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Motion Picture and Video Lighting
for cinematographers, gaffers and lighting technicians
by Blain Brown
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Book Presentation:
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
About the Author:
Blain Brown was educated at C.W. Post College, MIT, 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; Cinematography; and The Filmmaker's Pocket Reference. His work can be seen at www.BlainBrown.com.
Press Reviews:
".Motion Picture and Video Lighting is accompanied by a terrific DVD that contains hours of lighting demos, interviews, on-set footage and visual illustrations of concepts introduced in the text. An appendix containing such useful information as international plug-and-socket types, tips for operating brute arcs and typical lighting orders for low- and big-budget films finishes off a volume that deserves to earn a place in every young cinematographer's library." -Jim Hemphill, American Cinematographer Magazine
"A remarkable achievement. This is a brilliant combination of technical information and inventive ideas as well as an enriching chronicle of the evolution of lighting; The knowledge you need to excel in a fast advancing, creative world mentored by one of our industry's true experts." - Armand Gazarian, Director of Photography - IATSE Local 600
"A great upgrade to the best lighting book on the market. Blain has expanded his earlier edition to include the latest lighting equipment as well as present video possibilities and concerns." - Rick Wise, Director of Photography / Lighting Instructor at the graduate division of the San Francisco Academy of Art University
"From 'Light and Shadow--Good and Evil' to the seemingly simple key concept about HD: 'Do not overexpose,' this book embraces our history and educates us about our future. Once again Blain Brown informs the professional as well as the student in the second edition of his glorious book." -Judy Irola, ASC, Conrad Hall Chair in Cinematography, and Head of Cinematography at USC School of Cinematic Arts
"This book is truly the most outstanding, practical, and highly useful guide to film and video lighting I have come across in many, many years." -James L. Moody, head of the technical theatre program for the Theatre Academy at Los Angeles City College
Praise for the first edition: "From the opening pages, I knew I was going to love this book. It is gourmet reading for the lighting connoisseur - a feast for those of us who love chiaroscuro, lightness, and dark." - Bill Miller, Video Systems magazine
"A remarkable achievement. This is a brilliant combination of technical information and inventive ideas as well as an enriching chronicle of the evolution of lighting; The knowledge you need to excel in a fast advancing, creative world mentored by one of our industry's true experts."
―Armand Gazarian, Director of Photography; IATSE Local 600
"A great upgrade to the best lighting book on the market. Blain has expanded his earlier edition to include the latest lighting equipment as well as present video possibilities and concerns."
―Rick Wise, Director of Photography / Lighting Instructor at the graduate division of the San Francisco Academy of Art University
"'Lighting is to film what music is to Opera' - DeMille's quote, which is so eloquent and true today. Lighting is hard to learn from a book, but Brown continues to teach this with updates on Motion Picture and Video Lighting. His chapters on controlling light are right on, and his images allow the viewer to imitate them - something we all do! Maybe most engrossing is his history of lights, gaslight, limelight (limestone), BrutArcs, all dangerous but gorgeous. And Blade Runner, who knew? A breakthrough of what was to come."
―Judy Irola, ASC, Professor Emerita, USC School of Cinematic Arts
"From the opening pages, I knew I was going to love this book. It is gourmet reading for the lighting connoisseur - a feast for those of us who love chiaroscuro, lightness, and dark. Author Blain Brown goes to great lengths to make this book as much about video as about film. Whenever he discusses a film technique, he makes sure to cover how it should apply to video as well."
―Bill Miller, Video Systems Magazine
"Written by a professional in the field, this comprehensive book reveals inside information based on years of experience and explores the challenges faced by cinematographers, lighting directors, gaffers and grips. Whether the reader is professional or a student, this book will be a useful reference."
―Lighting and Sound International
"...book has made the biggest impact on my career of all the resources I used to get where I am. And while I have absorbed many, many books, tapes and met several of my heroes who have helped me, I credit your book with giving met he confidence to 'just do it' these last few years and reach this level. Furthermore, your book is the one book that I recommend to young, aspiring people who want to learn our craft..."
―Dane Lawing, DP
"This book is truly the most outstanding, practical, and highly useful guide to film and video lighting I have come across in many, many years."
―James L. Moody, Head of the Technical Theatre Program for the Theatre Academy at Los Angeles City College
See the publisher website: Routledge
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