Motion Picture and Video Lighting

This fully revised and updated fourth edition of Motion Picture and Video Lighting explores the technical, aesthetic, and practical aspects of lighting for film and video. It covers not only how to light, but also why. The process of lighting is emphasized, as well as practical techniques and visual storytelling with light.

Written by experienced filmmaker, film school teacher, and author Blain Brown, this book emphasizes how 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. It provides an indispensable, highly illustrated and comprehensive guide to making every scene look its best.

Key topics include:

• Lighting sources
• The lighting Process
• Lighting basics
• LEDs
• Controlling Light
• A Lighting Playbook
• Storytelling With Light
• Controlling Color
• Electricity and Distribution
• Gripology
• Set operations
• Technical Issues

This new edition has also been expanded to provide further guidance at the introductory level for students and those just starting in their careers.

A robust accompanying companion website also includes video tutorials and other resources for students and professionals alike.

Blain Brown has worked as a Director of Photography on feature films, commercials, industrials, music videos, and documentaries for over thirty years. His other books include The Filmmaker’s Guide to Digital Imaging (2014), The Basics of Filmmaking (2020), and Cinematography: Theory and Practice, 4th Edition (2021).