An Illuminating Conversation on the Power of Practical Film Lighting 🔦

We knew it would take a unique technical approach to light the aquatic spaceship featured in Out of This World in a way that would speak to the fluid character of Nebby the Alien, who can control light, so we enlisted the expertise of an outsider. (In other words, someone like us.)

Tyler Elich, who comes from the world of lighting design for live experiences – recent projects include the world tours of Bob Dylan, Janet Jackson, and Eddie Izzard – worked hand-in-hand with the film's lighting department and took practical lighting for the film to the next level, with the help of Vada Briceno on set. So today we're speaking with Tyler about his artistic and technical approach to lighting our spaceship and the power of light in film.

Hi Tyler! Thanks so much for chatting with us. You’re a lighting design expert coming from the live events space, a role we don’t usually see on film sets. Having worked on some of the biggest conventions and concerts, what parts of your background did you bring to this shoot to make it truly unique?

Tyler: I am a bit of an outsider in the film industry, but I have always been extremely interested in getting into filmmaking. I work a lot on broadcast and streaming as well, but working on film was surprisingly different and took me through a bit of a learning curve. For Out of This World, it was super important to me and the creative team that I bring new ways of lighting for camera that I know work really well in the live and broadcast worlds, but are not usually used in the film world. We wanted to give the film a real world look that can’t be achieved with CGI or other techniques. It was really exciting to bring in high end lighting consoles and fixtures that are normally intended for concert touring and use them to create something completely unique for this film!

Our spaceship does feel a little bit like a concert. What was your artistic and technical approach to using light to bring the spaceship to life?

Tyler: When researching films related to this project I noticed that a lot of the lighting is simplistic, maybe just a few wash fixtures hung around the room to light everything evenly. I wanted to use lots of individual fixtures to highlight key areas of the set and make certain items pop and other items recede to help tell our story. I was excited to bring in John Marovitch, a super creative out of the box thinker, who helped design some funky set pieces, like the “Pixel Tube Bed” and “Mylar Roll Wall”. Both of these effects were created by John and I just throwing around “wouldn't it be cool if…” ideas until we landed on some super cool, never before done, out of the box designs.

What do you wish more people understood about lighting design?

Tyler: My favorite thing about lighting is how much it can affect someone’s mood without them even realizing it. By just making some subtle changes to color temperature, angle and intensity, I can make you feel warm and loved, cold and uncomfortable, or tense. Just making small changes to lighting in your home or office can have a HUGE effect on your mood and how you interact with others. When I walk into an office with fluorescent lights it drives me absolutely crazy, I have to leave.

Looking back, what advice would you give to your younger self or a younger person trying to break into your field?

Tyler: If you find a passion for lighting and storytelling at a young age, like I did, stick with it. You can totally make a career out of it, despite others telling you to “get a real job”. For someone trying to break into the field, ask TONS of questions when you are on a new set or project. Don’t be afraid to show what you don’t know. I would much rather work with someone new who has a passion to learn then someone who’s an industry veteran. Also, don’t be afraid to reach out to well established people, like me, and ask questions or even ask to come to a live set and learn. I got started by taking any job in lighting that came my way, no matter how tedious, and I learned so much from so many amazing people.

And, of course, do you believe in aliens?

Tyler: Absolutely! Growing up I was (and still am) obsessed with Star Trek and that grew my fascination for anything space related. My biggest dream is to one day go to space myself, and hopefully meet some real life aliens!!

You can borrow our spaceship anytime! Any additional thoughts about your time on set?

Tyler: Working with the creative team on Out of This World has been an amazing experience I will remember forever. From the first time I read the script I knew I was hooked on such an amazing story, and I am so grateful that the team took the chance on bringing in an industry outsider. I learned so much and I am super excited to work on my next film, whatever that may be...

Check out some art and artists that inspired the film’s mood board!

Did you know that Nebby can see people’s auras? HALO Auragraphic’s aura photography reads the human energy field through a specialized photographic process taken on analog film! What energy and color does your aura give off to the universe?