While LEDs have become more popular in recent years, new plasma lighting technology offers its own benefits over traditional lighting in image capture, says Jonathan Miller, chief technical officer, Hive Lighting
In 2012 we find ourselves in the second half of a generational shift in filmmaking technology from analogue to digital that started in the late 1990s. At the turn of this century only a small percentage of films and television shows being produced were lit, recorded, and finished using digital technology. But it is now clear that by the end of this decade just the opposite will be true, the vast majority of all broadcast content will be produced almost exclusively with digital technologies.
What is exciting about 2012 is that the same shift we saw with digital technologies being adopted in editorial, post effects, sound recording and cameras has finally come to lighting. I think this IBC we are seeing the tipping point into the widespread adoption of solid- state lighting technology. Moving away from traditional filament and electrode based
technologies; lighting manufacturers are bringing a series of exciting new digital options to the industry, specifically LED and plasma lighting.
While LED lighting has been in use on film sets for almost ten years, we are seeing new innovations in improved color quality, higher output and a greater variety of fixtures and features from multiple manufacturers. These
innovations will allow set lighting technicians to shift away from the more traditional lighting fixtures to harness the efficiency, reliability and flexibility that solid-state lighting can provide.
Perhaps even more exciting, plasma lighting technology provides a high quality, energy
efficient, long lasting light source, with the higher output needed for many of the newer trends in digital image capture. With the increasing popularity of IMAX, 3D and super high speed digital cameras, large quantities of light are needed to produce quality images. With energy efficiencies of two to eight times incandescent and metal halide light sources, 30X+ longer bulb life, full spectrum, high CRI, flicker-free, daylight balanced output; plasma is the next exciting step as broadcast and filmmaking moves into the digital age.
Hive Lighting is excited to be showing four new Plasma lighting fixtures at IBC for the first time. Hive’s Hornet, Wasp, Drone and Killer represent four traditional lighting fixtures updated with this new technology (fresnel, par, elliptical spot and maxi array respectively).
Hive Lighting is proud to be Jonathan
Miller: ‘Proud to be on the cutting edge’
on the cutting edge of lighting technology, bringing the benefits of this new innovation in solid-state lighting to image capture professionals worldwide. This year’s IBC
show will be a great opportunity for attendees, delegates and exhibitors to become familiar with all the new options in solid- state lighting. 11.C74