Chasing the perfect sunset: Visuals and lighting
Chapter 1
Choreographing on a highway: The opening number
Chapter 2
Chasing the perfect sunset: Visuals and lighting
Chapter 3
Striking the right chord: Music and jazz
Chapter 4
The bittersweet ending: Reality versus fantasy
Ch 2 · Chasing the perfect sunset: Visuals and lighting
diego La La Land Sunset Visuals
We chased the sunset high up Griffith Park, one single take before the sky turned dark!
diego The production temporarily revived a historic, closed Los Angeles railway for a brief romantic scene.
Fun Fact
Magic hour: The tap dance scene was shot in a real 30-minute sunset window, giving the crew only five attempts per day.
Glossary
magic hour (noun)
The period of time just before sunset or after sunrise when natural light is particularly soft and warm. In 2015, cinematographer Linus Sandgren filmed the iconic Griffith Park dance sequence during this brief daily window.
The period of time just before sunset or after sunrise when natural light is particularly soft and warm. In 2015, cinematographer Linus Sandgren filmed the iconic Griffith Park dance sequence during this brief daily window.
Quiz
How many times per day could the actors attempt the 'A Lovely Night' dance before the light faded?
Quiz
How long was the daily 'magic hour' window available to film the tap dance sequence 'A Lovely Night'?
Quiz
Which color palette did director Damien Chazelle emphasize to give the film its vintage Technicolor aesthetic?
Quiz
What vintage piece of equipment was used to project the stars in the planetarium scene?