No stage fright for the Joker Bug!

On a recent shoot, Stephen Murphy, DoP, had a very specific lighting brief from the BBC and Royal Shakespeare Company. Following a recent demo of K5600's Joker Bugs at LCA, Stephen decided to utilise these lights with a pleasing outcome:

"When I was asked to shoot the second season of "Shakespeare Unlocked" for the BBC and the Royal Shakespeare Company I knew I'd need a very particular kind of light to help me. I had seen the Joker Bugs at a demo by LCA-  Lights, Camera, Action in London and quickly realized that their compact size, powerful output and incredible range of accessories were the perfect combination. My creative remit was to deliver cinematic images while showcasing the existing lighting design at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. With limited time and multiple lighting styles to work within I used Joker Bug 400 and 800's direct and with both Soft Tube and Chinaball accessories, mixing both hard and soft light in a variety of rigging situations. Their flexibility and ease of use kept us on schedule and the beautiful quality of light gave us results we are all extremely pleased with"

For more information on the Joker Bug range, contact LCA +44 (0)20 8833 7600, sales@lcauk.com or www.lcauk.com.

For bookings for Stephen Murphy,  please contact Suz Cruz on +44 (0)1932 252 577 or visit
http://www.Stephen-Murphy.com to see his award winning Showreel

K5600 completes the Alpha and Joker Bug range.

Recent blogs have shown you the versatility of K5600's Alpha with the very helpful insight from DoP David Procter and Gaffer, Reuben Garrett. To complete the range of Alpha 2,5/4Kw and 6/12/18Kw, K5600 have launched the Alpha 1600w.

The Alpha 1600w features a new MSR 1600w UV-block bulb produced by Koto/G.E, and a G22 socket to reduce the size and weight of the head (less than 10Kg). The ballast is very compact (same size as the 800w ballast) and allow the system to be integrated in a Fly case. It can also run with 100Hz, 300Hz or Silent mode.
As the other Alphas, the 1600w can be used pointing straight down and offers the same versatility of use with its own Spacebeam and the open-eye mode (with just a clear lens for a 160° angle beam and sharp shadows).
The Alpha 1600w complete kit includes a head with bulb, electronic ballast, a 250mm Fresnel lens, a 10m extension cable, a barndoor and a fly case.

The Joker Bug 1600w will be available soon to complete the logical range of 200w, 400w and 800w.
Two types of reflectors will be offered: a traditional PAR beamer and a new lens-less zoom beamer,
offering a 10 to 60° powerful and clean beam.

Pictures below: Joker bug 800 vs Joker bug 1600

Ed Lachman visits DoPChoice at Camerimage

DoPChoice welcomed on to their stand at Camerimage, Cinematographer Ed Lachman.

Lachman has worked on numerous movies and TV series including Erin Brockovich, The Virgin Suicides, Far From Heaven and I'm Not There. He has recently worked on a TV mini series, Mildred Pierce and biographical movie of Allen Ginsberg, Howl.

The John Seale Master Class at Camerimage

Australian cinematographer John Seale, best known for his Oscar-winning work with the late Anthony Minghella on The English Patient, will receive the Golden Frog Award for career achievement at the Plus Camerimage Festival currently on until 3rd December in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
 
Not only will his achievement be celebrated with the screening of a handful of films, he also presented a Master Class sponsored by Panavision (see images).


John was also Director of Photography on The Talented Mr. Ripley, Cold Mountain and The Perfect Storm, as well as working as DoP with fellow Aussie Peter Weir on Witness and Dead Poets Society. His subsequent DoP credits included Rain Man, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and The Tourist with Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie.

Alpha 4kW Steals the scene on 'Quartet'

Gaffer, Reuben Garrett, currently on set with director Dustin Hoffman and DoP, John De Borman filming Quartet, spoke to LCA for the need of a specific light required in a restricted location.

"We used the Alpha 4V2 with the shallow medium bank chimera  as we needed a lightweight soft source that could be used on a boom arm.  The restriction of our location meant that we could not use a Cherry Picker and had to rig a light from the balcony of the room we were shooting in.  The balcony was on a listed building which was over a hundred years old so any solution had to be lightweight and not damage the structure of the building. Any other 4K with a Chimera would of been too heavy.  

