Bland Videography? I hope not...
 

Hello again HDV community! I must say that I’m incredibly grateful to all those intrepid videographers that have helped answer my rather insipid questions. Well, I have another:

I’ve not nor do I intend to go to film school (I’m too old and I hate structure). I am, however, extremely enthusiastic about learning good/creative video technique. Learning by doing (“trial and error”) is OK, but can become frustrating. Can anyone suggest some good books (or websites) on videography techniques and theory? In particular, I’m having some problems properly exposing moving subjects on bright, reflective water.

Any advice would be most welcome!

Cheers!

Andrew Stone

Hi Andrew,

Well, as for the subjects against bright water - use a polirizing filter and try to shoot at a good angle to the sun (or whatever light source is illuminating the said water) - by rotating the filter you should be able to cut down the reflections from the water, and thus the contrast ratio between subject and H20, allowing you to drop the exposure (in order to get the subject exposed correctly) without the highlights blowing out too heavily.

As for books, they're all fairly theoretical in my experience, but "Cinematograohy" by Kris Malkievich is very good (as is the more anecdotal "Film and Lighting Techniques" by the same author) and I would heartily recommend "Painting With Light" by John Alton - very old (circa 1950!) but still very useful and wonderfully written - also one of the few books to be personally penned by a true Hollywood great...

As an aside, if anyone knows of a good book with lighting diagrams complemented by the respective final end shots (editorial irrelevant) I would be most chuffed with a pointer!

Also Andrew - go ask some questions in the Photon Management section of this forum. There's some very skilled and knowledgeable folk over there!

Many thanks! Off to amazon!

Also take a look at this:

Nonlinear Editing: Storytelling, Aesthetics and Craft by Bryce Button

Actually we have a whole forum devoted to books here: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/forumdisplay.php?f=36