Drawing from author Tim Palmer's 30 years of experience working as a cinematographer for award-winning drama series including Killing Eve, Bad Sisters, and Line of Duty, this book is the go-to guide on how to light just about any scene a cinematographer may face when shooting a TV show.

Focusing on lighting scenarios suitable for the small screen, the book is thematically organised into night and day, exteriors and interiors, and special situations including magic hour, candlelight and firelight, moonlight, torchlight, vehicle interiors, and green/blue screen, as well as providing examples from within the studio for each of these settings. Using the latest technology and developments in the practice, Palmer illustrates how cinematographers can effectively use lighting within a variety of situations. Palmer works through each example by illustrating and describing the setup with the corresponding finished film frames to show the final effect of the lighting achieved so cinematographers can easily apply and translate it to their own work.

Including practical advice for working in the industry and tips for low-budget and student settings, this is an accessible and creative guide to producing visually compelling footage that translates the script to the screen. Ideal for the professional cinematographer and advanced students of cinematography looking to develop their skills.

“With this book, Tim Palmer offers an insightful and comprehensive look into the practical challenges of the most common shooting situations in high end television production offering practical advice and theory that will help a cinematographer elevate the quality of their work.”

Milton Santiago, Assistant Professor at the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

'With this book, Tim Palmer offers an insightful and comprehensive look into the practical challenges of the most common shooting situations in high end television production offering practical advice and theory that will help a cinematographer elevate the quality of their work.'

Milton Santiago, Assistant Professor at the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University

Tim Palmer is Professor of the Practice in Cinematography at Boston University, USA and has been a member of the British Society of Cinematographers since 2013. He has been working at the forefront of British television drama for nearly 30 years, having experienced the progression of shooting formats from Super 16 and 35 mm film through analogue and digital tape to the file-based systems used by digital cameras today. He has been nominated for multiple awards for his work on The Suspicions of Mr Whicher and Breathless and continues to work today on high-profile drama series, including Killing Eve, The Last Kingdom, Bad Sisters, and Line of Duty.

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