Which lighting technique uses very unnatural angles to create an eerie effect, often used in ghost stories?

The technique that utilizes very unnatural angles to produce an eerie effect commonly seen in ghost stories is bottom lighting. This approach involves casting light from below the subject, which can dramatically alter the way features are perceived. This unnatural lighting direction can create unsettling shadows and distort the appearance, contributing to an atmosphere of suspense or fear. The effect is particularly compelling in theatrical settings where the goal is to evoke an emotional response from the audience, enhancing the supernatural themes often found in ghost stories.

Other lighting techniques serve different purposes: uplights generally create a dramatic effect by illuminating from the ground up, side lighting can help define shapes and textures prominently without creating that eerie presence, while backlight aims to silhouette the subject against a brighter background, shedding light on the outline rather than the details of the character. This emphasizes different aspects of performance but does not specifically target the eerie, unsettling impact that bottom lighting achieves.