I'm in the screenwriting phase of my film, my first attempt at 16mm film as part of a school final. My script calls for a large black room representing the mind of my main character. The character will be lit overhead, interrogation style. This isn't important however.

What is important is that this character sees a figure IN the darkness. I visualize this figure as a thinly outlined human figure. Thus this would require the use of backlight, but how do I keep the backlight from overspilling. I really only want a thin white outline of the figure, nothing else.

Furthermore, the figure opens its mouth, letting light spill out from it. How can I achieve this? We cannot use digital edit/effects. Everything is analog/live. Are there small lights than one can place in your mouth?

Keep in mind that I must shoot on 16mm film with a Bolex. Any advice is greatly appreciated. If you can point out how to light a room so it appears dark, almost black (I want the room to appear endless) yet believable, that would be great as well.

Thank you!

I just did a version of this myself, though without the light/outline. It'll be online soon so you can see for yourself, but here's what I did:
I borrowed some black photo curtains from my school. (I'm sure you can get them at any photo supply store) Then I put up some hooks on the top of the wall near the ceiling (I never shot up towards the ceiling) and sealed off the room. I also blacked out the windows with some black fabric we had laying around. I was shooting with a digital camera, so my lighting was obviously very different- I had a single flourescent bulb lighting the scene, but keep in mind that it was a small room as well, and it was supposed to mimic a colored neon light.
Obviously the film/digital difference makes this post basically moot, but I'll tell you one thing I learned that will apply to you- keep it dark. I underlit just a tad and then bumped up the color in post. It really looks like my character is sitting in some neverending black space. If it's too bright, you'll be able to see that it's a curtain and ruin it.

As for the silhouette, I can't really help you there, but I'd imagine it would take a light source that allows you to vary brightness and scope of the light emitted, so you can play with the way the light looks. And I wouldn't recommend putting anything electical in anyone's mouth.

http://qt.frozenphoenixproductions.com/jerrynew.mov

We lit this with one fresnel ellipsoidal 35 degree I think and the room extends only about another 6 feet behind the actor. Looks endless. We added reverb to increase the notion that the room was bigger than it really was.

You'll also want to increase the contrast in post if you have a way of doing this, to obliterate shadowy figures in the background, which might turn up because of the dynamic range of film.

The most important thing in lighting a black room is to not light it. Just one light on the back of the man should do for a silhouette. Nothing should be more than a few degrees off of perpendicular from the ground.

In terms of lighting the actor's mouth, I suggest you look into these.
http://www.bewild.com/moutglow.html

its not possible to have a fresnel ellipsoidal

...Yes XeOn it is. Ellipsoidal is the curvature of the reflector in the back of the light. The front lens element is a fresnel to ensure even distribution of light over the spot radius.

Four years of high school tech crew...maybe good for something?

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