In preparation,  John De Borman, DoP and Director Dustin Hoffman had discussed the look of the characters of the film which were mainly elderly.   They had talked about showing the beauty of their age as much as the distinguishing features of there age therefore the modelling of the key light was essential.  The combination of the Alpha 4V2 with the medium chimera was perfect for this and suited many of the restrictions of our locations."

A great night at BSC Operators night

A great night was had by all at the Annual British Society of Cinematographers Operators night on Friday.

The night gives the BSC the opportunity to acknowledge their operators and as usual was held in the main ballroom at Pinewood Studios.

Attending the evening was Dustin Hoffman and John De Borman, along with their production team who arrived straight from shooting Dustin's first directorial role in the feature, Quartet.

Dustin Hoffman

John De Borman giving his speech

Billy Williams and Dustin Hoffman chatting over dinner

New Cine Magic Tube seen at BVE

Seen at BVEnorth for the first time, the brand new Cine Magic Tube. 30W 60cm Plasma Tube AC/DC, 100% dimmable and changes colour temperature from 2500 degrees kelvin to 8400, or anywhere inbetween.

Watch the CMT in action:

For more information contact Nick Shapley @LCA - nshapley@lcauk.co.uk

Meet LCA at BVE Manchester

Taking place at Manchester Central on the 16th and 17th November, BVE North is the essential exhibition for broadcast, video and audio professionals.
 
Come and meet LCA and the Team at stand 225 where you can see on show a selection of lights from Briese Lighting, K600, Filmgear and Litepanels.

We look forward to seeing you!

DoPchoice Snapgrids - the choice of DoP's!

If you've wondered why the DoPchoice Snapgrids are different to existing louvers and why they won the Cinec Award 2010, the read on...

NO TUMMY.
Conventional grids always droop when used upside down. DoPchoice Snapgrids are even upside down tightly stretched, because of the integrated stretching frame.

NO WEAROUT.
Strips of conventional grids are just stuck together so the louver easily gets damaged. For every DoPchoice Grid they use specially developed robust fabric which keeps the grid stable. All strips are neatly sewn strips.

NO HASSLE.
Stretch and install your DoPchoice Snapgrid in 3 simple steps. Because of the patented Snapgrid technology you save a lot of time installing the Grid in a Softbank or on a Frame. 

Three easy steps to  using your DoPchoice Snapgrid

DopChoice Snapgrids are available for:

  
 
Chimera Softbox
The DoPchoice Snapgrids produce 40-degree coverage and mount many  Chimera Lightbanks via Velcro^®.  The built-in snap frame allows for fast set-up without the hassles of “belly sag” when your Lightbank is overhead in a horizontal position.  They are constructed of pre-stretched fabric with a built-in stainless steel frame.  Every Snapgrid comes with its own storage case.

Frost/Gel Frames 4x4ft and 5x5ft
You want a quick softlight solution on your film set? Very often a Frost Frame is used for this. Now we have the perfect tool to avoid spill light and to direct your soft light: The DoPchoice Snapgrids for Frostframes.
It’s so easy to attach the Snapgrid on every 4x4ft (1,2 x 1,2m)  and 5x5ft (1,5 x 1,5m) Gel Frame with the help of the bungee fasteners. The integrated Snapgrid Frame keeps the Grid always tight even if the frame is overhead in a horizontal position!  The DoPchoice Snapgrids for Frost Frames are available in 40° and 50°. Special sizes are available on request.


Kino Flo 4Banks and Diva 40
The DoPchoice Snapgrids produce 40 and 50-degree coverage and mount on any  4Bank Kino Flo System and the Diva 400.  The built-in snapframe allows for fast set-up without the hassles of “belly sag” when your 4Bank is overhead in a horizontal position.  They are constructed of pre-stretched fabric with a built-in stainless steel frame.  Every  DoPchoice Snapgrid comes with its own storage case and 2 side covers. They avoid the spill light to the side and can also be used without the Snapgrid.  The flexible ventilation flaps assures a good air circulation. No hassle with color shift of the tubes!
 

