CHAPTER 9 ESSENTIALS

• After determining the look with the director, the DP must carefully plan and adjust lighting, which will preserve style and storytelling continuity.
• When lighting outdoors, because the sun and weather change during the day, the DP uses equipment to modulate the natural light.
• Indoor lighting, which offers great creative control, usually requires a lighting diagram to make sure lights can be properly positioned.
• Special lighting circumstances are common on many films, such as low- and mixed-light situations, actors with varying skin tones, a moving camera, and VFX shots. Each has its own solutions, which should be camera-tested before principal photography.