Entertainment
X-Files Spent A Small Fortune To Create The Series’ Most Iconic Images
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
What do you think are the most iconic images related to The X-Files? Honestly, my vote would probably go to that old Rolling Stone cover where Mulder and Scully are in bed together (yes, I had the poster in my childhood bedroom and no, I won’t be answering any questions). If I had to pick images from the show, though, I’d probably go with the countless shots of these plucky FBI agents shining their flashlights down dark corridors. The X-Files was basically a horror show already, and whenever the flashlights came out, I’d sit on the edge of my seat, waiting for some creepy critter to pop out of the shadows.
While Mulder and Scully were always tracking down weird, paranormal phenomena, the flashlights themselves sometimes seemed supernatural. After all, those things were far brighter than anything you can buy at a local store. In fact, they often seemed brighter than the brightest car headlights. The lights were so bright that you might be forgiven for thinking they were a special effect. They weren’t CGI or anything, but they were so expensive that they might as well have been. You see, starting in the Season 2 episode “Sleepless,” The X-Files began using specialized flashlights that cost a small fortune, but the visual effect on the screen is absolutely priceless.
Lights, Camera, Aliens
So, some of you are likely reading this right now and asking a very straightforward question: “what’s so special about the flashlights in The X-Files?” To best understand the answer, try turning off all the lights and record yourself shining a flashlight in the room. For most flashlights, you don’t really see the actual beam of light. Instead, you just see the area you are pointing at lighting up. However, The X-Files famously has scene after scene where Mulder and Scully are shining their flashlights, and we see very distinct beams of light that stretch into the ominous darkness, creating some of the series’ most iconic shots.
How did the X-Files crew achieve this effect? By throwing money at the problem, of course! Starting with the Season 2 episode “Sleepless,” the crew began using special Xenon flashlights. They were purchased at the insistence of episode director Rob Bowman, who (according to the special features on the Season 2 DVD set) wanted to “have plenty of exposure in absolute blackness.” It worked better than the director could have dreamed of, with each device creating its own very distinct tunnel of light. The result was a beautiful visual effect, but it didn’t come cheap. These flashlights cost a cool $7500, and they could very easily be broken.
Mulder, Scully, And…Tin Foil?
This was money well spent, as the sight of Mulder and Scully regularly shining those tunnels of light into the darkness became one of The X-Files’ signature images. However, there was just one problem: the lights were so bright that they transformed the actors into silhouettes. For the climax of “Sleepless,” Bowman found a solution: he’d crumple up pieces of tinfoil and put them around the darkened set. The crumpling diffused the reflection, allowing the director to softly light the actors’ faces as needed. “The actors were able to, while they’re searching around, just hit that piece of foil and get a little exposure on their face,” Bowman said.
Mulder always insisted that “the truth is out there.” Now, you X-Philes have the truth of exactly how the show created its most iconic visual effect. Those Xenon flashlights cost a small fortune. To put this in ‘90s terms, they cost as much as 2.5 of the spiffiest uniforms on Star Trek: The Next Generation. But the investment was worth it because these lights transformed even the simplest scenes into something dramatic and foreboding. Onscreen, Mulder was always hoping that his own flashlight would reveal an alien. Offscreen, though, we now know another truth: that David Duchovny spent most of these scenes lighting up crumpled pieces of tinfoil!