Effectiveness of lighting techniques used in short films, a case study in loukout films

Abstract

The study concentrated on the effectiveness of the lighting techniques used in short films and the case study was Loukout films concentrating on the Girl in Yellow Jumper it being the first Ugandan Film to be on Netflix. The study aimed at finding out what the light designing techniques used in short films are, what the impact of light designing on a short film is, and the technical requirements needed in production. The research methods designed to get information from the respondents were; interviews, Questionnaires, and observation methods study population included the light designers and gaffers, purposive sampling was done to the light designers and their responses were analyzed by cording and triangulation and entered into Microsoft word for editing to eliminate mistakes and turn the data into information by presenting it as meaningful information. It was discovered that the limited support from the government, the absence of any form of public funding dedicated to the development of local films, and limited technical training due to the high costs of film training have made most of Uganda’s filmmakers self-taught with less knowledge about the lighting of the film thus producing low-quality films that cannot compete on the international market. More so the do-it-yourself (DIY) equipment and low budgets also affect the lighting and production of high-quality short films.