COMM 570: Film and Video Production IIInstructor: Jonathan Adelman

MFA Film and Electronic Media

Assignment 2: Scene Deconstruction for Casablanca

Presented By: Priya KrishnaFebruary 17, 2008

Table of Contents

1.0 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................1

2.0 CASABLANCA LIGHTING...............................................................................................................1

3.0 SET-UP COMPARISON......................................................................................................................1

4.0 LESSONS LEARNED..........................................................................................................................2

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1.0 Introduction

The purpose of this document is to view and compare lighting setups for the ‘Isla

Retuns’ scene from the film Casablanca to our recreation lighting setup from the same

scene. This document will also cover what could have been done differently, if we were

to reshoot this scene.

2.0 Casablanca Lighting

Casablanca used expressionistic/film noir lighting. Most of the setups could be

achieved with the understanding of basic three point lighting. Isla was mostly shot from

her left side. The gaffer used a softening filter to make her shine and sparkle. Ilsa

receives a fill light that removes the shadows on her face, making her skin appear

perfectly smooth. The back light provides a halo effect, reinforcing her portrayal as an

innocent, sympathetic woman. Although Ilsa has betrayed Rick, her portrayal as a

compassionate, almost angelic figure complicates the audience's interpretation of her

character.

In contrast, bars of shadow across Rick’s face were used throughout the film. This

lighting creates a fatigued image of the older night club owner. His key light casts

shadows which emphasize the wrinkles on his face.

3.0 Set-up Comparison

The original film did not use cookies for the background. The windows at Rick’s

bar were larger on set. To recreate that amount of light, we used lights pointing to the

walls going through cookies.

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In order to get Rick’s close-ups we needed to rearrange furniture so that we would

not see parts of the studio in the shot. We needed to fake a wall where there was not one.

This was rigged in a short amount of time, which caused it to look unnatural. For

example there was no plant or bi-fold wood piece behind Rick in the master shots, but the

new arrangement of furniture had a plant in front of the piano and a bi-fold wood piece

behind the piano.

In order to achieve the shine and sparkle in Ilsa, we light her from behind with a

stonger light than one would normally use as a back light. We lit her in every position

she maintained in her scene including when she walks in, when she stands by the table,

and when she sits down.

We achieved the shadow on Rick’s face by blocking the light coming to his face

with a silk. This allowed us to keep Rick in the dark while Isla shined and sparkled.

Since the original film was on location the doors and the window had natural light

coming in. We had to rig this look in the studio to make lighting looking like natural

light.

4.0 Lessons Learned

If I had to shoot the scene again, I would shoot in on location instead of a studio.

This would have prevented continuity issues that surround rigging a studio. An on

location shoot would have also prevented the slow setup of the lights on the ceiling grid.

After the floor lights were setup, only one to two people at a time could set up the lights

on the ceiling grid. Shooting on location would also allow us to use sunlight, instead of

all artificial light.

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If shooting in the studio again, I would also like two ladders to setup the lights on

the ceiling grid to get things done quicker.

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