I first heard of the Set Lighting Technician’s Handbook in conversation with the gaffer of the first feature film I was working on—real, Union-type professional gaffer—when he referred to it as the on-set Bible for lighting. Needless to say, that was enough of a referral for me. I bought the 3rd edition later that summer, and read it cover to cover. I learned so much from that book that I decided I wanted to be a gaffer and try as many things with lighting as I could. The third edition, however, was dated in 2003, and things like fluorescents and LED lights were mentioned in passing, as well as other technologies that have since come to the forefront. This new fourth edition takes care of all of these things.
The Handbook reads both as a narrative and as a reference book. Each chapter and subject matter is treated with anecdotal evidence and with general guidelines. There are a lot of pictures, drawings, and graphs, though you definitely need to read through the text first, I think. The illustrations can sometimes get a little distracting in their layout. There are lots of reference tables, too, for all kinds of lighting issues, and are available at the back.
The book starts with a chapter on the overview of film sets, with a description of every position and how they fit into the hierarchy (yes, there’s a hierarchy.) Just a sample of how much information is in this book—Mr. Box is going for the lowest common denominator, and provides information on whatever you need anywhere “below the line” (ie in the crew). Obviously, it’s set towards electricians and gaffers, but all grips can learn something from this book, and anybody wanting to be a cinematographer or Director of Photography needs to read this book to understand the science side of the art. (Filmmakers would also be recommended to read this book, as it can be invaluable when it comes to discussing certain looks you’d like to achieve with your DP.)
The Handbook will definitely keep your interest as you read—it’s a lot of words about some really cool things. Admittedly, I was decidedly interested in the subject matter, but I think anybody who would pick this book up to begin with would be looking for lighting anyway. But the mix of fact and narrative in the writing are enough to keep up with the rapidly shifting subject matter in a compelling way for any reader.
This book is a reference book for professionals, and should be in your grip bag no matter where you go. If you’re worried about any kind of practical lighting source on location (say, what kind of fluorescent bulbs need what kind of color correction) or what kind of knot to tie on your rigging, then you’ll find a table or a drawing to help you.
The Handbook also has a number of sections on the practice and theory of lighting, which is handy to re-read whenever you need a fresh look at how you’re doing things—the basics of three-point lighting is something to revisit every so often, for example.
For fifty bucks, the amount of information here is way worth it. You’ll have a leg up on the guy who just walked on set, and will start thinking differently. Low-budget filmmakers (especially those that write their own scripts) will think differently about where they set their scenes if they’re thinking through the lighting needs of certain locations ahead of time.
The 4th edition of Set Lighting Technician’s Handbook is a great improvement on the 3rd, including a lot of higher end stuff with DMX and networking controls, and it’s nice to know that you have it on reference. If I have one negative comment, it’s the change in the size of the book itself. The 4th edition is a larger footprint, and the 3rd edition really was a good reference size—it was a much better fit in a bag, not a backpack. The 4th edition feels much more like a textbook, but, unless you go with the kindle or iPad version, that’s the trade-off with having so much more information—you can’t fit it all in the same size book.
