Why are modern films/series so dark (brightness levels)

[1srelluc]

Most new films/series it's so dark it's hard to see what's going on especially in low-light scenes.

It is so damn frustrating when there is a fight scene or something and you can not even tell what is going on. It’s right up there with when they are basically whispering when they talk so I turn it up and then the background sounds increases so loud I have to turn the tv down immediately or blow my ears out.

I swear I think I prefer the old movies were "night scenes" were shot in daylight and then shaded......you just had to get used to the "moon shadow".

I guess it was because they were shot on film back in the day.

Batman is a perfect example....The character is supposed to be dark, not everything else.

 

[JGalt]

 

[Arlette]

It's y'all's glaucoma

 

[The Irish Ram]

No shit!
I thought I was going blind!

 

[okfine]

It's y'all's glaucoma

Most can't see past the end of their buckin' noses.

 

[22lcidw]

Not just that, they take a lot of color out of the film also. It is too depressing. Especially if the film is the same.

 

[braalian]

Some episodes of Game of Thrones were literally unwatchable due to the (lack of) lighting

 

[Cellblock2429]

Most new films/series it's so dark it's hard to see what's going on especially in low-light scenes.

It is so damn frustrating when there is a fight scene or something and you can not even tell what is going on. It’s right up there with when they are basically whispering when they talk so I turn it up and then the background sounds increases so loud I have to turn the tv down immediately or blow my ears out.

I swear I think I prefer the old movies were "night scenes" were shot in daylight and then shaded......you just had to get used to the "moon shadow".

I guess it was because they were shot on film back in the day.

Batman is a perfect example....The character is supposed to be dark, not everything else.

/---/ Being 72, I've seen movies go through stages. Filmography fads come and go. Actors mumbling their lines and dark scenes where you can hardly see what is happening is the latest, if not the greatest.

Some directors must think it adds drama. In my early days of art direction training, I was taught that if you need special effects to make your scenes interesting, you need to make better scenes because they should stand on their own without gimmics.

Here is an exceptionally annoying fad. The split screen.

 

[Burgermeister]

Most new films/series it's so dark it's hard to see what's going on especially in low-light scenes.

It is so damn frustrating when there is a fight scene or something and you can not even tell what is going on. It’s right up there with when they are basically whispering when they talk so I turn it up and then the background sounds increases so loud I have to turn the tv down immediately or blow my ears out.

I swear I think I prefer the old movies were "night scenes" were shot in daylight and then shaded......you just had to get used to the "moon shadow".

I guess it was because they were shot on film back in the day.

Batman is a perfect example....The character is supposed to be dark, not everything else.

It's incredibly annoying. Seems ironic that film technology like Technicolor produced better looking movies. You would think that digital movies would give you so many more options to produce a pleasing product.

 

[Burgermeister]

Some episodes of Game of Thrones were literally unwatchable due to the (lack of) lighting

Particularly the big battle episode, The Long Night. Here's the moron cinematographer defending the choice -

Wagner explained that the darkness was a creative choice. "The show runners decided that this had to be a dark episode," Wagner said. "We'd seen so many battle scenes over the years -- to make it truly impactful and to care for the characters, you have to find a unique way of portraying the story.

"Another look would have been wrong. Everything we wanted people to see is there."

With the many deaths and character arcs finally paying off in this episode, Wagner pointed out the significance of the non-visual.

"Personally, I don't have to always see what's going on because it's more about the emotional impact."

It's a MOVIE you idiot, not an audio book. The rest of us want to see what's going on.

 

[Resnic]

Darkness hides a lot.

Directors used to showcase their action scenes with lighting to bring out the choreography, special effects, and their directing skills.

But let's face it, most action directors today aren't as good as they used to be. Green screens and computer effects have ruined a lot because it's easier to fake everything. That's why most even big budget movies have boring action scenes in them. Wires and overly choreographed to the point of seeming like a dance routine scenes make them boring as well.

So using darkness to mask all of your shortcomings is an easy answer. It's also why so many movies have close up action as well, close and dark makes it hard to see just how bad it is.

There isn't an action movie made in the past decade that's nearly as good as raiders of the lost ark, die hard, predator, aliens, commando or RoboCop because most action movie directors aren't very good.

 

[Cellblock2429]

It's incredibly annoying. Seems ironic that film technology like Technicolor produced better looking movies. You would think that digital movies would give you so many more options to produce a pleasing product.

/——/ I spent a decade in the creative industry. The truth is ego trumps all. And, it usually comes down to the one holding the purse strings.