LIGHTING SPECIAL
VELVET A compact, colour-tunable fresnel, VELVET’s KOSMOS light promises simple operation with both local and wireless control, including a motorised zoom and remote beam angle adjustment, as well as the best lux-watt ratio currently on the market – in line with VELVET’s commitment to energy efficiency. PANELS Special recognition Litepanels Self-described as the ‘original pioneer in LED panel lighting’ for film and TV, Litepanels has certainly made a name for itself. Besides elevating the production industry, Litepanels has even travelled out of this world by illuminating the ISS. Back on Earth, Litepanels’ Gemini RGBWW LEDs were used on Wicked , lighting the wonderful (fictional) world of Oz, from the Forbidden Forest to the Throne Room. Using over 800 Gemini 2x1 Hard lights, which were rigged across several sound stages, the Wicked crew selected these Litepanels products for their overall quality, colour accuracy, smooth low-end dimming and precise control. Plus, they successfully produced various types of light, from soft, diffused spacelight to background illumination. Litepanels’ Gemini series – which includes the 2x1 Hard as well as 2x1 Soft, 1x1 Hard and 1x1 Soft – is known for its
lightweight design yet intense output. The Gemini 1x1 Hard is the most powerful RGBWW LED of its class, while the 2x1 Hard boasts unparalleled brightness, delivering up to 23,000 lux. Each panel also promises industrial-grade strength alongside an impressively long product life. Special recognition Nanlite Nanlite now offers six collections of LED panels: the Alien, PavoSlim, Compac Bicolour, Compac Daylight, MixPanel and LumiPad. Like its other product lines, the panels are high quality in construction, colour accuracy and versatility – and available at a reasonable cost. Plus, each has a high CRI and TLCI rating, so filmmakers can achieve their desired lighting effects in camera. The Alien 300C, for instance, is Nanlite’s RGBWW LED that’s brighter and lighter than you’d expect. It boasts quick set-up and tear-down thanks in part to its pop- up softbox, and comes with a rain cover to encourage use in inclement outdoor environments. With five ways to control it, via on-board controls, CRMX LumenRadio, DMX/RDM, Bluetooth or 2.5G, the Alien 300C suits any workflow scenario. Elsewhere, the Nanlite PavoSlims promise unprecedented speed and output from an ultra-thin panel; the Compacs provide flattering, soft light via a compact body; the MixPanels offer versatility in both light shape and colour; and the LumiPads create a flattering glow
for its subjects. In other words, whatever the desired effect, Nanlite can do it. Honourable mentions ARRI A modular system with soft and hard light technology, the ARRI SkyPanel X is an all- weather LED solution that’s both durable and innovative. With a high lumen output and flicker-free low-end dimming, plus a rounded beam that’s great for bouncing when used as a hard light, the SkyPanel X gives gaffers the best of both worlds. Creamsource The all-powerful Vortex24 builds on Creamsource’s lower-wattage LED fixtures, boasting 24 pixel zones, 1950W and the company’s own colour management system – all within a compact shell. With precise control and a 20° beam that packs a punch, this panel works well even in the most demanding circumstances. ACCESSORIES Special recognition Astera Don’t be fooled by its appearance; the Astera LunaBulb looks like a normal light but acts like a professional luminaire. A versatile little unit that blends nostalgic aesthetics with modern technology, the LunaBulb will prove a useful addition to any filmmaker’s arsenal.
Exceptional Lighting in a TV Series: Griselda (Netflix, 2024) PEOPLE & PROJECTS
W hen it comes to fantastic lighting on a TV series, the hit 2024 Netflix series Griselda came out on top with our readers. Inspired by the life of cocaine queen-pin Griselda Blanco, this drop- dead-gorgeous series blends seventies glamour with gruesome gang warfare. The lighting plays a key role in bringing the gritty Miami underworld to life and – under the skilled direction of gaffer Cooper Donaldson – captures the era’s aesthetics and enhances the emotional layers of the story. Donaldson, alongside DOP Armando
Salas and director Andrés Baiz, creates a visual atmosphere where light and shadow are narrative tools: as one Def reader put it, it truly ‘feels as though the light is part of the storytelling’. From the warm, nostalgic hues of Griselda’s past to the cool, intense tones of her violent present, the lighting shifts seamlessly to reflect the antiheroine’s evolution. A standout includes the sequin haze of the Mutiny nightclub, shot inside a ballroom in Long Beach. The team deployed a 20x20ft stained-glass Translite ceiling, Cineo
ladder lights and a blend of modern and legacy fixtures, resulting in an immersive atmosphere that nails the period look.
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