Film Lighting: Talks with Hollywood's Cinematographers and Gaffers

by Kris Malkiewicz

Newly revised and expanded, Film Lighting is an indispensable sourcebook for the aspiring and practicing cinematographer, based on extensive interviews with leading cinematographers and gaffers in the film industry Film lighting is a living, dynamic art influenced by new technologies and the individual styles of leading cinematographers. Reporting on the latest innovations and showcasing in-depth interviews with industry experts, Film Lighting provides an inside look at how cinematographers and film directors establish the visual concept of the film and use the lighting to help tell the story. Using firsthand material from experts such as Oscar-winning cinematographers Dion Beebe, Russell Carpenter, Robert Elswit, Mauro Fiore, Janusz Kaminski, Wally Pfister, Haskell Wexler, and Vilmos Zsigmond, this revised and expanded edition provides an invaluable opportunity to learn from the industry’s leaders.

Genres: Film, Photography

198 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[?0?0?0 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book I've read about film lighting. There are other excellent books out there on cinematography, each with their own selling point, but "Film Lighting" is akin to a bible - it includes information on nearly every device you'd use and how to use them (as told from the viewpoints of an admirable array of cinematographers and gaffers, such as Robert Elswit, Harris Savides, Janusz Kaminski). The format of the book makes it both insightful and very entertaining, never dry. If you're new to this study this book is a treasure and if you've been messing around for awhile, it's still good to have.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contains some very interesting insights on film lighting through interviews with some of Americas leading cinematographers and gaffers of the 1970s and 1980s.

Still to this day the information given on how to 'paint' with lighting is applicable.
Which makes it a timeless read for anyone interested in cinematography/photography or lighting design.

[Dea Ananda]

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[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

“When we are learning the tools and training the eyes, we must not forget the reason we are learning all these things, to communicate.”

[Sam Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty helpful but I would have liked there to be a lot more diagrams and examples to go with the scenes the cinematographers are describing.

[An Nguyễn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Information densed!

[David Choo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely terrific book full of detailed insights on my many aspects of film lighting. It's amazing because every chapter starts off with a topic, say a particular kind of light and then 3 gaffers/DP's weigh in on their opinion of that particular light and also share some personal innovative ways to use that light.

So many tiny little things like using a Par Can light from up above to light a little white card as a key for actors without spilling too much light everywhere; adding a VNSP lens to the same Par Can to get a really bright hotspot and shooting them on parts of a set to mimic harsh sunlight spilling in from a window. It's little practical things like this along with the explanation of why you would want to do it that makes this book extremely valuable to anyone entering the film industry with an eye for lighting.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a cinematographer and Director of Photography, I found this book to be an absolutely fulfilling read and an essential tool for learning more. The book is structured as a series of quotes from various DPs and gaffers throughout the last few decades, so it takes a while to get your head around it and start to take it all in. Then you realize you're hearing all these different techniques and ways to do things from the masters themselves, and you can pick and glean to your heart's content. Definitely not a book to just read straight though, but one to go back to again and again as you develop along your career.

[Conor Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is invaluable when it comes to quick tips and tricks to using specific equipment like the best in the business. Whenever I am about to use a new piece of equipment, or need a refresher on one I haven't used in a while, I go to this book to hear the pros talk about it. This gives you endless new ways of thinking about how to use equipment, stage a scene and use the camera and lighting as a driving force for story.

I would say this book is like highlight reel from 30 years of American Cinematographer Magazine. A must read for any cinematographer.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Five years ago, I read the earlier version of this book, originally published in 1986; this version updates lighting advice for the digital age, but lighting, unlike image capturing, has not changed so much in the intervening time. This remains a valuable resource with good creative advice from many major cinematographers.

[Justin Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good and interesting, insightful, helpful. Maybe 50 pages too long.