ABSTRACT

The first and foremost job of the television lighting designer is to expose the scene by providing sufficient light for the camera to see. This chapter discusses the lighting needs of the television camera by exploring its most basic components and how they contribute to the final picture. A grasp of the science of exposure gives the television lighting designer the tools and artistic license to manipulate it, as appropriate, for practical and/or creative purposes within the ability of the camera to reproduce the image in a way that still delivers the visual message to the viewer. This chapter describes the components and inner workings of the camera: its lens, iris, and sensor. Apertures and f-stops are explained, as well as their effect on the final picture. A comparison is made between the human eye and a TV camera, and an important member of the video team, the video controller, is introduced.