Focal Press Shaping Light for Video in the Age of LEDs: A Practical Guide to the Art and Craft of Lighting

Shaping Light for Video in the Age of LEDs from Focal Press is a practical, hands-on guide to lighting for video. The book explores how LEDs are changing the aesthetics of lighting and provides students with an indispensable guide to the everyday techniques required to produce professional-quality lighting in the age of LEDs and wireless control options.

The book focuses on firsthand application of technical knowledge, beginning with simple lighting setups and progressing to more complicated scenarios, and features accompanying diagrams, illustrations, and case studies to demonstrate their real-world application. Key topics covered include basic three-point lighting, lighting moving actors, set lighting and exposure, instrument selection, bringing style to your lighting, color temperature and the Kelvin scale, exterior lighting, lighting categories and genres, green screen techniques, money and budgeting, and electricity and electrical distribution. The book also provides guidance on career paths, including what a grip does, case studies with photos and diagrams, and an extensive glossary of set terminology to introduce students to the language of filmmaking.

Author Alan Steinheimer has over 30 years of filmmaking experience, with 25 years of lighting experience as a gaffer and lighting director in the San Francisco Bay Area. His resume includes feature films such as The Darwin Awards, documentary and corporate work, commercials, and music videos such as Britney Spears' Oops, I Did it Again. He appears regularly as a guest expert in the Meet the Gaffer series on YouTube.