Symbolisation of Chiaroscuro

In my short film, I wanted to use the lighting technique Chiaroscuro for multiple reasons. 

Firstly, in my film there is a clear division between external beauty and unattractiveness. This is represented through many things. I wanted to convey this through camera shots, sound, editing and Mise en scene. Regarding this message I want to highlight, I thought I could interpret these feelings through many more things. 

One of the many reasons I am using Chiaroscuro is because its a metaphoric sign of beauty and ghastliness. This is because the beauty lights things up and can be appeared to be heavenly. The opposite to this, is the darkness and how it signals an ugly twisted exterior. Furthermore, this is not all what is being implied. In my short film, I am implying these bitter characteristics through exterior and interior; hence the choice of using a voiceover (this will express Zara's thoughts very quickly). 

However, the Chiaroscuro is split in half, as the object in the frame is 50% lit and 50% dark. This may be a symbol of how they both should be equal but overall the lit part of the object will always draw more attention. The dark proportion is hiding something and therefore us viewers will not know what is hiding beneath.

There seems to be a clear fascination in the mysterious wicked things in life and I myself find it hard not to want to know more when it comes to disturbing events. I feel as if we all want to know whats hiding when it comes to these disturbing occurrences. e.g. psychopaths.

Conrad's vision is so dark that we're not even sure he fully trusts light. As Marlow says, "sunlight can be made to lie, too".  This was said by a film lighting producer who was inspired by Chiaroscuro for a film.

This portrays how in my short film the "lit" character may not evidently appear how she has been made out to be by her appearance. The character Zara doesn't fail to point out Ivy's many flaws (as obscure as they seem).