Moonlight by Barry Jenkins was directed by Barry Jenkins, adapting the unproduced play entitled In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue by Tarell Alvin McCraney. Moonlight is a film about the coming of age of a young African-American through three stages of his life. Barry Jenkins' first film, Medicine for Melancholy, has a similar theme to his second feature film. Both films use color to reflect the mood of the scene and what the characters are thinking. Similar themes are present in both films, but Jenkins' second film shows how much the filmmaker has improved. Moonlight's cinematography uses vibrant colors and stunning shots to create an emotional experience. The camerawork and staging of Moonlight, particularly the lightning bolts, is one of the most important parts of the film's cinematography. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The cinematography of Moonlight is most important in establishing not only the characters and the environment, but also the relationship between the two and their importance to the main theme of the film. The theme, being who we truly are and what our environment expects of us, is the main conflict of the protagonist. The film is divided into three chapters, "Little" as his youth, "Chiron" as his adolescence and "Black" as his early adult life. The main character's self-discovery is told through these chapters, each through a different developmental phase of his life. The beginning of the film begins by establishing the place of Chiron, the protagonist, and Juan, the mentor, in the community. When Juan is introduced, the camera follows him smoothly. The entire scene is a single shot, showing how Juan naturally fits into the neighborhood with effortless authority. When Juan talks with his employee and sees him refuse a customer, the camera pans around the characters. This arcing shot is a motif used repeatedly throughout the film and has two meanings. Here it symbolizes community and the close bond between boss, employee and customer. Later, there is friendship between young schoolchildren during a football match. But a community can also be a cage. For Chiron, his community ostracizes him because he is gay. Immediately after the first scene, the camera moves to Chiron being chased by his bullies. The camera shakes, causing panic as she chases after Chiron. Today it represents his world, one of anxiety and persecution. As Chiron finds a hiding place, the insults from the bullies become louder and louder. The camera circles around Chiron, but it is extremely close to the character, unlike the comfortable distance in Juan's scene, another way of showing how different their worlds are. The contrasting sound design of the two scenes also shows each character's place in their community. Juan's calm conversation with his employee is followed by loud insults from Chiron's bullies. While Juan is respected by his peers, Chiron is persecuted by them. After the bullies leave, Chiron wanders around and finds a syringe, foreshadowing his profession in the third part of the film. When Juan takes down the boards of the house, lights fill the room. Juan has burst into Chiron's sanctuary, literally and metaphorically, and offers him food as a source of comfort. The way each character speaks is also contrasting, Juan speaks relaxed and caring while Chiron does not speak. Chiron's close-up after the offerJuan clearly shows his anxiety. Another scene where the camera pans around the characters is when Chiron's bullies force his friend to hit him for being "different." The camera speeds up and gets closer to Chiron and his friend, trapping them even more. The camera is always placed as close as possible to the actors, so as to put the viewer in the scene. A fourth wall break occurs when Chiron and his friend look directly at the camera as if the character is speaking to the audience. This makes the audience become absorbed in the scene and see the intensity of what the character is feeling. Moonlight is shot in anamorphic format, which makes the moment when the characters look at the camera even more dramatic. When a character is the only one in a developed setting, it shows how alone they are. Many emotional moments in Moonlight occur when the actors look directly into the lens, allowing the audience to look the character in the eyes and have a deeper emotional connection with the characters. It's a lens that has been used on many beloved films and cinematographer James Laxton said: "It's for big stories and big thoughts." Perhaps subconsciously, we chose it for Moonlight in an effort to portray this community in a whole new light. »Moonlight was filmed in Liberty City, Miami, where the neighborhood's homes are pastel colors and the trees a tropical green. The bright colors used are different from the usual dark and harsh colors found in American independent films that address social issues. The neighborhood has pastel-colored houses, the Atlantic Ocean is blue-green, and Chiron's mother bathes in neon pink while yelling at him. When Juan beckons Chiron to teach him how to swim, Chiron doesn't decide what to do. When Chiron finally joins him, the camera jump stops and it's no longer a long shot as Chiron begins to enjoy himself. The Atlantic Ocean is a bright blue as the scene questions what black fathers are supposed to be. Natural light was used during this scene and the humidity in the air gave the actors' skin a softer glow. As the sky gradually turns gray, it contrasts with the clear ocean, illustrating how the characters feel emotionally. Chiron's mother highlighted in neon pink highlights her femininity despite her sour expression. When Chiron's mother starts to leave, she continues to look at Chiron and walks towards the door where the pink lighting was coming from. This lighting gives depth to the character and not just a negative stereotype of an abusive mother. Lighting is used to challenge stereotypes by juxtaposing the dark things that happen to the characters with bright, beautiful lights in the background. The lighting focuses on the complexion and makes the skin color look natural and attractive. Cinematographer Laxton used an Arri Alexa digital camera which displays skin tone more vibrantly, as skin tone was an important aspect of Moonlight. According to Laxton, “We wanted to make sure our dark-skinned actors would have a natural and interesting skin tone. We were lighting them with a style that was more realistic than flattering, and we wanted the skin tones to be warm, not harsh. Unlike other films, Moonlight does not use a realistic aesthetic like other films dealing with drug addiction and lower socio-economic classes. Colorist Alex Bickel created a vibrant film by increasing contrast and saturation while preserving detail and color. The second chapter of the film uses a famous German film stock to add cyan to its shots, which alludes to the.