Motion Picture and Video Lighting (PDF)

Lighting is at the heart of filmmaking. The image, the mood, and the visual impact of a film are, to a great extent, determined by the skill and sensitivity of the director of photography in using lighting. Motion Picture and Video Lighting explores technical, aesthetic, and practical aspects of lighting for film and video. It covers not only how to light, but also why.

This revised edition of Motion Picture and Video Lighting is the indispensable guide to film and video lighting. Written by an experienced professional, this comprehensive book explores light and color theory, equipment, and techniques to make every scene look its best, and is heavily illustrated throughout.

Three new chapters discuss best practices of using light to benefit your film, and an extensive appendix includes discussion on additional tips and tricks. In addition, a robust companion website includes up-to-date video tutorials and other resources for students and professionals alike.

Three new chapters:

• Scene Lighting


• Lighting as Storytelling


• Controlling Light

Topics include:

• Lighting sources


• The lighting process


• Lighting basics


• LED, tungsten, Kino-Flo, HMI, and plasma lights


• Methods of controlling light


• Planning your lighting


• The basic methods: a lighting playbook


• Visual storytelling with light


• Understanding and controlling color


• Terminology


• Electricity and distribution


• Gripology


• Set operations


• The team: DP, gaffer, grips, lighting technicians


• Technical issues


• Lighting for greenscreen/bluescreen


• Typical equipment orders for large and small jobs


• Lighting for high speed and macro photography


• Lighting plans for small, medium, and large films