ABSTRACT
This chapter discuses about the conceptual tools of cinematography; lighting is, of course, one of the most important of those tools. Lighting can also help form the composition and most importantly, it can help the cinematographers tell the story. The goal is to have our cinematography help tell the story, establish a mood and tone, and add up to a coherent visual presentation. As any working cinematographer will tell the cinematographers, lighting is usually the most important aspect of the visual effect. Flat lighting is light that comes from very near the camera, like the flash mounted on a consumer still camera: it is on axis with the lens. As a result, it just flatly illuminates the subject evenly. It erases the natural three-dimensional quality of the subject. One of the few absolute rules in lighting is that every practical must be on a dimmer of some sort.
