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It seems that a DOP needs to learn to light for every situation and then tweak those according to script and specific locations. Though not exhuastive I have listed the situations in which one should practice lighting. Can you think of others that are good to practice? DAY Interiors room dramatic. Hard sunlight through windows with possibly a little fill. Interiors room soft. Huge softbox outside window with a little fill inside room if necessary. Interiors car and transports dramatic. Hard sunlight through windows with possibly a little fill. Interiors car and transports soft. Huge softbox outside window with a little fill if necessary. Exterior dramatic. Hard sunlight with some bounce fill for close ups - or recreate use mega HMI Exterior soft. Cloudy day - or recreate use mega HMI and huge diffussion screen Exterior Contre-jour.* Exterior underwater.* Exterior to Interior or vice versa** - Doorways mixing 2 of the above SUNSET/SUNRISE Pretty much the same as above but with lower sun and lower kelvin temperature. NIGHT Interior Dramatic* - such as a prison door opening. Interior Cosy - Practical lamps Interior Clinical - Strips Lights Interior Watching TVs Interior Candle scenes Interior Torches* (i.e. caves, breaking into a house etc.) Interior Moonlight coming in from outside Interior Streetlight coming in from outside Interior Car Headlights coming in from outside Interior Fires Interior Oil Lamps Interior Storm Outside* Interior Car Interior Party - disco lights. Exterior Moonlight Exterior Streetlights Exterior Car Headlights Exterior Fires Exterior Candles Exterior Torches* Exterior Storms* Exterior Underwater* Exterior to Interior or vice versa** - Doorways mixing 2 of the above SPECIAL SITUATIONS Greenscreen* Rear projection* Front projection* Smoke* Snow* Rain* I've starred some of them which I think are in particular the most difficult and need more practice on. Personally I find doorways extremely difficult especially when the exposures are different either side of the door and lighting is different e.g. walking from moonlight outside into cosy warm lit interior. Perhaps one should avoid opening doors in movies - have the character walk up to a house in the moonlight and cut as one puts the hand on the door handle to inside and hanging up a coat? Are there any movies or behind the scenes that you recommend watching for door and lighting transitions? Close-ups are not too bad it is the masters that are hard to shoot. I find torch scenes at night quite difficult because if you over crank the moonlight the torches light seems a little dim. Perhaps I need to use some 320 lumen flashlights and a bit of smoke. Though trying to get an even coverage of smoke is very tricky - amost need black garden sprinklers or tubing everywhere in a scene without it showing.