Lighting Project 

By: Charles Sexton

Film: Saving Private Ryan

Director: Steve Spielberg

Cinematographer: Janusz Kamiński

Logline: After three of Pvt. Ryan’s brothers had died during D-Day, and he was the final remaining son of his family, the US Military sends a platoon during World War two to find Pvt. Ryan and bring him home.

The lighting in this specific scene is warm and bright as if the sun was in the early afternoon. In the opening scene there is a lot of back light so the viewer focuses on the radar tower in the distance. The light then moves behind the soldiers so they have a small shadow. However, you can notice there are dim lights focused onto the faces of the soldiers when the camera does a close up shot so the viewer not see any ugly shadows on their faces. The lighting looks very real and the background looks almost over exposed. The light could represent the fact that they are about to accomplish something good for the overall outcome of the war. The lighting is supposed to look like real sun light and this is accomplished.