I just flew in from Vegas, and boy, are my arms tired! (Add a rim shot to my cheesy joke and you’re just one polyester leisure suit away from a stereotypical Las Vegas lounge act.) But even amongst the gaudiness of “sin city”, there are jewels. Each April, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention becomes one of those highlights. Thousands of exhibitors gather each year for this media mega-show. Just a few will be mentioned in my article. If you don’t see a topic or company you’re looking for here, check out MicroFilmmaker contributing writer AJ Wedding’s commentary too. Together, we’ll bring you an overview of some of the best products in the industry.
As our regular readers already know, I am MFM’s Lighting and Cinematography editor. A lot of my interests lie in finding out what beneficial new technologies are out there to help you light your sets more easily and efficiently. This year, I was able to spend some time with Ken Fisher, co-founder of Litepanels, at his booth. Litepanels manufactures high output LED lighting units for film and video. As lighting has evolved over the years from tungsten bulbs to fluorescent to LED hardware, companies like Litepanels have made a big splash in the industry. LED lights are cool to the touch and draw minimal power during operation. They are also lightweight and compact. This year Litepanels displayed its recently released bi-color Litepanel, which allows users to customize color temperature anywhere between 3200 and 5600 degrees Kelvin without re-lamping, using color gels or changing the fixture altogether. This is a significant improvement for gaffers in practical terms on set; saving a lot of time and energy and providing increased flexibility. MFM will be bringing you reviews of Litepanel products in upcoming issues, so keep an eye out for those.
Another advance in lighting technology I saw this year is encapsulated in International Supplies’ Color Balance Lens. This product really caught my eye and I can’t wait to review it and find out if it does everything it promises to do. I don’t know if you’ve ever spent an inordinate amount of time in post trying to color correct footage that went awry, but I have. What a pain! And, let’s face it, sometimes it just doesn’t come out right no matter what you do. The Color Balance Lens promises to save time and create better color in raw footage using its combination of grooves, reflectors and condensers that create a more accurate representation of light falling on the subject. A round plastic disk, its unassuming looks can be deceiving. The white side is meant for use in mixed light, low light or cloudy conditions. The gray side is for use in studio flash photography or in direct sunlight. With a price point beginning at less than $100 US, this is a product that may be well worth the money.
