This issue manifests in every way – from the screenwriting phase onward. Or they’ve chosen to work in a genre or scope far beyond the bounds of what is truly optimal in micro-budget filmmaking. They’ve aimed to make a Blockbuster spectacle for $20,000. Nearly all failed micro-budget features share the same achilles heel: They’ve tried to replicate Hollywood style productions on a smaller scale.
In every respect, micro-budget feature films are made or broken by how well they embrace their limitations. Days of Heaven, Terrence Malick Days of Heaven, Terrence Malick The Problem With Micro-Budget Film Lighting It can be both stylistically superior and far more practical. In many of the above cases, the highest degree of control over color temperatures and lighting ratios is critical in order to do the story justice.īy no means would I ever argue against traditional film lighting for these type of projects.īut many independent (and even studio) films in other genres thrive with a more organic aesthetic, and using natural/available light is one of the best ways to get there. Action spectacles, superhero movies, stylized sci-fi epics, and VFX heavy features are just a few broad examples. The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick The Tree of Life (Behind The Scenes), Terrence Malick Choosing Natural LightĬlearly there are many feature films that should not be shot with natural light. In reality though, there are no right or wrong choices – just different creative paths. That it gives you more control over your palette and therefore opens up greater creative possibilities.īut then there are films like The Tree of Life that make the argument that no light is better than natural light. Despite the examples we’ll go over shortly, the vast majority of filmmakers simply don’t even consider it as an option.Ĭonventional wisdom will tell you that using a more standard film lighting setup will yield superior results. Still though, movies shot entirely with natural light are relatively rare. From Jean Luc Godard during the French New Wave to Michael Mann in the 1990s to Robert Eggers today. In many cases, naturally lit films achieve stunning visuals that far surpass what would have been possible with more traditional lighting setups.ĭirectors from all eras in film history have embraced natural lighting.
Thousands of feature films have been shot entirely with natural or available light, including the 21 iconic movies highlighted in this article.
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