Why is Metropolis so dark?

[Colossal Spoons]

The place looks more and more like Gotham City from the 90s Batman movies ever week. Anybody who gets mugged or shot there shouldn't be surprised

 

[SV Fan]

not sure if there is any truth to this but I heard it's cheaper filming dark scenes, or at least it's easier to pull off stuff cheaper when the lighting is darker(ie it's harder to notice things in the background when it dark so you can sort of skimp on props there)

It's also less time consuming if you not worrying about little things in the background.

 

[Syncos]

Because people generally get mugged or attacked at night. And not in broad daylight.

Note that it's not supervillains robbing banks in sunny metropolis that Clark is stopping. it's regular muggers and thieves. His day of having clean streets besides the people who dare mess with Superman are still a little ways away.

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

pre-Superman Metropolis was never really a nice place.

 

[Webhead2006]

well they do their share of day and night scenes. But really night scenes do work best for their current blur look and all that.

 

[Prison Mike]

I think having Metropolis be so dark is kind of a metaphor for a city without Superman right now. As soon as Clark puts on the suit and takes to the sky, the clouds will open up and Metropolis will be bright once again. Was that too cheesy?

 

[Webhead2006]

yea that is best metaphor to go with i say mike.

 

[spawnjack01]

not sure if there is any truth to this but I heard it's cheaper filming dark scenes, or at least it's easier to pull off stuff cheaper when the lighting is darker(ie it's harder to notice things in the background when it dark so you can sort of skimp on props there)

It's also less time consuming if you not worrying about little things in the background.

One can only speculate but I think that is the main reason. It's also a common way to hide that it's been filmed on a set and not on location.
Metropolis looked much more impressive in earlier seasons, in day as well as night scenes.


On location scenes also offers wider spaces which makes it feel more of a city of tomorrow, which in my mind is very characteristic of Metropolis. I miss how busy Metropolis used to be. Now the streets (especially at night) are almost empty of people, as well as traffic.

To quote Catwoman in Hush while in Metropolis: "Does it ever get dark in this city? Even at night, it's lit up like it's important or something"

But one have to give them credit for not using as much of that same block-corner-set that they used almost exclusively in season 8.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

pre-Superman Metropolis was never really a nice place.

Ah ha, didn't know that. I only know Metropolis from the comics and the Superman cartoon and it's such a nice and sunny place. Pretty much the diametric opposite of Gotham.

 

[spawnjack01]

I only know Metropolis from the comics and the Superman cartoon

What more is there? Except the movies, but that goes without saying...

 

[Colossal Spoons]

Yeah, the movies. Movie Metropolis is somewhere in between

 

[elgaz]

Metropolis in Smallville is definitely a much darker and more gritty place than the Metropolis we saw in any of the Superman movies or even Lois & Clark : TNAS

 

[Asteroid-Man]

I think its cause we don't have Superman yet. Eventually, Metropolis is the Golden City, even at night!!! (See Hush Vol. 1)

 

[Webhead2006]

oh i totally miss the location shooting in downtown Vancour from seasons 1-6. It sucks between 7-now with all the budget slashing they stopped doing more location stuff an did more set filming and all that. Even though i miss it i do say they made good looking street sets to use.

 

[SV Fan]

oh i totally miss the location shooting in downtown Vancour from seasons 1-6. It sucks between 7-now with all the budget slashing they stopped doing more location stuff an did more set filming and all that. Even though i miss it i do say they made good looking street sets to use.

I am a big fan of location shooting but I started to notice them cutting down on it around S5(and getting progressively less and less seasons after)

 

[spawnjack01]

I am a big fan of location shooting but I started to notice them cutting down on it around S5(and getting progressively less and less seasons after)

This is to me a sadder consequent of the budget slashing than the sfx getting hit. But maybe it's also a factor that they're in Metropolis so much now. The city used to be like a guest star on the show, so when it did appear, they were able to put more time and money on it, making the scenes special.

 

[spawnjack01]

I think its cause we don't have Superman yet. Eventually, Metropolis is the Golden City, even at night!!! (See Hush Vol. 1)

To my knowledge, Metropolis has always been like that. The population of the whole world was more pessimistic and in need for a hero to lift up hope for in all of us. But the city itself has always been grand, even before Superman's arrival. At least in infrastructure.

Even back in the George Reeves-days, the city was so grand and big it wasn't hard for a mild-manned reporter to disappear from peoples notice.

 

[Webhead2006]

well the one plus side of have street sets on their back lot is they can control more things, and destroy/rebuild building facials. Compared to using real places in vancour and not able to destroy city property.

 

[Hush]

If you read Superman: Secret Origin (very good by the way) you begin to see how Metropolis was it was just kinda a trashy place with really big buildings and Lex Luthor made it his home, then you have Superman come in and every one gets hopefull and employment rises and thievery is slowed. Kinda cool how one man changed the city.