Made in Germany and sold at www.lcauk.com


Contact LCA for more info and pricing sales@lcauk.com

An Interview with Roger Deakins

Thursday 19th May was a great day for cinematography, when the British Society of Cinematographers (BSC), organised a showing of Roger Deakins classic film, the Shawshank Redemption, at the Odeon in Piccadilly followed by a Q&A session. 

The interview was conducted by John de Borman, President of the BSC, also a renowned Director of Photography, and is currently filming Quartet starring Dustin Hoffman, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon and Billy Connolly. John has also worked on An Education, The Full Monty, The Guru and recently The Engagement.

Lighting the interview was the Briese 77, supplied by Pixi Motion. These were the only lights required.

 

Roger Deakins is currently working on his latest project with director Sam Mendes, Skyfall, the latest Bond movie staring Daniel Craig as 007. His other achievements include block busters such as True Grit, No Country for Old Men, Jarhead, Fargo, The Big Lebowski and recently In Time and The Company Men.



You can see the Q&A session on the SC website at http://www.bscine.com/events/

It's an Honor for Briese

The Briese 140 has been in action once again. Ed Moore, DoP, needed a certain light to do a specific job and tells us why he used the Briese 140:

"This shoot was for a national TV advert featuring Honor Blackman. I needed a very flattering, powerful key light that would enable me to balance interior levels against a large set of windows with the minimum of NDing required. The Briese Focus 140 was the perfect tool for the job - it has an extremely effective reflector which coupled with the 2.5KW HMI lamp provided ample amounts of light... but more to the point the design of the unit and its diffusion produced a very lovely quality of light that worked fantastically.  The size of the 140 was a perfect match for a seated subject a few meters away."

Technical specs for the Briese 140

Lamp options: 1200w MSR daylight, 2500w MSR daylight, 2000w tungsten, Low volt tungsten (Equivalent to 5000w)
Standard kit diffusion: 1/4 Grid Cloth, 1/2 Grid Cloth
Optional diffusion: 1/4 silk, Full silk
Honeycomb option
Dimensions: Diameter 140cm, Depth 104cm, Weight 8.2kg

For more information on the Briese 140, contact LCA - Lights, Camera, Action on +44(0) 20 88 33 7600 or email sales@lcauk.com. Visit our website at www.lcauk.com

To contact Ed Moore, Director of Photography;

07980 524136 | http://www.edmooredop.com

LED Lighting: The Perfect Recession-Friendly Investment?

We speak to Stuart G. Russell, 

EMEAA Marketing Manager 

for Litepanels about the financial 
and environmental implications 
surrounding today's lighting.

 One of the most interesting and stimulating aspects of the broadcast industry for me is the continually shifting landscape in terms of technology: that sense that around every corner lurks a new technological development that will revolutionise the way broadcast content is created and delivered to the viewer. Unfortunately, of course, it is also one of the most maddening and frustrating aspects of the business too.  How many column inches, seminar hours and pontificating pundits have already been devoted to the benefits and pitfalls of 3D this year when so many broadcasters around the world are still eyeing up the transition to HD? Still, such is the nature of the beast and one takes comfort in the belief that the better innovations do tend to stick whereas the gimmicks soon fall by the wayside.

It is worth noting, however, that the pace of progress has not been universally rapid and lighting is one area where ‘game changing’ innovations have been relatively few and far between.  Visit any reasonably sized studio operated by a household-name broadcaster today and you will generally still see a variety of very traditional lighting fixtures, usually tungsten, hanging from ceiling gantries.  Because that’s the way it has always been done.  Change is in the air, though, and the last 10 years have seen the introduction and growth of a few new technology platforms – most notably LED – into the stubbornly orange-tinted world of broadcast lighting.  Given that I work for an LED lighting manufacturer, I am admittedly biased when it comes to arguments about lighting technology platforms but I put it to you that there are now very few arguments to support the use of these traditional fixtures in the broadcast arena when there are so many alternative products out there that do the job better, when judged against any economic or performance criteria.

