Good books?

[Adam Nix]

Anyone have a suggestion for a good book on cinematography, or even one about filmmaking in general?

 

[Pietro Impagliazzo]

I've read Blain Brown books.

First I read 'Motion Picture and Video Lighting' then I read 'Cinematography'.

Great books, you can find them at Amazon.

I'm sure other folks can point you to other great books.

 

[kay madsen]

Painting with light by John Alton

Film Lighting by Kris Malkiewicz

Matters of Light and Depth by Ross Lowell

three books I can recommend...

 

[Mike Hadfield]

Great suggestions from Pietro and Kay, I'd definately start there.

Some other bits and bobs for later, depending on where you want to go:

~ 'Film Directing shot by shot' and 'Cinematic Motion' - Stephen D Katz
~ 'The Camera' - Ansel Adams

If you're interested in the acting side:
~ 'Acting in Film' - Michael Caine
~ 'Directing Actors' - Judith Weston

For Editing:
~ 'The Conversations' - Michael Ondaatje (+ Walter Murch)
~ 'In the Blink of an Eye: A Perspective on Film Editing' - Walter Murch

Maybe 'Cinefex' magazine if you're interested in special effects.

If you're interested in colours 'Theory of Colours' (Zur Farbenlehre) - Goethe.

And, maybe, 'Ten Rules of Writing' - Elmore Leaonard.

Best of luck, happy reading and hopefully glorious filmmaking

Mikey

 

[Reinhold R.]

Cinematography and Film Lighting by Kris Malkiewicz are great suggestions.
Also if you are willing to pay the price I would recommend Vittorio Storaro's Writing With Light or A Man With A Camera by Nestor Almendros.

 

[Tim Sutherland]

For some great info on exposure, Ansel Adams' The Negative is really great. It is talking about film, so you have to do some transposing of ideas to digital, but it's really great.

 

[Adam Nix]

Thanks for the suggestions, folks. Some good fodder for the xmas wishlist.