Lighting Made Simple - Your On-set Companion
This is the lighting reference guide every filmmaker should have on set. Whether you're just getting started or looking to sharpen your skills, this visual and practical guide is built to help you light with confidence.
Inside, you’ll find clear explanations of fundamental lighting theories, tools, and techniques — alongside real-world setups, diagrams, and visual examples you can actually use on set. It’s designed to be your go-to companion in the thick of production, helping you troubleshoot common problems and create stunning images, even under pressure. Lighting doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. This guide breaks it down simply and effectively, so you can light any scene like a working pro.
▶ Watch: Get a Sneak Peek Inside the Guide
Why This Guide?
This is the guide I wish I had in film school—concise, practical, and easy to navigate. Designed for your phone or tablet, it’s packed with actionable insights and visual aids to help you craft impactful, emotional visuals on set.
Here’s what I really like about this publication, it has a massive glossary of looks ... but not only that, if you go to the next page you’ve got a basic lighting diagram explaining how to achieve that look.
— Andrew Lock
Gaffer & Gear Review
What's Inside:
This comprehensive guide covers a wide array of topics, including:
Quality
Understand how hard and soft light differ, and discover how to effectively use diffusion, bounce, and other tools to achieve your desired look.
Color
Learn how to manipulate color temperature and white balance to set the mood of your scene.
Control
Refine your image by controlling light with flags, negative fill, fall-off, nets, scrims, dimmers, and other essential tools.
Technique
Explore various lighting setups, including three-point lighting, broad side vs short side, Rembrandt, split, butterfly, Godfather lighting, and more.
Fixtures & Accessories
From Tungsten to HMI and LED, discover the different light fixtures and their accessories, such as overheads, nets, silks, stands, gripping tools and more.
Visual Aids & Videos
Packed with hundreds of illustrations, photographs and video links to help you quickly understand and apply each concept with ease.
Elliott H.
Filmmaker
❝ Thorough, relatable, and a handy tool for filmmakers to keep the foundations in their back pockets. It’s a no-fluff knowledge base for lighting—if you’re looking for answers, you’ll find them quickly. ❞
Damian H.
Cinematographer & Educator
❝ Great work on the book! I’d love to have something like this as a reference for the classes I teach. I remember slogging through cinematography books in college—barely anything stuck. This book is great! ❞
Dallas D.
Photographer &
Content Creator
❝ This guide is an incredibly valuable resource, not only for filmmakers but also for photographers! The insights and techniques in this book have profoundly improved my ability to manipulate and shape light. Highly recommend it! ❞
About The Author
David is not only an accomplished filmmaker but also a seasoned educator with a talent for guiding aspiring filmmakers to success.
With an extensive background in directing and cinematography, David excels at transforming impactful, emotional moments into nuanced and powerful visuals. He brings years of professional experience producing films, documentaries, music videos, and advertising content. Throughout his career, David has worked across various film and television productions in the production and camera departments, earning multiple awards for his work.
For over eight years, David facilitated the film and television production class at the Warehouse Workshop Screen Acting Studio alongside renowned casting director Tom McSweeney. During this time, he honed his directorial skills, collaborating with hundreds of actors to help them develop technical filmmaking abilities and refine their performance craft.
David is the co-founder of Creative Path Films and the Managing Director of Gold Coast Camera Hire, ventures he operates alongside his wife and long-term collaborator, Lauren.
David is the creator and host of the Creative Path Films YouTube channel, where he continues to teach lighting and filmmaking techniques to filmmakers worldwide.
Content Chapters
Get Your Copy Today!
Don’t miss out on the chance to elevate your lighting skills. Grab your copy of The Film Lighting Fundamentals Reference Guide now and bring your vision to life with confidence and creativity.
$39.99 USD
