How Rian Johnson and Cinematographer Steve Yedlin Use Natural Light to Create a Gothic Atmosphere in Wake Up Dead Man
Rian Johnson’s upcoming film, Wake Up Dead Man, the third entry in the acclaimed Knives Out series, introduces a distinctly gothic and moody aesthetic. Johnson emphasizes that this new tone, characterized by a different color palette, significantly influenced the filmmaking process. Collaborating closely with cinematographer Steve Yedlin, he notes that Wake Up Dead Man relies more heavily on lighting than its predecessors.
“Early on, you had this idea of the light changing a lot,” Yedlin explains. “We feel the clouds coming in front of the sun and all these different changes within scenes.” This dynamic lighting approach serves to accentuate character interactions, particularly within the film’s Catholic church setting, where backlighting highlights moments of clarity, while darker scenes convey a sense of despair.
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Johnson reflects on his childhood in Colorado, where rapidly changing weather profoundly shaped his visual storytelling. “You’d be having a conversation in the living room with your family, and suddenly it would be like God turned the lights out—things go from very sunny to very dark,” he shares. “This notion of getting theatrical with natural light shifts is something you don’t see very often in movies.”
One standout scene illustrates this lighting technique effectively: when Detective Blanc (Daniel Craig) and Father Jud (Josh O’Connor) discuss faith. Yedlin notes, “The moment when the sun comes out behind Jud during his speech was particularly striking.”
Another memorable use of light occurs during a night scene featuring a strobe light effect. Johnson describes a “freak-out sequence” designed to evoke a nightmarish atmosphere. “It was so fun because Steve rigged it and gave me essentially a video game controller, so I could sit at the monitor and trigger all these lights,” he recalls. “I’d start mashing buttons and then realize certain combos could do certain things.”
Johnson often refers to “theatrical realism” when discussing his films, and Yedlin recognizes the challenge in striking the right balance. “We’re trying to create something that feels really big and theatrical, but not in a fake, movie-light way,” Yedlin states. He elaborates on the variety in lighting throughout the film: “We have day, night, dusk, dawn, and different versions, like first dawn and then after dawn when the orange sun streams in.”
For a deeper exploration of these themes and insights, viewers can watch the full conversation in the video above.
