Placing Shadows, Second Edition: Lighting Techniques for Video Production [Paperback]

Chuck Gloman (Author), Tom LeTourneau (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0240804090 | ISBN-13: 978-0240804095 | Publication Date: April 12, 2000 | Edition: 2

A mix of theory and practical applications, Placing Shadows: Lighting Techniques for Video Production 2E covers the physical properties of light and the selection of proper instruments and their placement for the best possible effect. For the advanced amateur and those pros looking to enhance the look of their productions, this book covers the fundamentals, as well as providing a solid reference for tips on better performance and how prepare for and avoid costly and time-consuming problems.

The new edition includes an expanded section on location lighting, including the latest equipment and techniques to make location work easier, less expensive and using considerably less power. A section on studio lighting completes the work, including Hollywood-style lighting fixtures and techniques that will give interior work a balanced, professional appearance. The book includes all the latest lighting units available today.

Covers the fundamental properties of light as well as practical advice and many tips and tricks
Updated and revised to include the latest in location and studio techniques and equipment
Shows how to select the best equipment for a particular situation

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A superb reference on lighting, Placing Shadows discusses virtually everything you need to know about lighting for video...A thorough lighting glossary, including examples, illustrations and a tips section completes this book. Anyone who uses video lights should take a look at Placing Shadows." - Charles Fulton, Videomaker

"Placing Shadows is a basic book with enough depth and good tips on location lighting to warrant adding it to a professional's library. It covers the principles of lighting and the equipment in practical and theoretical terms." - Robert Goodman, Videography

"Placing Shadows: Lighting Techniques for Video Prodution will help you master the art of lighting and shadow placing. Gloman and LeTourneau do an outstanding job of explaining the physics of light and how to manipulate it to achieve the desired effect of the photgrapher. Don't struggle with poor lighting on your next video shoot. [This] could be just the guide you are looking for." - Steve Bosinoff, Videomaker

"...highly pragmatic volume, which provides indispensable advice for the budding cinematographer by mixing the theoretical and the practical." - Ray Zone, American Cinematographer

"An excellent glossary of terms and tips and an appendix of resources for the lighting professional roudn out this highly useful volume." - Ray Zone, American Cinematographer

"Now in a completely updated and expanded second edition, Placing Shadows: Lighting Techniques For Video Production continues to be the best one-volume "how to" guide and reference on the practical fundamentals of studio and on-site location video production lighting techniques. Producer, director, videographer, Chuck Gloman collaborates with independent lighting designer Tom Letourneau to provide a superlative guide that covers every aspect of video lighting from meters and scopes to lamps and reflectors. Placing Shadows is "must" reading for all aspiring video producers and videographers." - Midwest Book Review

Book Description

The definitive lighting for digital video book now in full color! --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Focal Press; 2 edition (April 12, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0240804090
• ISBN-13: 978-0240804095
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,190,925 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good info if you want to know how a light bulb is made., August 25, 2003

By 

Joel (CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Placing Shadows, Second Edition: Lighting Techniques for Video Production (Paperback)

I have a background in photography so using tungsten lighting is not new to me. I thought this book would have more technique then I was led to believe.

It does have some great info on how a light bulb is created and the various parts but is not very fulfilling. this book is not what I thought it would be like and
the reviews from others are misleading.

It goes over various lighting setups, any photography book covers this and skims over ratios. It explains color meters in short detail but it would be great to have more "meat" to hang on to then the author's bad grammar and old sayings. He suggests that you learn by doing. enough about his experiences, show me something I don't know how to do!

If you want to learn lighting for video, this is not the book to buy. If you want to learn about light bulbs and color tempatures of tungsten lights then this book delivers.

I give it a 2 stars because it does have some merit but not in the area of lighting technique. For a really thin book, its not worth the price even if you get a discount.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars No Technique - thin on using shadows for anything, April 3, 2007

By 

Louis Mauriello (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Placing Shadows, Third Edition: Lighting Techniques for Video Production (Paperback)

Reviewer Joel (CA United States) is 100% correct: This book's description and all of the other reviews are completely misleading. The book is thin on content at this price range and doesn't even truly cover the subject of "Placing Shadows", and, other then building off of a foundation of the standard 3 point lighting system, it doesn't provide any techniques to do anything with shadows at all.

What it does provide is a good easily understood explanation of color and the measurable aspect of temperature along with definitions of the various existing light bulbs, their properties and color temperatures. But if you are at the stage where you're looking to buy a book to help you with using shadows then you should already know everything this book has to offer on this subject. And if not this isn't the book to get it from.

This book is not what I thought it would be as I was expecting some advanced knowledge on creatively using lights to create shadows that would enhance my productions. What I got was a rehash of the basics of illuminating a subject, with illumination as the key word.

If you want to learn lighting for video go get one of the lesser costing setup books that have page after page of diagrams of different sets and the various positions of where the lights should go.

This is not the book to help you learn about using shadow techniques to enhance your production as it is more a book about light bulbs and their color temperatures.

Oh, yeah, the second edition's cover is completely different and looks like a cheeply produced self published paperback book.

Now I have only one question: Where do I get a refund?

19 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Must" reading for aspiring video producers & videographers., June 4, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Placing Shadows, Second Edition: Lighting Techniques for Video Production (Paperback)

Now in a completely updated and expanded second edition, Placing Shadows: Lighting Techniques For Video Production continues to be the best one-volume "how to" guide and reference on the practical fundamentals of studio and on-site location video production lighting techniques. Producer, director, videographer, Chuck Gloman collaborates with independent lighting designer Tom Letourneau to provide a superlative guide that covers every aspect of video lighting from meters and scopes to lamps and reflectors. Placing Shadows is "must" reading for all aspiring video producers and videographers.