If you normally enjoy our PR and marketing-related book reviews, then we have something a little different for you this month.
Prefect Ryan has enjoyed developing his photography and videography skills by reading Brian Hall’s Understanding Cinematography book.
So, what did he think?
What’s it all about?
Brian Hall’s 25 years of experience are crammed into this one book, focusing on cinematography. He delves deep into his knowledge of cinematography from his time working at the BBC, which spanned nearly 25 years. In this book he covers a number of aspects of cinematography from lighting, the history of cameras to composition.
In today’s technological age, it’s not common to pick up a book and learn about cinematography. With so many media outlets out there (YouTube and Masterclass to name a few), many filmmakers are watching online tutorials about the aforementioned. I’m a prime example of this; although I did study filmmaking and cinematography, I dare say most of my skills have came through watching countless hours of YouTube tutorials. So why did I decide to pick up a book and read about cinematography, instead of just searching in YouTube?
Like previously mentioned, many filmmakers are learning their craft through the internet, so I thought I’d try pluck out perhaps some ‘secret’ skills from Hall’s book, some that may not lie on the internet, to stand out from the crowd.
One downside from learning from the web is, there’s just SO MUCH out there. YouTube is absolutely littered with ‘tutorials/how to videos’. From the countless hours I’ve watched, I’d say roughly I’ve wasted 40 per cent of my time watching pointless videos from content creators who don’t know what they’re talking about. This is another reason why I decided to go with Hall, as with 25 years’ experience in the industry, surely he has more to offer than most of the YouTubers I watch.
What did we learn?
One thing I’ve always struggled with is lighting, so when I found out Brian was mostly a lighting cameraman, I was excited to see what leaf I could take out of his book. Key light, backlight and fill light, all terms I was familiar with but didn’t know the correct way to use them. Brian breaks down each light, detailing exactly what each light’s purpose is, and where to position it. He then goes deeper and explains what colour temperatures to use based on the location. He then goes deeper and explains what colour temperatures to use based on the location, for example the lower the number the warmer the light, the higher the number the cooler the light. Super, something I didn’t know before reading this book.
Another chapter I enjoyed was on cameras, discussing about the history of cameras, something I know very little about it. For example, the cameras that are most popular today are mirrorless cameras, which I shoot with daily. However, I have no experience with film cameras (digital cameras shoot on external storage, film cameras shoot on actual film reels). In 1913, Kasimir Proszynski invented the Aeroscope 35mm, often claimed as the pioneer of ‘flickerless’ shutters. To think that everything you shoot, you wouldn’t be able to see until the film was processed/developed, often at the end of the day. Whereas in this day and age, I can shoot something, watch it back instantly and decide whether it’s good or not.
What did we think?
In short, Brian Hall’s take on demonstrating key cinematography skills in this book is something I have thoroughly enjoyed. Although I did know most of what I’ve read, I definitely have picked up new skills that’ll I’ll be no doubt utilising on my next shoot.
