LOS ANGELES
The television industry can barely catch its collective breath with all the recent advances in digital and high definition equipment, but perhaps little noticed are the advances in the related field of entertainment lighting technology.
In particular is the coming of age of LED lighting, based on the success and the economy of scale that this technology is having in the automotive, architectural and digital signage industries. Many of these new and innovative lighting instruments share the qualities of small size, high efficiency, low-power consumption and brilliant and accurate color reproduction.
LITEPANELS
It’s only been a few years since Litepanels was the first to market with their MiniPlus system of LED units, which have become popular with ENG crews. At first their line consisted of only a daylight-balanced, wide-angle on-camera light that was supplied with stick-on gels to adjust to tungsten color balance and a built-in dimmer to control the intensity. To this original product they’ve added a spot design and also a native tungsten-balanced unit and more recently they’ve introduced two LED ring lights that also mount directly to the camera.
Completing their current catalogue is a larger 1x1-foot panel light that can be grouped together with optional brackets to make either a larger 2x2-foot or 4x4-foot unit which the company says has the output of a 4000 W light (with the wide units) or an 8000 W light (with the spot units), yet draws only 6.5 amps at 120 V AC. One other unique feature of these lights is that the LED globes can last up to 100,000 hours, thus helping to amortize their higher cost versus more conventional lights by saving in globe replacements. The thin profile of these lights makes them very useful in small sets and practical locations and optional batteries that attach to the back of the lights eliminate any cords when that would be helpful.
ELEMENT LABS
Element Labs, another established LED lighting manufacturer, introduced its Kelvin line of film and video lighting instruments at NAB in April.
Previously their larger LED light units had been used in theatrical and music venues by the likes of Madonna, Prince and even at the Grammy awards show as illuminated set pieces. Their products are distinguished by combining red, green and blue LEDs that can be adjusted by a wireless remote controller (like a television channel changer) to be daylight or tungsten presets or any other color for that matter. So in addition to never having to buy another globe (they claim a 30-50,000 hour life) you might never have to buy a color gel again.
Element calls this “digital gelling” and their line presently consists of a small brick unit, appropriate for on-camera use or for hiding in small areas such as one might need for product photography or in a car interior. A larger four-foot-long classic softlight unit known as the “Kelvin Bank,” puts out 640 footcandles at 3.3 feet while drawing only 256 W, and would be appropriate for portraiture or even set lighting. According to Element, these units maintain a very high color rendering index (CRI) of 95 between 3200 and 6500K resulting in a quality of light very similar to a tungsten source, which scores a perfect 100 on the index.
KINO FLO
Last month, Element Labs inked a deal with Kino Flo, a Burbank, Calif.-based developer of professional lighting systems, to rent Element’s LED technology to the professional lighting industry. Kino-Flo, which originally introduced color correct photographic quality fluorescent lighting, also has ventured into the LED arena with their Koloris line of cool-lighting fixtures.
Designed to add up to 1.6 million colors to the TV or movie set, they can even be attached to the industry-standard DMX dimmer control to add the illusion of movement to the color effects. Koloris comes in two sizes, either 25 or 50 W and connects to a four-channel control panel, and they can be arranged in long rows as if a single unit.
In response to customer requests for super thin and low profile units like the LED lights already mentioned, Kino Flo has also introduced another new instrument it calls “Barfly.” This 2.5-inch- deep light promises more lumens per square inch than any other color correct fluorescent on the market and comes in both a 100 and 200 W version.
(click thumbnail)Rosco LitePad “Everywhere Light”
ROSCO
Another notable advancement, while not an LED unit per se is the Rosco LitePad “Everywhere Light.” It is only 1/3 of an inch thick and comes in sizes ranging from 3x3 inches to 12x12 inches and can be hidden almost anywhere that a larger, more typical fixture would never fit, such as in a door jam or on a mirror. It can also be mounted on a dark stairway floor backstage to be used for safety illumination so talent or technicians can see where they’re going. This unit also promises long life in the neighborhood of 70,000 hours and burns at a bluish 7000K color temperature.
While I still use conventional lighting instruments like my Mole Richardson 200 W Minis and 1000 W babies that haven’t changed in their design for 30 years or more, I find these new innovations and advances in lighting technology very exciting and by adding them to the lighting repertoire I feel that their use can’t help but rejuvenate and invigorate the modern lighting director’s work and make everyone look good.