Let’s talk first about money.  We are quite clearly living through tough economic times and austerity is the flavour of the month for the foreseeable future. Not the most exciting of diets, granted, but a necessary bitter brew to help get the world economy back on track. In this climate, funding is scarce and many broadcast organisations are dramatically scaling back their capital expenditure budgets, preferring to repair and refurbish rather than splash out on new equipment. An understandable and perfectly pragmatic move, you might say. However, how many broadcasters actually have a clear view of how much their existing lighting fixtures are costing them on an on-going basis?  Any CAPEX investment may have long since depreciated off into the sunset but what about the day-to-day costs in terms of energy, maintenance, human labour and time? With energy prices seemingly being hiked every quarter can any responsible broadcaster continue to throw money at traditional lighting fixtures that are incredibly energy-inefficient and wasteful? I understand that a great many Lighting Directors grew up with tungsten technology and so cling on to these fixtures through familiarity but the heat generated by these fixtures is staggering – that’s a great deal of wasted energy that needs to be removed from the studio environment by air conditioning, which is extremely energy hungry in its own right. As a relative newcomer to this industry, I was astonished to first hear the now oft-repeated adage that every 1 KW of lighting generally requires another 500 W of air conditioning to deal with the resulting heat. I’ve even heard stories of viewers calling TV stations to complain about the humming noise from the air con that is being picked up by the studio mics.  Additionally, the heat generated by these fixtures makes them difficult to move and more than a little uncomfortable to work under. These inconveniences may have been regarded in years gone by as unavoidable occupational hazards that needed to be endured because the Lighting Director knew the results would be worth the suffering, but we now live in an era where such masochism can thankfully be consigned to the filing cabinet marked ‘nostalgia’. 

It’s a bold claim, I accept, but LED has now reached the stage of maturity as a technology platform for professional broadcast lighting where it can absolutely replace and outperform traditional lighting fixtures. For a start, LED lights generally consume only a fraction of the energy of traditional tungsten fixtures. Empirical data gathered from real studio installations we have overseen has illustrated average reductions in energy usage of 85-95%. Given the rising cost of energy, these figures clearly and happily equate to financial savings of many thousands of Dollars/Pounds/Euros per annum. And, as an added bonus, LED fixtures generate virtually no heat so the overall need for air conditioning is greatly diminished. Which also helps to keep your energy bills and your operating costs down. Furthermore, the lack of heat has a number of ancillary and less obvious benefits: less make-up retouches, happier and more comfortable talent on set, faster and easier changes to the lighting plan (LED lights have no restrike period so no time is wasted waiting for lights to get up to operating temperature) and a greater number of creative options thanks to the ability to position lights much closer to the action.  And let’s not forget the issue of maintenance – most traditional lighting fixtures rely on bulbs that have a limited operational lifespan and need regular replacement. That’s often an expensive endeavour in terms of finance and labour, whereas good-quality LED lights offer many years of maintenance-free operation.

It would also be remiss of me not to talk about the environment in the context of lighting. Most private and public broadcasters around the world now have some kind of environmental or sustainability policy or charter that sets out a commitment to reduce the environmental impact of their operations and commits them to targets for sustainability or reduced carbon emissions. LED lights are very much in tune with this prevailing mood – by migrating over to LED lighting a broadcaster can quickly and easily reduce energy usage and carbon footprint which obviously helps them meet their environmental targets and allows them to promote their role as a good corporate citizen.

So far, I have made the case for LED lighting in terms of reduced energy usage, the environmental benefits, cost savings and the operational ease-of-use. The big issues I have not addressed are quality of light and throw. “LED is all well and good” say the old-school Lighting Directors, “but I always shoot indoors at 2900° or 3200° Kelvin and these LED lights are 5600° daylight balanced. I’m working from high ceilings and I’m not sure that I’ll be happy with the quality of light / throw” (delete as applicable).  Fair point, and it is certainly true that many LED lighting fixtures have not been able to light over significant distances when compared to their larger, tungsten counterparts but this situation is changing.  Good quality LED lights have traditionally offered a very soft, flattering and wrap-around light that is ideal for lighting skin. Our square 1x1 panels, for example, have been widely used on a variety of high-budget syndicated TV shows such as 24 and Desperate Housewives. Many international broadcasters also rely on these 1x1 panels every day to light a range of different sets, from 24 hour news studios to reality talent shows. The confidence that these organisations have shown in our products is testament to the quality of light produced.  Within the last six months we have also seen the introduction of a number of LED Fresnel products - like the Sola range from Litepanels - that offer a harder light source (with all the single shadow properties of a typical Fresnel light) combined with the energy and heat-free benefits of LED.  These fixtures do offer significantly more punch than their flat-panel brethren and are therefore able to cope with greater distances. In any event, it is clear that the whole LED market is moving towards ever larger fixtures to address this need and the 2K and 5K tungsten equivalents are not so far away.  In terms of the colour temperature / light quality issue, the move towards HD has helped strengthen the case for daylight-balanced lighting fixtures because the chips in the latest high-definition cameras are more sensitive to blue light and images captured with these cameras therefore appear more vibrant and alive when daylight-balanced lighting has been used rather than tungsten. Please don’t take my word for it, though – set up some camera tests and capture images using a variety of different lights and colour temperatures.  I’m confident the results will speak for themselves…

