Proper lighting is crucial to a successful TV show, newscast or production. Many companies hire their talent, pay them a fortune, and then skimp on the lighting – not bothering to bring in an expert lighting director. They throw away a costly investment by splashing a bunch of light all over the set and calling it a day. It’s especially obvious when a talent turns from one camera to another and the lighting doesn’t match both shots and shadows are thrown here and there. Although I am not a lighting director, I can certainly separate well-lit talent from poorly lit ones.

I came across an old training film, Lighting for Television, which was produced in 1968  by the Centre for Educational Television Overseas in the UK.  I love these old films for a multitude of reasons I won’t go into here…. This film shows lighting techniques used for black & white cameras in those days, but the lighting basics are still intact and still relevant today. I recommend you check it out.