History Main / DramaticSpotlight

[[AC:{{Theater}}]]

* Two of the songs in ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]'' feature this trope: "Winter Wrap Up" in the episode of the same name, and "Find a Pet" in "May the Best Pet Win!".

* The ending to the ''DextersLaboratory'' episode [[MusicalEpisode "LABretto"]]

* During the Curse of the Golden Banana song-and-dance in DOnkeyKongCountry, a spotlight appears on Cranky as he tells DK, "The curse will bring the destruction of the entire island, and there'll be no bananas left for you to eat!"

* There were quite a few dramatic spotlights in ''{{Chicago}}'' ({{justified|Trope}}, as the film switched back and forth from real life to stage production where spotlights would be expected).

* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': "Tip of the Day" - Candace gets one during the Aglet song. They bring up the lights as she begins ranting about how it doesn't matter that the end of a shoelace is called an Aglet. [[hottip:*: (but not [[RunningGag that their]] [[JusticeLeague true purpose is sinister)]]]]

This trope is found in most media, including animation, where no physical lights are involved. It has existed for longer than even electrical stage lighting*[[the term 'in the limelight' comes from the pre-electric chemical method]], making it OlderThanRadio]], and can still claim to have both popularity and credibility. It is also a staple of FilmNoir; in film posters, often the Dick or some streetwalker would be standing under a street light, and everything else would be black.

This trope is found in most media, including animation, where no physical lights are involved. It has existed for as long as there has been electrical stage lighting, making it OlderThanTelevision, and can still claim to have both popularity and credibility. It is also a staple of FilmNoir; in film posters, often the Dick or some streetwalker would be standing under a street light, and everything else would be black.

* During the Archives bit of ''AmnesiaTheDarkDescent'', there is a (barely) playable flashback from when Daniel first laid hands on an Orb, during the expedition in Algeria. There is a pedestal with the Orb on it, in a circle of light. Everything else is darkness.

* In an episode of ''TheSimpsons'' where Krusty reveals to the world he's Jewish, he asks for a spotlight, and the spotlight operator thinks he's doing a bit.

* There is a sequence like this in ''BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', in the episode where Baby Doll first appears.

* Happens during the song "Hakuna Matata" in ''[[Disney/{{TheLionKing}} The Lion King]]''.

Often worked into the CornerOfWoe. SuperTrope for NaturalSpotlight, where Mother Nature steps up to make the drama happen. '''Please note''' that a lot of examples from animated works are instances of Natural Spotlight more than of this trope.

* ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. Vampire Luke is beginning "The Harvest" on the stage of the Bronze, illuminated by a spotlight. Buffy, who's entered via a skylight, ends up getting into a fight with the vampire on the catwalk who's pointing it at him.

* Two of the songs in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' feature this trope: "Winter Wrap Up" in the episode of the same name, and "Find a Pet" in "May the Best Pet Win!".

* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': "Tip of the Day" - Candace gets one during the Aglet song. They bring up the lights as she begins ranting about how it doesn't matter that the end of a shoelace is called an Aglet. [[hottip:*:[[RunningGag and that their]] [[JusticeLeague true purpose is sinister]]]]

* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': "Tip of the Day" - Candace gets one during the Aglet song. They bring up the lights as she begins ranting about how it doesn't matter that the end of a shoelace is called an Aglet. [[hottip:*:[[RunningGag that their]] [[JusticeLeague true purpose is sinister]]]]

* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': "Tip of the Day" - Candace gets one during the Aglet song. They bring up the lights as she begins ranting about how it doesn't matter that the end of a shoelace is called an Aglet. [[hottip:*:[[RunningGag that their]]: [[JusticeLeague true purpose is sinister]]]]

* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': "Tip of the Day" - Candace gets one during the Aglet song. They bring up the lights as she begins ranting about how it doesn't matter that the end of a shoelace is called an Aglet. [[hottip:and:[[RunningGag that their]]: [[JusticeLeague true purpose is sinister]]]]

* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': "Tip of the Day" - Candace gets one during the Aglet song. They bring up the lights as she begins ranting about how it doesn't matter that the end of a shoelace is called an Aglet. [[hottip:and [[RunningGag that their]] [[JusticeLeague true purpose is sinister]]]]

* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': "Tip of the Day" - Candace gets one during the Aglet song. They bring up the lights as she begins ranting about how it doesn't matter that the end of a shoelace is called an Aglet. [[hottip:and [[RunningGag that their]] [[JusticeLeague true purpose is sinister]]

* Happens during the song "Hakuna Matata" in ''[Disney/{{TheLionKing}} The Lion King]''.

* Happens during the song "Hakuna Matata" in ''[The Lion King Disney/{{TheLionKing}}]''.

* Happens during the song "Hakuna Matata" in ''Disney/{{TheLionKing}}''.

->'''Dewey Finn:''' ''OK. It starts off...\\

-->--SchoolOfRock

[[quoteright:347:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic-RainbowDash-spotlight_5801.png]]
[[caption-width-right:347:[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Rainbow Dash]] has something important to sing.]]

[[caption-width-right:347:[[MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Rainbow Dash]] has something important to sing.]]

* Two of the songs in ''MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' feature this trope: "Winter Wrap Up" in the episode of the same name, and "Find a Pet" in "May the Best Pet Win!".

The closest thing you can find to a RealLife example of this is using a spotlight on a stage for [[SeriousBusiness delivering a speech]] or something similar. The Dramatic Spotlight very effectively creates a dramatic mood, and since it it so effective, it is also easy to misuse. If you have a poorly-written character whose troubles you haven't made the viewers care about, the Dramatic Spotlight isn't likely to make them start caring; it is likely to produce {{Narm}}. When PlayedForLaughs, however, there is a lot of humour to be found in deliberate overdramatization. {{Large Ham}}s thrive and flourish in this light.

[[caption-width-right:347:[[MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Rainbow Dash]] has something important to [[strike:say]] sing.]]

->'''Dewey Finn:''' ''OK. It starts off...
->...a dark stage,
->and then a beam of light,
->and you can see me and my guitar.''

* There were quite a few dramatic spotlights in ''{{Chicago}}'' ([[JustifiedTrope justified]], as the film switched back and forth from real life to stage production where spotlights would be expected).

[[AC:[[VideogameTropes Video Games]]]]
* During the Archives bit of ''[[AmnesiaTheDarkDescent Amnesia: The Dark Descent]]'', there is a (barely) playable flashback from when Daniel first laid hands on an Orb, during the expedition in Algeria. There is a pedestal with the Orb on it, in a circle of light. Everything else is darkness.

* Two of the songs in ''[[MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]'' feature this trope: "Winter Wrap Up" in the episode of the same name, and "Find a Pet" in "May the Best Pet Win!".

* There is a sequence like this in ''[[BatmanTheAnimatedSeries Batman: The Animated Series]]'', in the episode where Baby Doll first appears.
* Genie conjures several of these during his "Friend Like Me" song in Disney's ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}''.