FILMS THAT USE NATURAL LIGHT

Due to the fact we knew that we couldn't afford any artificial lighting, we had to go with artificial lighting. Often the presumption is that a film has been rushed or film makers are lazy and we were very conscious of this and wanted to avoid it at all costs. Using natural lighting also saves a lot of time (not having to set up equipment) and money.

Often independent film makers use natural lighting because they have a small amount of time on set and they can't afford the equipment. Some of the best internationally acclaimed films have been made in this way, for example the Blair Witch Project.

Historically, European art cinema movements have used natural lighting too. In the 1950s and 60s, the use of natural lighting, using all the set had to offer, was a way to rebel against the done-thing in Hollywood. The 1995 film Idioterne, created by von Trier, is a perfect example of this, where characters believe that society have taught them to suppress themselves. The making of the film is unconventional as well, and natural lighting is used in this too.

Sometimes natural lighting can be used to show the rawness of a situation too. The 2002 film Bloody Sunday by Paul Greengrass showed the chaos in Northern Ireland in 1972. The chaos of the siutation was caught in this film through the natural lighting, the handheld camera, unflattering angles and gritty locations.

Barry Lyndon (1975) by Stanley Kubrick is shot in natural lighting as well and when he was asked wy he responded with 'It's the way we see things'. This simple answer is true - this film is shot only with the help of candle light - showing the viewers what the actors would have saw.