JustJimAZ

Of Light and Shadow

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This week I wanted to share with you a fascinating sequence using light and shadow from Carl Theodore Dreyer's 1932 horror movie Vampyr.


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.

Happy Haunting!
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  1. Mr.Chicken's Avatar
    Pretty interesting concept, a man's shadow leaves him and goes for a walk? (creepy)