Why every film needs lamps.

#videoessay #lighting #cinematography
In this video essay we explore the power of lamps in cinema and TV. Looking at examples from David Fincher, Stanley Kubrick, Rian Johnson, Roger Deakins, HBO's Euphoria and more. This essay will also help you explore practical lighting techniques to create cinematic scenes for your own KZbin videos, commercials, short films, and music videos.
Discuss this video with me on Twitter:
/ impatrickt
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[@impatrickt]

I love lamp

[@bradbennett1420]

How hard was it not to title this whole video that?

[@impatrickt]

@@bradbennett1420 I pinned this simply so nobody else would make this AWFUL joke

[@JesseSchroeder]

Patrick, are you just looking at things on KZbin saying that you love them?

[@SHKBKN]

Same !

[@Karan_Thakkar]

moth likes this

[@GregsGadgets]

Once you pointed this out to me I legitimately can’t enjoy movies anymore. I just count the lamps… knowledge is a curse - ignorance is bliss.

[@Smamaj]

😂

[@alinamedved]

I subconsciously do this irl too. I never turn on the overhead lights, only my LED’s and lamps.The atmosphere just hits different right? Awesome video btw

[@gabrielhborgesrolo]

Same here!

[@ploopy8780]

Exactly man. If I'm in my kitchen I have white under cabinet lights, or I have overhead yellow lights. The under cabinet lights just create such a different vibe.

[@geraldundone]

You, Patrick, are the movie lamp of KZbin. 🤠

[@JakeFrew]

Whoa, I never knew how bad I needed a lamp video to pop up on my feed. This was incredible!!!

[@JonJosephKuhn]

Of course you’re a film essay fan! It’s shows in your incredible work man.

[@flodobaggins]

The glow globes in Dune made me smile so much. They're SO COOL!!! ❤️

[@AronBagel]

Do more film essays like this. Please.

[@hammerbeam]

This video had been in my feed and I always ignored it because it just sounded like clickbait but now that I’ve seen it. It’s really all I can think about when watching movies. Lamps!

[@impatrickt]

LAMPS!

[@MisterMister5893]

A thoroughly enjoyable and edifying video essay. You gave a new dimension into a subject that's seemingly mundane.

[@RyanKao]

This video was seriously more interesting than I anticipated

[@corbyn]

Cue the "Lamp Montage" Love it!!

[@AlexOnStreets]

Reaaaaaallly loved this and super jealous of your ability to talk and show about this subject so successfully. I will use what you have showed me for my own personal gain and world dominance.

[@impatrickt]

I’m actually part of the lamp psy-op and you’ve now been “activated”.

[@elfsieben1450]

@@impatrickt underrated reply 👀🤪😱👁️🤯😫☠️🙈😎

[@npmrc]

Nice job! I would love to see a deep dive into Kubrick’s approach that unlocks the freedom of camera movement.

[@WhySteve]

I literally put a lamp behind me in my last video just because of this. There's absolutely no reason for the lamp other than motivating my backlight and creating depth and contrast.

[@confused_reader]

This video has actually changed me, my life will never be the same

[@monikaaggarwal9896]

Now I can't enjoy movies without looking for lamps 😭. But it is a well made in-depth video.👍🏻

[@AaronFilmsStuff]

Man this was great! I'm a huge proponent of using lamps or other practical's to add character to a scene but also give reason for light motivation. you hit the nail on the head with this one!!! Keep it up

[@Tubester001]

Awesome commentary! I’ve noticed the same thing about lamps in movies. They’re such relatable items, practical and inviting. Even two of my favorites use lamps well… Ghostbusters and Back To The Future.

[@alisinclair8529]

Movie Lamps would be a great podcast

[@AlanHouser]

The BEST cinematic on-screen LAMP infatuation: Gary Oldman as Drexl Spivey on True Romance- that whole LAMP ON A CHAIN scene was epic.

[@JamieMcEwanOfficial]

This was really, really good. Awesome job making this! Makes me want to watch ALL of these films, too.

[@JamieMcEwanOfficial]

Also, beware The Lamp People.

[@impatrickt]

theyre everywhere

[@digitaljb]

youve been inspring beyond belief with these out of the box videos lately

[@benjaminlacey]

LAMP! I was rewatching Ocean's Eleven the other day, they had LAMPS by the POOL outside.... beautiful strangeness, loved this vid:)

[@alexleal2634]

I never notice the lamps. Great I think I will not unseen this. Great video bro!

[@timotheusmiller]

I hate ceiling lights and love lamps. Great video!!! Now I won't be able to unsee the "cinematic" lamp placements

[@rubiotv]

Peak lamp explanation.

[@joshuaconti989]

Glad you brought up Kubrick- he loved lamp. =)

[@ColorfieldMedia]

You "lamp-basted" those lamp scenes with expert like precision.

[@outled]

Really enjoyed that, thank you. I was obsessed by the lamps in Twin Peaks The Return, I made screenshots of all of them, so I understand your obsession! :)

[@omarknowsphotos]

This was infinitely more entertaining than I ever thought possible.

