On Thursday mornings through May, cinematographer Devan Scott takes us on a journey through the history of lighting in cinema, tracing its development from the sunlit studios of early silent film through the three-point setups that defined classical Hollywood realism and film noir to modern techniques of motivated lighting. We’ll explore how artistic trends and evolving technologies — from early incandescent studio lamps to today’s RGB LEDs and digital workflows — have shaped cinema throughout the past century, unpacking the linguistics of lighting via interactive live workshops.
Each talk will last approximately 45 minutes, with case study screenings starting at 12:00 pm.
Devan Scott is an experienced cinematographer, colourist, educator, and director. His work has screened around the world at multiple film festivals, as well as at VIFF. He holds a BFA in Film Production from Simon Fraser University, teaches at the University of British Columbia and the Emily Carr University of Art and Design, and hosts the podcasts Film Formally and How Would Lubitsch Do Itin addition to a series of independent video essays on YouTube. He’s regularly presented talks at the VIFF Centre, most recently on Mexican noir cinematographers Gabriel Figueroa and Alex Phillips.
The Grapes of Wrath
In this Film Studies workshop, Devan Scott explores the purposes of three-point lighting and the influence of German Expressionism on Hollywood studio filmmaking. Followed by a screening of The Grapes of Wrath, photographed by Gregg Toland.
The Music Room
Devan Scott continues his journey through the history of lighting. This week, he credits Indian director of photography Subrata Mitra for profound innovations that laid the foundation for ideas of motivated lighting + screening of The Music Room.
Black Bag
In the last of his studies in the evolution of cinematography, Devan Scott surveys the modern era of digital photography and LED lighting, focusing in particular on the radical work of Steven Soderbergh, who regularly serves as his own cinematographer.