This scene was inspired by a photo of two neighbors sharing a meal together on their respective balconies during the Covid lockdown. Although I was never able to find the photo again in the years since I saw it, the emotions it inspired stuck with me very clearly. To convey this theme of finding ways to connect in spite of a larger context, I wanted to use the lighting in the street below to elongate the feeling of deep space both vertically and on the z axis - and narrow the distance horizontally by having light spill from one balcony to the other.

To overcome the challenge this environment presented in how busy its elements are, I used motivated lighting from the practicals/apartment interiors to shape the forms of the foreground and give them dimension, while letting the small details of the background fall out of focus and out of contrast in the diffuse early evening light.