Initially, I did not plan to write this critical report on lighting design in film. The very first topic submitted was actually the wrong one, but in the course of conducting my thesis research, I came to realise that the role of lighting in film is far more complex than I had previously thought. It is not only a visual aid, but also directly affects the audience’s perception of reality and emotional resonance. And, in the process of making my graduation design, when I started to integrate a lot of CGI elements and real shooting scenes on my own, I found that the more I synthesised the two, or more of them together, the less realistic the effect they produced. This made me rethink the direction of my research and ultimately decided to delve deeper into how film lighting can strike a balance between realism and artistic expression.
In the course of my research, I reviewed a large amount of literature, including classics such as Bordwell and Thompson’s Film Art: An Introduction and Brown’s Cinematography: Theory and Practice. These books helped me understand the evolution of film lighting from early Hollywood to modern digital cinema. I also referenced many studies on visual effects, such as Malkiewicz’s discussion of natural versus artificial light in Film Lighting and Ebert’s critique of the over-reliance on digital lighting in CGI films. These theoretical backgrounds made me realise that many modern films actually sacrifice audience immersion while pursuing flashy visual effects.
In addition to academic research, I have also analysed some specific film cases. For example, Thor 3: Twilight of the Gods (2017) uses an extremely saturated lighting style that takes it away from its realistic tone, while Blade Runner 2049 (2017) employs a lot of neon lighting effects that enhance the cyberpunk atmosphere, but at the same time bring a certain degree of visual discomfort. In contrast, The Wild Bunch (2015) was shot entirely with natural light, giving the film an extremely realistic visual effect, which matched the feedback from many viewers – who preferred lighting designs that enhanced the authenticity of the story, rather than the deliberate use of artificial lighting for purely aesthetic reasons.
The whole creative process was not easy, and the biggest challenge was to find a balance between technology, history and audience psychology. I kept adjusting the structure of the thesis, expanding from the initial technical analysis to a discussion of audience immersion, trying to explore the dual role of film lighting from a more critical perspective. During this process, I also reflected on my own experience of watching films: those that moved me deeply tended to have more natural lighting, while those that relied too heavily on visual effects often gave me a sense of ‘distance’. These personal observations ultimately became an important argument in my thesis, further supporting my core ideas.
In addition, I found that film lighting not only affects the audience’s perception of reality, but also shapes their emotional experience on a subconscious level. Many directors use lighting to suggest emotions, for example, low-saturated natural light tends to make people feel immersed and close, whereas cool-toned artificial light may create a sense of distance or even unease. This also got me thinking about why the visual effects of some films feel ‘hollow’ or ‘detached from reality’ – not just because they rely on CGI, but because their lighting and shadows lack any reference to the real world. It’s not just because they rely on CGI, but because their lighting and shadows lack real-world references. To test this, I looked at audience feedback on different films and tried to compare it to the way the lighting was designed. It turned out that films that were shot with natural light or simulated real light changes, such as 1917 (2019) or The Wave (2008), tended to be perceived as more immersive, whereas films that used extreme lighting effects and artificial lighting were more likely to leave the audience feeling visually ‘overloaded’ or lacking in authenticity.
During this process, I gradually realised that lighting is not just a technical tool, but more like a ‘visual language’, capable of conveying messages in silence. How to find a balance between ‘artistic expression’ and ‘realism’ has become a problem in modern film production, and this is exactly the core issue that I hope to explore in my thesis.
In the end, this thesis not only gave me a deeper understanding of the impact of film lighting, but also a deeper knowledge of film making. During the writing process, I learned how to critically analyse visual elements and combine theory with practical examples. This not only helped me complete my academic research, but also made me more concerned about how to use lighting to enhance storytelling in my future creations, rather than just pursuing visual showmanship.