Phantom of the opera analysis

Part one of ‘Phantom of The Opera’ starts in black and white with little lighting (low key lighting). Within the black and white colours being used it is clear that the black is more prominent.

The lighting is low key, this means that the people and objects are lowly lit. You can see that only half the people’s faces are lit, making a more gloomy and intense feel to the scene. The light that we can see in this scene appears to be coming from above. It is purely natural daylight and coming from the top of the theatre.

Silhouettes are used heavily to add a more mysterious feel. Another technique which was used was to shine light down in rays, which creates a dramatic feel to the scene.

Further on in the scene a chandelier is shown and hoisted up into the air. When this happens light becomes a lot more visible, light is very evident here to add an effect of surprise and shock. The audience would then understand that this is a significant part of the scene.

Colour is then introduced into the scene. A wipe effect is used as colour is slowly brought to life where ever the chandelier passes. The colours introduced are rich colours of red and gold. These are very regal colours and add the effect of the theatre being very grand and bringing it to life.

Light is then visible and not shown in any way to add an intense feel. The light is simply there to light up the theatre and show how it has been brought to focus.