Behind the Scenes with Litepanels Astra 1x1 Bi-Color Soft LED Light
Behind the Scenes with Litepanels Astra 1x1 Bi-Color Soft LED Light
Portable and effective LED lighting can be a lifesaver on set, where time is of the essence and reliability is key. Director of Photography Joe Gunawan used the new Astra Bi-Colour Soft 1x1 LED on his latest short film "Let Her Go" to set the scene and tone for the drama/horror film.
“First, I just want to thank you for letting us use Litepanels to light our movie. It has been a great experience, especially with the Bluetooth Module that makes everything from controlling the Astra Softs to using it as a light gag [much easier],” said Gunawan.
We had a chance to check out the latest Astra 1x1 family member at BVE 2016 this year and were really amazed by the soft output and the quality of light. The new Astra 1x1 Bi Color is really perfect for as a key light in interview setups, but can also be used in narrative dramas whether it be short or feature format.
"Let Her Go" is the story of Jake, a man who finds himself at a psychiatrist’s office attempting to alleviate his guilt over his wife’s death. The film was shot in just 2 days on a hectic schedule, which required Gunawan to use a robust power source he could trust.
Gunawan also used Anton/Bauer CINE batteries to power the Sony FS7 camera they used for this short as well as their SmallHD 702 monitor. He also added:
"We also had a Video Village for the director and we plugged in an Anton/Bauer on that, too. We probably switched batteries four times for each 12-hour period as we were running two monitors. With that camera configuration, the Anton/Bauer batteries proved to be a lot better than other batteries.
And I love the size of the CINE – the size makes it much more streamlined. Also, the LCD screen helped a lot. For me, it helps knowing how much battery life is left when I’m on set. Also, when we’re cycling through six batteries, it helps to know our status on these batteries, which ones need charging and which ones are good to go."