Many books on film are either sort of airy, light-weight musings about aesthetics and philosophy and the other kind is strictly technical: lenses, exposure, etc. This is the one book that covers just about everything you need to know in order to be a professional cinematographer (or an amateur who knows as much as a pro).Cinematography: Theory and Practice covers everything from the basics to very advanced stuff and the one thing that most of my camera assistant and camera apprentice friends really like is that it covers “professional practice”: the way things are done on real sets, including things like what are the responsibilities of each person: the AC, the gaffer, the grip, etc.
The author makes extensive use of computer design (Poser) to show actors, their positioning to the camera, and various lighting scenarios. Using these graphics, the book shows blocking from various angles – all very helpful to the beginning filmmaker.
The book also includes up-to-date information relating to problems faced by current filmmakers (video-to-film transfer, aspects of HD photography, processes such as ENR, etc.). While only described in overview, the explanations were clear and provide a good foundation for these moving targets.
The author makes extensive use of computer design (Poser) to show actors, their positioning to the camera, and various lighting scenarios. Using these graphics, the book shows blocking from various angles – all very helpful to the beginning filmmaker.
The book also includes up-to-date information relating to problems faced by current filmmakers (video-to-film transfer, aspects of HD photography, processes such as ENR, etc.). While only described in overview, the explanations were clear and provide a good foundation for these moving targets.
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