Chapter 11Lighting for Television

“Pore over artwork and other films. Study the lighting and consider how it serves the story being presented.”

—Thomas McKenney, Director of Photography

“When it comes to image acquisition, lighting is still the art that separates the amateurs from the pros.”

—Jay Holben, Producer

Terms

Barn doors: Metal flaps attached to the front of a lighting instrument; used to control where the light falls on a scene.

Base light: The minimal amount of light that allows the camera to see the subject.

Diffuser: Some type of a translucent material (wire mesh, frosted plastic, or spun-glass sheet) that diffuses and reduces the light’s intensity.

Floodlight: Also known as soft light; the scattered, diffused, shadowless illumination ...

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