Hands-On Guide to Flash Video

CHAPTER 4

Lighting the Set

Without question, lighting is the single most important determinant of streaming quality. Shoot a well-lit scene with a consumer camcorder, or a poorly lit scene with the latest highdef wonder, and the consumer camcorder will win every time. Fortunately, while lighting can be challenging, a little knowledge and some determined effort can go a long way. This chapter provides the former; I’ll count on you for the latter.

I’ll start with a brief look at the history of lighting, and then describe the optimal procedures for lighting for streaming, including a brief look at the requirements for shooting for chroma key. Along the way, I’ll describe how to use the zebra stripes on your camcorder to determine when you’ve got ...