DVD: LIGHTING for Film and Television

Just ordered the bundle. The reviews and the sample reels look amazing. Can't wait to get this.
Thanks in advance and best regards from Switzerland.
-Leon
 
Just wanted to drop in and say thanks to David and Barry for these DVDs and I highly recommend them to anyone who wonders how professional looking cinematic lighting is achieved. This is the perfect DVD for aspiring filmmakers who want to make their productions look a lot better. I got these as a prize in FictionFEST this year, but I would have purchased them anyways had I not won. The following is a mini review.

What's great about this DVD is that it teaches you exactly what you want to know from experts in the field. Not only does Barry know his stuff, he explains it in a crystal clear way that every layman can understand. His voice is dynamic and keeps you engaged throughout the whole video. It's very thorough and covers topics you weren't even expecting but glad they did (i.e. avoiding blowing the circuits in your house). Comedic sequences are sprinkled in to show a point and to prevent the viewer from being overwhelmed by hours of pure instruction. They can be a bit cheesy, but don't skip them as they have very important lessons to teach.

The gear section really caught me up on the different lighting options I have. I can now confidently plan out what kind of lighting rig I want for my next project without having to scour through forums sorting through contradicting information.

This DVD is also a time saver if you ever planned on testing lighting setups yourself. Barry takes the key light and places it at every angle on a model to show you the effects of the light at each position. Then he shows you the effect of a fill light and a hair light with commentary on how they can effectively be used. You always read about this three point lighting setup, but nowhere else can you actually see the effects of each light and have an expert commentator tell you why you would want them there.

If there's any field where training can be benefited by the video format, it's video lighting (duh right?). You can get a hundred books on lighting (even with pictures), but they'll never be able to show you exactly what they're talking about like Lighting for Film and Television does.

I also recommend Sound for Film and Television for people who feel their sound production is lacking (it's 50% of film). I have some background in audio engineering so a lot of it was stuff I already knew. Still, there were some cool techniques I learned that I didn't know about before (that boom masking is ingenious). This is the Lighting Film thread so I digress.

To sum it all up, get this DVD now. If the price has made you hesitant, think of it this way. It's still costs less than a day of film school and you'll need more than a day to absorb all the information. I only wish this DVD existed back in the DVX days.
 
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Ordered both Audio and Lighting as a gift to my son.
and congrats on the win.
Now all he needs is a good training on "Editing and Finishing"
 
Got this a while ago and have been meaning to say how helpful I found and am still finding it. Covers everything from the basics to the more complex setups and teaches you how to light for yourself based on the situation.
 
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