I almost went with yet another post about Lon Chaney Sr. this week, but thought instead I'd switch it up and focus on a fascinating sequence using light and shadow from Carl Theodore Dreyer's 1932 horror movie Vampyr.
http://youtu.be/GZDCurPnFyg
The two parts I think are most effective are the man climbing the ladder (0:22) and then sitting on guard duty (1:14). It's also pretty cool the way the same shadow apparently climbs through the window (0:11).
What a great and imaginative use of backlighting and set design to create an illusion of phantom shadows interacting with the real world! Of course, with today's technology, a home haunter could use either actors or projectors to similar effect.
Isn't it incredible how the old masters - having no computers and only black and white to work with - could use light and shadow to create amazing effects? I chose this one because I have become fascinated with this particular film - and because Dreyer goes way beyond just creating mood and makes the shadows characters in their own right.
I hope that one day I too will be able to create this effect in my own 10/31 "show".
Would love to hear your feedback.
JustJim is a member of AZ Haunters. If you are a haunter or Halloween enthusiast in Arizona, join AZ Haunters TODAY! Regular meetups, make & takes, and lots of Arizonans helping each other put on the best show possible!
Tags: Light Shadow Effects Vampyr