[@NickRivers231]

Hitch liked a good lamp as well. I was particularly obsessed with one in Suzanne Pleshette's house in The Birds.

[@SaulFearnley]

This is an amazing video. 💡

[@connorthompson05]

Thanks for pointing that out. I’ll be setting lamps forever differently.

[@jasminepowell2150]

This video is wonderfully made! Well done

[@DavidPalmer_blinder]

so yeah here's my thing, i do notice the lamps, and especially in bar or restaurant scenes and i do get tied up thinking about how that would even work in the real world (which I definitely lol'd when you mentioned it in your video) and it just pulls me right out of the scene and then i just start dissecting the rest of the movie looking for reality-breaking stuff. am i movie buzzkill? yep. i won't even hide that fact. in fact, my friend and i will just watch a movie together and just point out all of the reality-breaking stuff... movie watching for us more of an unfunny MST3k kind of experience. oh well, lol! but i loved this video!

[@impatrickt]

the lamps on tables has ALWAYS driven me crazy even before I started noticing all the other lamps that make no sense. thanks for watching!

[@matthewTobrien]

I have filled my house and my studio with lamps - all on dimmer switches with halogen bulbs (nice & warm when dimmed & they don't hum like incandescents do) for this exact reason. Plus, when Steven Spielberg comes to his senses and decides to hang out with me to talk about Jurassic Park and John Williams's march theme from 1941, he'll be impressed...by all the lamps. 🤞🏻🛋 Great vid, Patrick. Totally need to get a random orb lamp now.

[@TheTreyVision]

Well this blew my mind.

[@CineDailies]

Solid light study 🤌🏽

[@francescasaraco1417]

live, love, lamp

[@YannickReid]

Great video essay

[@ChuckSeayII]

Great video and much appreciated. Thank you

[@jeffreypappas2934]

Patrick, great video! Never thought of any of this and now I will pay attention to the lamps in movies and in life! Thank you again!

[@impatrickt]

thanks for watching!

[@eksmaan]

“Patrick, are you just looking at things in movies and saying that you love them?” Great breakdown man!

[@liyu_cn]

the ending so great nice job bro

[@sabrinaperry6121]

I’ve slowly descended into madness now all I see is lamps. 🤪 this is one video essay I didn’t know I needed. It’s like watching The Sixth Sense for the first time.

[@impatrickt]

they’re everywhere. I should have warned you before the video started.

[@JasonLorette]

Gotta love a good lamp...or six. Very cool vid Patrick, very illuminating (I'll see myself out...).

[@BrendanEvan]

Man I need some more lamps

[@brentpeddy4223]

Love this essay!!! I'm an ambient light enthusiast for everyday living. These damn fluorescents have ruined our day to day reality. BTW an awesome movie to add to this list is The Invitation. That film is phenomenal!

[@iam_nick]

I'm into film photography, the fundamental is light source. Filmmaking is no different! and yes, I love lamps too ;)

[@firstmile]

This is an amazing video. Great job. So brilliant.

[@impatrickt]

Thanks!

[@GajanBalan]

Video was worth it to learn what diagetic lighting meant.

[@dzheyd9609]

Awesome! I think you should make this kind of videos instead of the gear review! This channel is so underrated

[@manueldemirjian1575]

Your channel is going to explode soon. Such great content, keep going!

[@impatrickt]

thanks, Manuel!

[@AlpacoFilms]

Well fricking done man! Brava!

[@Doublepulse]

It’s one of those items that blends in with the world in all the impractical places sometimes 😂 - they serve as good props as well.

[@abrampainter3764]

i love how you end the video essay with that scene from minority report. The video might might be over, but the lamps remain.

[@impatrickt]

that one tied it all together

[@ScottJeschke]

I now understand. Haha. Totally agree! I'm obsessed w lamps

[@connor-betts]

This was really good!!

[@crlclssic]

so cool man! love this. And your channel

[@jaevisuals]

Dude... I recently just noticed the same thing and now I see them all the time.

[@amimofilms]

nice one, from now on i will definatelly be noticing lamps in every future movie i am going to casually watch. Thanks :D

[@ianthebrightman]

Color contrast is more important than most people will every fully understand

[@rosyaugust7095]

Great 👍 . Lamp make the character pop

[@RealJamesArcher]

Thanks a lot. Now I can never unsee this. 😬

[@jeffwpatton]

Found your channel from your No Way Home video, and now I'm just binging all your essays. Such great content, man. Really looking forward to more from you.

[@impatrickt]

Thanks, Jeff!

[@ElusiveFrame]

It's like someone is telling you about your eyes and you become aware if blinking. Thanks Patrick. 😩 All jokes aside, great video. 💪

[@nitsugazemag]

You’ve pierced through my veil of ignorance on lamps. Hollywood loves LAMP 💡. LAMPS, LAMPS EVERYWHERE 😳

[@definingslawek4731]

I was so interested, and then you said, "So let's consult the Godfather of lamps" 🥺😊

[@impatrickt]

?

[@DaisysWorld192]

Spot on!

