Lighting for Digital Video and Television, 2nd Edition

Lighting for Digital Video and Television, 2nd Edition

by John Jackman
Released January 2004
Publisher(s): Focal Press
ISBN: 9781136062933

Read it now on the O’Reilly learning platform with a 10-day free trial.

O’Reilly members get unlimited access to books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.

Start your free trial

Book description

Digital video students and enthusiasts must learn lighting fundamentals and techniques to enhance the visual quality of their work. Moreover, since lighting specifications for digital video differ significantly from those for analog video or film, professional videographers and cinematographers must learn how to adapt their lighting skills for this new digital medium to ensure that the final product meets broadcast standards.

This complete course in digital video and television lighting begins with how the human eye and the camera process light and color, progresses through the basics of equipment and setups, and culminates with practical lessons on how to solve common problems. It features clear illustrations and real-world examples that demonstrate proper equipment use, safety issues, and staging techniques. Detailed diagrams, figures, and photos illustrate techniques that enable novices to complete basic lighting setups. This new edition also features a 16-page color insert and new chapters on interview setups and lighting for low budgets.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Halftitle
  3. Title
  4. Copyright
  5. Table of Contents
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. Preface
  8. Chapter 1 Why is Lighting Important for Television and Video?
    1. Exposure and Contrast
    2. Beyond Basic Exposure
  9. Chapter 2 Human Vision, the Camera, and Exposure
    1. What You See
    2. What the Audience Sees
    3. What the Camera Sees
    4. The Legal Video Signal
    5. Proper Exposure
    6. Controlling Contrast
    7. Controlling Color
      1. The Kelvin Scale
  10. Chapter 3 Volts, Amps, and Watts
    1. Calculations
    2. Determine the Load
    3. Standard Service
    4. Standard Connectors
  11. Chapter 4 Lighting Instruments
    1. Open-faced Instruments
    2. Lensed Instruments
    3. Fluorescent Instruments
    4. HMI Instruments
    5. Softlights
    6. Specialty Instruments
    7. Cookies and Snack Boxes Aren’t for Lunch
  12. Chapter 5 Lighting Controls and Uses
    1. Gels
      1. Color Conversion Gel Chart
    2. Diffusion Materials
    3. Nets and Silks
    4. Light Patterns
    5. Reflected Light
  13. Chapter 6 Basic Lighting Techniques
    1. A Sense of Depth
    2. Basic Lighting Setups
    3. Lighting Jujitsu, or the Art of the Reflector
    4. Using a Kicker for Modeling
    5. Using Softlights
    6. Hard or Soft?
  14. Chapter 7 Interview Setups
    1. Basic Three-Point Interview Setup
    2. Hard or Soft?
    3. Simplifying the Soft Look
    4. But Wait, There’s More!
  15. Chapter 8 Solving Common Problems
    1. Hot Spots: Film Folks Be Vigilant!
    2. Eyeglasses
    3. Practicals, or Light Sources In-frame
    4. Lighting Dark Complexions
    5. Too Much Light in All the Wrong Places
    6. Different Color Temperatures in the Scene
  16. Chapter 9 Studio Lighting
    1. Power System and Grid
    2. Fluorescent Instruments
    3. Flat Lighting
  17. Chapter 10 Advanced Lighting Setups
    1. Lighting Overview
      1. Step 1. Lay Out a Lighting Diagram
      2. Step 2. Establish Action, Close-ups, and Mood
      3. Step 3. Establish Exposure
      4. Step 4. Begin Setting Key Lights
      5. Step 5. Watch for Problem Shadows
      6. Step 6. Create Accent Lighting
      7. Step 7. Bring in Fill
      8. Step 8. Add Shadows
      9. Step 9. Control Hot Spots
    2. Establishing Mood
    3. Lighting Darkness
      1. Interiors
      2. Exteriors
    4. Daytime Exterior Contrast Management
    5. Light Surgery
  18. Chapter 11 Lighting Low-Budget Locations
    1. Make Location Lemonade
    2. Low-Budget Lighting Principles
    3. Low-Budget Lighting Process
    4. Using Existing Light and Improvised Cheap Lighting
  19. Chapter 12 Specialized Lighting
    1. Product Shots
    2. Food Shots
    3. Lightning and Fire
    4. Automobile Interiors
    5. Bluescreen and Greenscreen
      1. Lighting the Background
      2. Lighting the Foreground
    6. Wedding, Church, and Stage Lighting
      1. Weddings
      2. Videotaping Church Services
      3. Live Theatre Taping
    7. Summary
  20. Chapter 13 Imagination and Invention
  21. Appendix A Using a Light Meter with Video
    1. Light Meter Basics
  22. Appendix B Basic Primer in Signal Monitoring
    1. Waveform Monitor
    2. Vectorscope
  23. Appendix C Manufacturer Addresses
  24. Glossary
  25. Index

Product information

  • Title: Lighting for Digital Video and Television, 2nd Edition
  • Author(s): John Jackman
  • Release date: January 2004
  • Publisher(s): Focal Press
  • ISBN: 9781136062933