As a final thought, I would like to make the point that all LEDs are not the same. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and the market has seen an explosion in the number of companies promoting LED lights and panels, many at a third of the price of premiums brands like Litepanels et al. Buyer beware! To be blunt, any company can purchase a batch of off-the-shelf LEDs to create a bright, cheap panel that (they claim) will be ideal for use in a professional broadcast environment. Experience shows, however, that these panels will look very different even just a few months after purchase. Many companies achieve very bright results by applying too much voltage to the LEDs inside their lights and so overdrive them. Fast forward a few months of even modest use and the colour temperature of the light output will have shifted, giving the lights a distinctly green or magenta hue.  This can also happen when fixtures are regularly dimmed.  I have even seen some products being sold with magenta filters in the box in order to try and off-set this effect, which strikes me as a flagrant acceptance of guilt if ever there was one! Companies like Litepanels have invested an enormous amount of time and money into R&D in order to offer products that provide consistent performance and consistent colour temperature over the lifespan of the fixture. These products are certainly not cheap, but high-quality products rarely are.  Professionals in the broadcast industry need to work with tools that offer reliability and consistency of performance – their livelihoods and reputations depend on it – so why take risks with unproven products that will disappoint and quickly need to be replaced? It’s false economy.  Having attended both the BVE (London) and NAB (Las Vegas) shows this year, I was heartened by the number of visitors to the Vitec booth who openly admitted they had previously bought cheaper LED lights and were disappointed with the results so wanted to talk to us. Maybe this means the tide is turning and users are beginning to consider the issue of ‘value’ over and above the ticket price.  

In conclusion, I feel that the future for LED as a lighting platform is, if you’ll pardon the pun, very bright indeed. Some of the world’s foremost broadcasters (e.g. CNBC, CNN, BBC and CBS, to name but a few) are embracing and moving over to LED in recognition of the cost, environmental and operational benefits these products offer and we’re only going to see this trend continue in the next few years, especially as more and more studios are refurbished or created from what was previously commercial office space. There are certainly challenges – we need to keep pushing the boundaries in terms of fixture size and light output – but these are technology issues and, as I noted at the beginning of this piece, the technology landscape in this business rarely stays static for long.  

For more information on Litepanels’ range of energy-saving LED lighting fixtures, please visit www.litepanels.com or www.lcauk.com

LCA's New Litepanel Battery Kit

LCA is proud to announce it's first step into the manufacturing of equipment for the film and TV industry.

First to come out of the blocks is the Litepanels Battery Kit, which has many great features including a combined charger and PSU which allows you to run the unit on AC and charge the battery at the same time. Not only that, battery charge time is fast - just 2 hours!

 Features include:

• High Power 100W Lithium
• Fast Charge (2 hours) 
• Overload Protection (auto reset)
• Twin Outputs (can power 2 heads)
• Fits all Litepanel 1x1 models
• Combined Charger and PSU – allows you to run the unit on AC and charge the battery at the same time (no other charger does) 
• No additional mounting plate required 
• Push Button Voltage Meter
• Conforms to Air Transport Regulations(see - www.idx-europe.co.uk/pdfs/other/IDX_transport_declaration.pdf)
  
  
   
  Technical Specification
  
  Kit Contents 
• 1 x 100w Battery
• 1 x Charger / PSU 
• 1 x Charger Mains Lead
• 1 x Universal Mounting Bracket
• 1 x DC Jumper Lead
• 2 x Bracket Screws
  
