History Main / LensFlare

* ''ComicBook/{{Transformers}}'' comic book colorist Josh Burcham is infamous for adding lens flare effects wherever possible.

* Used in episode 3 of ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'' in Beatrice and [[spoiler:Virgilia]]'s Myth Battle, when Beatrice summons a divine shield. See 4:22 of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT7poKqGiNE this video]].

* Used in the Hansel & Gretel arc of ''Anime/BlackLagoon'' as Hansel [[spoiler: finally notices the glare reflecting off the Hotel Moscow sniper teams' scopes after he's been fatally shot]].

* ''{{Transformers}}'' comic book colorist Josh Burcham is infamous for adding lens flare effects wherever possible.

* ''Series/{{Chernobyl}}''. When Lyudmilla and Vasily hug in hospital this trope happens, likely a visual shorthand for Lyudmilla getting irradiated by touching her husband, a Chernobyl first responder, who is in his "Walking Ghost" phase of Acute Radiation Syndrome and would die within days. Lyudmilla is actually pregnant and would lose her baby mere hours after giving birth. While she would later remarry and have another child, both of them would have health problems because of that single hug.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' was the first Zelda game to use real-time lens flare (the ending cutscene in ''Link's Awakening'' featured a faux lens flare in one shot). The flare effect is actually not programmed properly, as the lens flare will display even if the sun is blocked.
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'', the aliens glow which produces a lens flare. Because there is no cross hair while aiming you bow, this makes it easier to shoot them by lining up the circles of light.
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'' uses a more realistic hexagonal lens flare plus the darkening of the screen when the camera is pointed at the sun to better simulate the effects of a digital video camera (the image on a digital camera darkens when the camera is pointed at a bright light).

* ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' has a very noticeable lens flare in [[PalmtreePanic Emerald Coast]], some cutscenes, and when Sonic and Tails fly towards the sun in their plane, the Tornado, in Sky Chase Act 1.
* This is decently done for the opening animation in ''[[VideoGame/SonicAdvanceTrilogy Sonic Advance 2]]'', a Game Boy Advance game. The "camera" flies across the ocean before panning up to reveal an island. It continues to fly up, giving us a lens flare, then the title screen.

* ''VideoGame/SilentHill2:'' We see some superb flares in the HD remake when James is facing the camera with the flashlight attached to his jacket. %% Seen on Xbox %%

* ''VideoGame/TrailsSeries'':

* ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'': [[PlayingWithFire Phoenix Magnion]] produces plenty of these as he flies around the arena.
* ''VideoGame/MegaManLegends'': In the cutscene after Roll picks Mega Man up from the tower ruins, a lens flare is briefly seen just before the Flutter flies in front of the sun.

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* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': In the second episode, when Louis de Pointe du Lac beholds Lestat de Lioncourt with his new vampire eyes at the cemetery, the glare of the streetlight is so [[https://64.media.tumblr.com/b7e69f893e263a5da9c5631811aead91/f05e9938c2ec8c08-52/s540x810/8c9a7f870a8555ad848aa6b06651d6d41c9584b7.gif bright]] that it almost washes out Lestat's facial features.

* ''Series/{{Proof}}'' makes use of this for dramatic effect, usually whenever things are tending toward the supernatural.

* In the ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' episode [[Recap/SupernaturalS02E20WhatIsAndWhatShouldNeverBe "What Is And What Should Never Be" (S02, Ep20)]], lens flares are seen when Dean shines his flashlight at the camera as he and Sam explore a dark warehouse.
** In general, later seasons of ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' make use of lensflares to show when we're in a real setting and when we're not. Pay attention in particular to scenes in heaven--most if not all of the light sources have a very noticeable lensflare to them. Particularly apparent in season 10's "Inside Man," or so says this troper anyway.

* ''Series/{{FRINGE}}'': Creator/JJAbrams creation which uses Lens Flare frequently, especially during dark scenes.

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* There is always real lens flare around the spinners in ''Film/BladeRunner'' as the light on top of them is so bright. Invoked by the design team as they noted the lens flare made them seem more real and less like pieces of plastic flying around. Also by the same effects team that worked on Close Encounters.

* It's used in the opening of the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTheMovie2017'', which has a pegasus flying towards the direction of the sun. It's used a couple of other times and there's also a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crepuscular_rays crepuscular rays]] effect at one point.
* Lens flare is occasionally used in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra''.
* The effect is simulated in "Haleakala Sunrise" from ''WesternAnimation/TootAndPuddle'' when the title characters view a sunrise from near the top of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haleakal%C4%81 Haleakalā]] in Hawaii.
* In the ninth episode of ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks'', a ShowWithinAShow uses this trope heavily, likely as a parody of it.

* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVGroundZeroes'' and ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain'' uses them on a near-Abrams scale. Cutscenes are full of them but they actually tie in with the gameplay as well, letting you know if you have a light shining on you, which needless to say is not a good thing in a stealth game.

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* ''[[Series/WonderWoman1975 Wonder Woman]]'': The solution to one of the big concerns of the show. Previous live action {{Superhero}} shows had [[Series/TheAdventuresOfSuperman phone booths]], [[Series/Batman1966 Batpoles]], and [[Series/TheIncredibleHulk1977 ripping of clothes]]. None of those options were especially good for a gorgeous woman to do regularly in prime time. So Creator/LyndaCarter suggested the now iconic [[EverythingsBetterWithSpinning ballerina twirl]]. To do it cost effectively every week, they added the LensFlare.

* The unplanned version happens towards the end of {{Rockumentary}} ''Film/GimmeShelter'', as concert-goers at Altamont are walking past the camera in the dark while a spotlight shines in the background.

** ''Film/{{Super 8}}'': The amount of scenes ''don't'' have a lens flare could be counted with both hands. Oh yeah, also made by Abrams.

* ''Film/BlueIguana2018'' has an in-universe example. Paul keeps planning to make a movie, which, as he excitedly describes, which will have lots and lots of lens flare.