Strobe photography is flash photography. That can mean a small compact flash, or the big studio lights.
If you're Ken Rockwell, you think fill flash is all you need. If I understand him right. If you're other people, you probably want off-camera flash.
Why should you want off-camera flash? Fill flash, which is what your built-in flash gives you, is the nuclear option. It's why everyone's drivers license photos look like crap. It "fills" everything on the subject in. Well, that
can give you fine results. But the human nervous system evolved in a world where light usually struck objects, like other people's faces, from varying angles, which gives us a sense of depth and shape etc. when we look at them. And that's one reason why light striking people in photos from varying angles tends look more pleasing than the "nuclear option," or strong fill light alone.
Yeah, I read that in a book. =)
And that's the same reason why you probably don't generally want to use fill light alone when shooting a film...in an indoors setting, at least, or I'm guessing. You probably want to use three or four or more point lighting.
And it just gives you a lot more control over the look you get.
If you're interested in strobing, check out these:
Strobist, for sure. Particularly,
Lighting 101. Keep clicking "Next." There's a series of pages to help introduce you to strobing.
I haven't watched them all, but Matt Granger's tutorials seem really helpful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ06Z4JbGHg&list=PLAAEF7ADB5E6B5D41
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy3T_2DwvUo