  Battery
• Lithium Manganese
• Lithium Content - 7.9g
• Nominal Voltage - 25.2V
• Running Time - approx 2.4 hours
• Auto Disconnect at 15V
• Internal self resetting electronic fuse
• Dimensions (cm) - L155 x H85 x W52
• Weight - 764g 
• Twin Output Connectors – 2.4mm socket
• Voltage Meter – 5 segment LED
  
  Charger
• Input Voltage – 110v to 250v
• Charge Time - approx 2hrs
• Dimensions (cm) – L160 x H75 x W52
• Weight – 512g
• Input Connector – IEC panel mount
• Output Connector – 2.4mm plug on flying lead
• Charging & Charged LED indicators

The Litepanels Battery Kit is now available to purchase - simply call the office on +44 (0)20 8833 7600 or email sales@lcauk.com.


The Litepanels Battery Kit - made in Great Britain by LCA - Lights, Camera, Action

It's a Briese...Lighting Boy Band, JLS

Recently shot on the banks of the River Thames, the latest JLS music video was lit on the south bank near London Bridge by Briese Lighting's 140.

August Jakobsson , DoP, used the Briese as it was the ideal large soft directional beauty light - it was easy to move and rig on a mega boom and created a beautiful soft pool of light wrapping around the 4 singers. 

 

The Briese 140 H specs:

Lamp options: 

1200w MSR daylight, 2500w MSR daylight, 2000w tungsten, Low volt tungsten (Equivalent to 5000w)
 

Standard kit diffusion: 

1/4 Grid Cloth, 1/2 Grid Cloth
 

Optional diffusion: 

1/4 silk, Full silk
Honeycomb option
 

Dimensions: 

Diameter 140cm, Depth 104cm, Weight 8.2kg

 

 

For more information on Briese Lighting, contact the LCA team on +44 (0)20 8833 7600 or visit our website http://www.lcauk.com

DoP David Procter's on Set with K5600 Alphas

 David Procter, DoP, gives us an insight into a recent shoot for SKY using the K5600 Alphas.

GARDEN SCENE

The client wanted a sunlit garden exterior and there was no option of either shooting abroad or for a studio build. The camera moves 360 degrees through the scene so I knew that operator shadows would quickly become a problem.

To get up high we looked into the Luminys Softsun units, crane mounted, but unfortunately it was beyond the restraints of the budget. The next realistic solution was a pair of Alpha18k which I knew I could take to the top of a 5-Stage Stratosafe and tilt sharply downwards without the usual problems of HMI tilt limit.

Carefully flagging the spread from both units, double shadows were avoided and using half CTS I was able to achieve a believable sunlight effect over the scene. I wrapped the exposed uprights of the stratosafes with a faux bark that we had manufactured by Palmbrokers so that if caught in the back of shot, they passed as thin tree-trunks.

I was even able to evoke an optical flare as the camera swung into the lights, further selling, the summer's afternoon aesthetic. The Apha18Ks were the perfect tools for the job, on budget.

STATION SCENE

For the train station location, on which I used three Alpha4K units, we were shooting on an operational train platform with strict limitations on light position & space.

Whilst there is rigging space in the platform awning, there was pigeon netting which we were under strict instruction not to touch. Once again we had a 360 degree field of view on a wide lens and hence had very little space to hide lights.

As it was a very particular set of demands, I looked into the photometrics of all lights that could physically be concealed from their shot, even the Kinoflo Vistabeam 600 didn't give enough footcandles.

Due to the Alpha 4K's slim-line design and unique tilt ability, I sincerely believe that no other light on the market could have achieved what we needed without compromising the shot.

Production Companies: Capture / Still Productions

Producers: Matthew Jones & Sylvie Campenois
Agency: WCRS

Director: Gary Salter

DoP: David Procter

Gaffer: Aaron Szogi

Lighting Supplied by: Panalux / Piximotion

Camera: Filmscape Media

Welcome to the LCA blog page

Hello!

Welcome to our new blog page - we hope to bring you the latest news, product reviews, tips and techniques - pretty much anything to do with the film and TV lighting.

So enjoy, happy reading and we look forward to your comments.


The LCA team