Cinematography: Theory and Practice

Filmspace; Visual Language; Lens Language; Camera Dynamics; Cinematic Continuity; Exposure; Color Theory; The Tools of Lighting; Lighting as Storytelling; Controlling Color; Optics; Filters; Video and High Definition; Image; Set Operations; Professional Formats

Blain Brown was educated at C.W. Post College; M.I.T. and Harvard Graduate School of Design. He began in New York as a commercial still photographer before starting in the film business. After working as a gaffer, be became a cinematographer doing primarily commercials and music videos.After completing his first feature film, he moved to Los Angeles where he has been Director of Photography on 14 feature films as well as national commercials, promotional films, industrials, music videos and documentaries. He has worked in many states in the U.S. as well as Mexico, Canada, India, Italy, France, the Philippines and Jordan.His experience includes 35mm and 16mm projects, as well as 24P High Def, DigiBeta, BetaSP and DV. He has completed projects as a director, editor and screenwriter; with three screenplays produced. He has also taught courses in storytelling and visual communication. As a Director of Photography specializing in features and commercials, he is now based in Los Angeles.His books include A Sense of Place; Motion Picture and Video Lighting and The Filmmaker's Pocket Reference. His work can be seen at www.BlainBrown.com.

"A gorgeous piece of work that bids to become a classic text on cinematography...Few books on cinematography meld aesthetics and pragmatics as deftly as this one." American Cinematographer "The gorgeous illustrations bring movies to life, and the modern approach that incorporates digital as well as film means that this book can be used for years to come." Judy Irola, ASC Head of Cinematography USC School of Cinematic Arts "The book is a wonderful, well-organized and knowledgable collection of all information a cinematographer may need. I recommend it highly." Andrew Laszlo, ASC "This book shows that there is more to the DP than holding the light meter--he needs to understand so much more about using photography to tell a story, create a mood, evoke an emotion. No other text I know of stresses this to this extent." Douglas C. Hart, First Camera Assistant, Instructor, and Author of The Camera Assistant "Blain Brown has created a masterpiece. Cinematography is the best reference book I have ever seen..the theories and practices revealed here will never go out of date. This is a "must have" book for anyone claiming to be a cinematographer that hasn't got at least two Academy Awards sitting on their mantle." - Rick Gerard, Creative Cow