Digital Video - November 2007 - (Page 43) Numerous LED sources were built into the spaceship sets constructed for the recent sci-fi thriller Sunshine, giving the practical lighting approach a soft, modern glow. Channel paranormal series). “We’ve got to be flexible, fast and still get great pictures. We used to use the Frezzi on-camera lights, which were great—but they were a little more spotty than I liked. We switched over to the Litepanels MiniPlus LED lights for the cameras and we really love them. Certainly don’t miss the heat of the Frezzis!” Cinematographer Alwin Kuchler recently utilized LED technology for principal lighting and integrated a considerable number of LED practicals into the Icarus II spaceship set built for director Danny Boyle’s recent sci-fi thriller Sunshine. unobtrusively light practical taxicab interiors for Michael Mann’s 2004 thriller Collateral, Cinematographer Paul Cameron turned to electroluminescent sheets that he could cut into any shape and BEING SEEN AND THE EL WORD Electroluminescent technology was popularized in the early ‘90s by Timex Corp.’s Indiglo watches. Afterward, it began popping up in household devices such as nightlights and digital clocks, as well as in vehicle instrument gauge panels. Further developments in efficiency of the EL material led to architectural applications where the paper-thin material was carefully crafted in different colors to create lighted signs that were cooler, more efficient and had a significantly longer lifespan than their neon counterparts. The Bridgewater, Mass.-based company Being Seen Technologies, Inc. (www.beingseen.com) manufactures electroluminescent products for a wide variety of uses. In addition to EL Cable in varying colors and widths from .1 in. to .15 in., these illuminated cables look much like lighted neon and can be easily bent into any shape. Being Seen also offers EL sheets in 24 in. x 17 in., 17 in. x 12 in., 12 in. x 8.5 in., or 6 in. x 17 in., all of which can be cut to virtually any shape and size. These sheets and cables are available in up to 15 different colors and are fully dimmable, don’t emit heat and have extraordinarily long life spans. As of yet, there are no electroluminescent manufacturers creating colors with high CRI in the tungsten to daylight Kelvin range for use in film and video, but that hasn’t stopped creative filmmakers from utilizing this new technology. While puzzling over how to www.dv.com ELECTROLUMINESCENT (EL) SHEETS AND CABLES ARE FULLY DIMMABLE, EMIT NO HEAT AND CAN BE CUT TO VIRTUALLY ANY SHAPE AND SIZE. merely tape onto strategic locations around the cab’s interior to light up the film’s principal actors. With Cameron shooting highdefinition video with the Viper FilmStream camera—set with very high gain—the battery-operated pieces of luminescent paper became the key source for co-stars Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx while driving in the cab. The green-cyan hue that the EL paper emitted fell perfectly in line with Cameron’s palette (and, later, Cinematographer Dion Beebe, who completed the project). WHAT’S NEXT? New technology is being introduced into the marketplace every day. LED technology, especially, is being exploited by many manufacturers for the film and video industry. Wandering the aisles of your local hardware and electrical supply stores, you never know what new and exciting technology might be the solution to your lighting conundrums. DV DV contributing editor Jay Holben was a director of photography for eight years before turning to produce and direct fulltime. He has been a contributing writer to American Cinematographer for more than 10 years. dv november 2007 COURTESY TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX 43 http://www.beingseen.com http://www.dv.com
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