History Main / StopMotionLighting

Related to LightningReveal, DramaticThunder, LightFlickerTeleportation, and possibly ThunderShock.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* One of the more famous scenes in ''Anime/MacrossDoYouRememberLove'' is the duel between Max and Miria, which eventually takes them inside the airlock of a Meltrandi warship. They shoot out all the interior lights through stray bullets, and the rest of the battle is only illuminated by brief flashes from BulletSparks or sparks caused by the two Mecha crashing into each other.
[[/folder]]

* Done beautifully in book three of ''ComicBook/{{Bone}}'' when Fone Bone, Thorn and Gran'ma Ben are on the run from the rat creatures in the middle of a storm. Lighting flashes light up the otherwise pitch black backgrounds, giving brief glimpses of the rat creature horde closing in, as well as [[spoiler: when the Red Dragon appears and chases them away.]]

[[folder:Film — Animated]]

[[folder:Film — Live-Action]]
* In ''Clownhouse'', one of the antagonists is shown passing by one of the protagonists while a lightbulb flickers.
* ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' features Batman jumping a {{Mook}} as gunshots illuminate his approach.
* ''Film/{{Equilibrium}}''. First fight scene is illuminated entirely by muzzle flashes from the protagonist's pistols.

* In ''Coils'' by Creator/RogerZelazny and Creator/FredSaberhagen, in one scene an assassin is approaching a telepath while Donald, the protagonist, ends up observing the scene through the telepath's eyes. Donald tries to delay the assassin [[ItsALongStory by making the household electronics run amok and flickering the lights]], the telepath gives the assassin a heartache, but the flashes still show him staggering toward his victim.

* ''Series/AgentsOfShield'': The episode "Uprising" features a climactic shootout in a blacked out room lit by a flickering generator. Cue a delightful montage of {{Mooks}} getting their asses kicked.

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E10Blink "Blink"]] does not show the [[CantMoveWhileBeingWatched Weeping Angels]] actually moving on-screen, so the scene where they attack Sally and Larry in the basement while draining power from the flickering light has this effect.
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E5FleshAndStone "Flesh and Stone"]], again featuring the Weeping Angels, has the [[MuzzleFlashlight gunshots-in-a-dark-room]] version.
* ''Series/DueSouth'' featured a gunfight in a dark hallway during the series finale. The only time the characters could be seen was when they were illuminated by one of the ([[ATeamFiring many]]) gunshots.
* ''Series/TheMandalorian'': In the episode "The Prisoner", Mando sneaks up behind Mayfeld down a long corridor with flickering lights, and with each flicker he gets closer... and ''[[MookHorrorShow closer]]''...
* In ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', ''Checkmate'', there is an epic one when Clark breaks down the doors of a chamber where Chloe is BoundAndGagged, beat up the agents and catch a bullet in front of Chloe's face while the scene flashes due to a power breach.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' module I10 ''Ravenloft II The House on Gryphon Hill''. At the conclusion of the adventure the {{PC}}s are desperately trying to stop the Creature from achieving his goal. They are forced to follow it through a thunderstorm, where the only illumination is from strokes of lightning. Each flash reveals a specific scene.

* [[DoubleSubversion Double-subverted]] in the NES version of ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden 2'' in stage 3-1; [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I4_XNaYv_4#t=29s you can see the characters, and some of the background, continuously, but the level itself and the enemies are only visible during lightning strikes.]]
* In the fifth case of ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'', [[spoiler:Ema Skye witnesses a fight scene between Prosecutor Neil Marshall and serial killer Joe Darke during the SL-9 Incident]]. With the power out and the room pitch black, [[spoiler:a particular flash of lightning illuminates a scene that is burned into Ema's mind. After the fight (and the prosecutor's subsequent murder), she draws a picture of the scene]], which turns out to be instrumental in finding the true culprit two years later.
* Used on Day 2 of ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSisterLocation''. You have to restart the power in a tiny, cramped room with the Funtime Freddy animatronic, who will try and get close enough to [[DeadlyEuphemism give you a surprise]]. You have to periodically stop working and play a recorded message that will pacify Freddy, and the only source of light flickers constantly to add to the UncannyValley factor of Freddy's movements.
* One of the trailers for ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilOperationRaccoonCity'' has the [[VillainProtagonist operatives]] chasing a heavily bleeding survivor. They track him into a poorly lit building... and run into the horde of zombies feasting on dead bodies (presumably including the erstwhile survivor). Their confrontation is shown with close-ups of each operative being illuminated by flashes of gunfire as they pull a fighting retreat.

* On one ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' short, Sylvester makes a formula for making a PersonalRaincloud to use on the dog guarding Tweety. But then he spills it and the room is darkened by the resulting cloud. Outside, the windows are dark, but the flashes of lightning occasionally show a fleeing Sylvester.
* Several episodes of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', including "Homerpalooza", where (in a flashback) we see teenagers installing a strobe into the back of their car. They turn it on and dance to music - the rest of the scene is shown as a series of stills as the light comes on and off, spoofing a similar scene in ''Film/DazedAndConfused''.
* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheTick'' had The Deadly Bulb attack in darkness, where we only saw several freeze-framed images when his lightbulb-head flashed in the darkness.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' eposode "Ready, Willing And Disabled": while fighting during the night over the money, Meg, Chris and Stewie are occasionally seen only while there's lightning. And while most of the flashes show them fighting, one reveals them dressed and posing for an "old timey" photo.

* Several episodes of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', including one where (in a flashback) we see teenagers installing a strobe into the back of their car. They turn it on and dance to music - the rest of the scene is shown as a series of stills as the light comes on and off.