We can't shoot good pictures without good lighting, no matter how good
the newest cameras are. Shooting under available light gives exposure,
but lacks depth, contrast, contour, atmosphere and often separation. The
story could be the greatest in the world, but if the lighting is poor
viewers will assume it's amateurish and not take it seriously. Feature
films and TV shows, commercials and industrial videos, reality TV and
documentaries, even event and wedding videos tell stories. Good lighting
can make them look real, while real lighting often makes them look fake.
Lighting for Cinematography, the first volume in the new CineTech
Guides to the Film Crafts series, is the indispensable guide for film
and video lighting. Written by veteran gaffer and cinematographer David
Landau, the book helps the reader create lighting that supports the
emotional moment of the scene, contributes to the atmosphere of the
story and augments an artistic style. Structured to mimic a 14 week
semester, the chapters cover such things as lighting for movement,
working with windows, night lighting, lighting the three plains of
action and non-fiction lighting. Every chapter includes stills, lighting
diagrams and key advice from professionals in the field, as well as
lighting exercises to help the reader put into practice what was
covered.