silhouettes creating an un-nerving atmosphere that would cause fear and confusion to the audience.

The Cabinet of Dr Caligari- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuocVLKdSqQ

In this film the monochrome has a high contrast of light and darkness, especially from 21:30-21:51, as the set is very angular and unusual with different shapes and areas of darkness where we can't see anything. This is a good example of low-key lighting.
Faust- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Flnxq2HMOqA
Metropolis- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0NzALRJifI