[@imrnp]

this was a great video patrick! been loving your content lately. you seem super inspired. keep it up!

[@brunopapic6295]

this is good, keep em coming.

[@davinjacobs]

this was so good

[@TwoSugarsandMilk201]

This was great!! I loved it! LAMPS!!

[@l.s.11]

PEAK LAMP That animation of "pt." at 6:58 is mint. 👌 Lovely video. I have 5 lamps in my room, but now I want more.

[@nathanvenzara]

You had me at lamps.

[@nebulanationmedia]

Crazy outro man!!!

[@SnakeCakeExotics]

lol nice never really noticed that!

[@TeeJaySmall]

Came from Reddit, awesome video! Will be subscribing for more

[@Vitaphone]

Awesome video, Great use of Ghosts v1-4. I would only add that while you are totally correct that one major separation from "content" and film is the use of motivated light, I think while you came close in one sequence... instead of dimming the entire scene, just erase all lamps to show just how quickly the brain goes from buying in, to "hey this looks fake AF. Also you might be going a bit overboard, if you get into interior design, you will find just like set dec, Interior designers are obsessed with lamps, when I first got into it in my 20's going from the typical idea of "big screen tv nice leather couch=nice place" I discovered many, many lamps is one of the keys to cohesive and inviting interior design... its all over youtube 101 "up your game in 10 easy steps" or "10 interior design tips YOU NEED NOW" style videos. Again, great video, subbed and checking out the rest of the channel! P.S. I have easily over 20 lamps in my house including 2 in my kitchen... is that because I'm a filmmaker, enjoy interior design or simply years of accumulation... who knows?

[@impatrickt]

I did erase all the lamps, what do you mean?

[@mattsyl]

It's decided, I'll never again walk on a set lamp-less. Great video man!

[@clarkeemalarkee]

Great video! I’d add one thing which you did kind of touch on, but I think lamps add DEPTH to a lot of shots that otherwise wouldn’t have it. By lighting something in the foreground or background with a practical lamp, it can really make the shot feel 3D. I’ve explained lamps in movies to so many of my friends, now I can just send them this video. Haha. 💯💯

[@clarkeemalarkee]

Also…I definitely have a lamp behind my KZbin vlog set up. Lmao.

[@impatrickt]

I did a whole section on that!

[@ameerahm4589]

Now I will focus on lighting in films

[@recessinthering8425]

Succession has some great lamp action

[@geneyoon11]

Dude this is an incredible and informative video

[@impatrickt]

Thanks Gene!

[@XhonDang]

Great deep dive into this highly overlooked topic

[@impatrickt]

I just wanted to shed a light on it

[@XhonDang]

@@impatrickt I speak for the people where I say we all feel illuminated

[@fabiomorich]

Super cool 🛋

[@yodo7661]

Great content

[@lia_pryce]

Super cool stuff! I always enjoy your videos.

[@vatsal3535]

Pixar Jumping Lamp is the best lamp placement ever. 😆

[@impatrickt]

worst

[@vatsal3535]

@@impatrickt Exactly 🤣

[@vatsal3535]

@@impatrickt yo! How about a movie essay on Endgame/Infinity war, or jhon wick series, or even DUNE !? 🤔

[@LeeZavitz]

Practicals ftw

[@TySPAID]

Speaking of Movie Lamps: One of the horror shorts I made had a lamp on the toilet. Didn't make any sense... but boy did it look cool.

[@DeanReynoldsMusic]

Great observation dude!

[@impatrickt]

Thanks!

[@JoshuaTimothy]

That ending conspiracy scene 🤣. Anyways, great video. I loved the format and information. That looks like it was a fun project to work on.

[@benjamincorteslyon6777]

The goal is knowing to hide those lamps. Love this video. At the beginning 1:27, in Tom Cruise scene, some change on exposure happened.

[@impatrickt]

I lit up the lights all over this video so you could see them

[@jgates]

I’m going to add more lamps to every room in my house now. Thanks.

[@impatrickt]

Your life will be much better. I promise.

[@BennettEller]

Amazing breakdown and serious eye opening take on what that little extra adds to the scene. 👍

[@mr_gingersnap]

I don't understand all the hype in the comments about lamps. This is going to sound a bit harsh because I can see that Patrick put a lot of work into this but this is just nine minutes and eleven seconds of Patrick stating the obvious. He's just explaining how light is an element if filmmaking and describing the use of light in relation to when I lamp shows up in a film as part of their set choices. Patrick makes a great analysis of the use of light by pealing back the curtain a bit to show the viewer the many different ways all these shots utilize and/or don't utilize light as an element of creating a film but...I mean...it's not really an original thought that an everyday object that also creates light would be in a lot of movies because of anything unique. It's light.

[@impatrickt]

what a moronic comment

[@mckkryz]

havent enjoyed a video that much for a long time!

[@IandeNoronha]

What an incredible observation! Great video as always, PT. I love lamp too

[@22th_era]

Dude I love the cinematography of the show euphoria it really inspires me

[@impatrickt]

it can be a pit pretentious at times but there's some cool shots