TECHNIQUE AERIAL LIGHTING
confusion, because nobody knows what to expect.” Realising they needed a known brand, they turned to Aputure, whose fixtures offered the quality and output they needed, while fitting into the existing workflow on set. Gaffers could control the airborne light from the same workstation they were already using and, importantly, everyone knew what they were getting. “If the production asks us what kind of light sources we can provide, and we tell them it’s an Aputure 600c, everybody knows what we are talking about.” “We did a little bit of modification to the fixture and to the power supply that needs to go on the drone as well, and we have to find the correct batteries to power the light,” he continues. “Everything gets combined and compressed to a small package.” The current set-up can carry up to an Aputure 600c Pro II, which Mandelbaum describes as about the heaviest fixture they can put on the platform. The payload limit is around 12.5kg, while the complete drone, gimbal and accessories weigh 18-19kg. Weight has an obvious impact on flight time, too. “We’re aiming for a flight time of 15 minutes with a 600c Pro II,” he says. “It’s more or less ten minutes, with a little bit of safety margin.” They’re also working with smaller Aputure fixtures, including the 400x, which Mandelbaum says has “a lot of output power for its size”. The idea is simple: less weight means more time in the air, giving another option when the job doesn’t require the full power of the 600c Pro II. They are now experimenting with a 19° spotlight too, including a version for the 400x – looking at how they can strip the spotlight down to its lenses and 3D-print the rest to keep the package light enough to fly. It’s a hassle, but the creative potential is alluring: the source can move with the action, sweep across a location or pick out an actor from above. On one recent project, UPUP used a spotlight on the drone to mimic a police helicopter searchlight. For Call My Agent Berlin , they used it to recreate the red glow of a flare moving over the treeline. The effect can be more subtle too. On Mother Mary , the light drone had to stay above a group of actors moving through a garden, with the light moving between
them as they crossed the scene. “The drone had to always be on top of them, and the light had to randomly move, but sometimes catch them as they were moving through the scene,” says Mandelbaum. “There were so many moving parts and so many technical challenges for this project, which was very fun to work on.” As with any aerial work, there are limitations. Wind can be an issue if the light needs to remain static, while rain and snow require the drone and fixture to be protected. But as seasoned pros, Mandelbaum and the UPUP team are unfazed by challenges and have learned how to work around most of them. One big key to success is making the most of the limited time the light can actually spend in the air. “You have to get the communications right: everybody
WHEN creatives see it , THEY’RE LIKE, ‘Oh, I can do this now’ , AND THE REQUESTS GET CRAZY”
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