“Having a light like the Celeb IKON that’s just so clean, hundred percent output at full saturation, these units had all the punch I needed to tell my story.”
– DP Kristian Dane Lawing
Local 600 Director of Photography Kristian Dane Lawing and his crew put the new Kino Flo Celeb IKON through its paces on the set in the unpredictable weather of the South. The production faced harsh weather and the Celeb IKONs held up perfectly with their IP65 rugged build.
Watch how the Celeb IKONs performed in the BTS video
The Celeb IKON is a powerful softlight that delivers its full 600 watts of power to each color point (not only the white points) so it is providing some of the brightest colors from a softlight. It also improves on what has been regarded as a leader in color science from Kino Flo with its new RGB-wW cW LED light engine, delivering near perfect color spectrum.
Celeb IKON also features an integrated power supply, wireless DMX, standard DMX and a touch screen for manual control. It has a variety of light shaping and diffusion accessories to help soften and control its output. The Celeb IKON also has a removable front diffusion for when youre looking to push the light through a larger source diffusion.
“Having a light that’s IP65, especially here in the variable weather conditions in Georgia is just vital. There’s no way around it. These lights today have been through crazy sun like you see now, and torrential rain earlier today.”
– DP Kristian Dane Lawing
Watch the full Celeb IKON video “Who IS the Real Star?” at
Revolutionary solution for lighting talent, wardrobes, and sets
LOS ANGELES – KINO FLO, the world’s leader in lighting products for movies, television, and broadcast, announces the release of the first of its revolutionary family of products, the Celeb IKON 6. This breakthrough in lighting technology features a powerful new LED engine that offers near-perfect daylight and tungsten color space spectrums .
“KINO FLO has always been known and relied upon for the best possible color spectrum available and the way it lights skin, costumes, and sets for quality film and television productions; and now our high color fidelity just got higher,” says Kino Flo Founder Frieder Hochheim. “The new Celeb IKON family of soft panels’ ability to provide great color has grown and evolved with these products. Kino Flo always had unmatched color science and now it is near perfect.” He adds that while most daylight and tungsten color spectrums have a blue or red spike, the Celeb family of lights broadens and extends the spike in those respective color spaces without mixing a variety of colors to obtain that broad spectrum of white light. “It’s matchless.”
The Celeb IKON 6 is an IP65-rated softlight for gaffers, directors of photography, and rental houses wanting powerful lights for indoor and outdoor environments. Setting it apart from others on the market is the all new innovative RGB-cW-wW LED engine which provides full power not just to all white points, but to all color points as well. It provides a new confidence in moving from warm to daylight tones and easily solves color rendering challenges creatives face on today’s sets. The LED system includes two greatly improved full-spectrum white sources that deliver the broadest spectrum of quality white light available.
A Must-Have for Your Production Arsenal
“This is the best possible out-of-the-box solution for lighting talent, wardrobes, and sets,” says Global Brand Manager Alan Ipakchi. He adds that crews are greatly welcoming the IP65 aspect. “Weather-resistant lighting used to be a luxury in film, but now it’s vital, and we’re hearing from crews that while a sudden rain storm can cause a delay in the schedule for hours, now they return and fire up the Celeb and get right back to work. This is already a must-have for anyone’s production arsenal.”
The True Match® software is managing this new broad spectrum LED package making on-board control quick and easy for programmers to remotely configure and operate the Celeb IKON via RDM and DMX. LumenRadio wireless DMX comes standard, plus there’s an option of choosing Multiverse wireless DMX when purchased or added later through the KINO FLO service center.
“This first IKON product in the family is the IKON6 that is 600 watts, and coming soon is the powerful IKON12 that is 1200-watts” Ipakchi says. “In a market of mixing a variety of colors to obtain white light, it’s just about staying true to our core pillar and using the best white light color space available.” The 600 version is a 2×1 fixture with the 1200 being a 4×1 traditional Kino Flo form factor fixture. All products from this line have a removable front diffusion, and multiple zones that can be controlled as well.
Continuing the KINO FLO Legacy
The main feature that has technicians excited is the RGB-cW-wW LED Engine with expanded White Space and Color Space Spectrums. But there is also an SDI port for gen locking the IKON to camera/video signals, a unique offering making this uniquely perfect for virtual production as well. The removable diffusion and the Ethercon In/Out Ethernet ports combined with the 5 Pin XLR DMX In/Out ports make it incredibly flexible and easy to use in almost any setting.
Other standard features include Data Pass Thru on both DMX and Ethernet Lines; RDM/sACN/ArtNet; USB-C for storing and loading presets; firmware updates via USB-C; DC battery input via 3 pin XLR; and jr pin mount and feet for easy staging, mounting, and hanging. It all adds up to continuing the KINOFLO legacy of dynamic, innovative products for this market.
The CELEB IKON is now available for pre-order. Sign up to receive the latest Celeb IKON news: https://kinoflo.com/ikon/
“The color space as it relates to the cameras is something that we’ve known Kino Flo has been at the forefront of lighting throughout their history. And that hasn’t changed, it’s only gotten better.”
“We have a formula for how we like to light studios. It’s definitely a combination of soft light and hard light to create a nice level of light for the cameras.”
“Part of the process today was to put different skin tones, different hue values, through their paces.”
“The color science of these lights is so good, you don’t see the green spike or the red spike which causes different kinds of skin tones to react differently on camera.”
“Because my history is in fashion, skin tones are always super important to me. Coming into this project knowing the spectrum of the lights that we were going to be using, I wanted to put together a camera package that would leverage and harness the quality of light that the lights were giving me.”
“The overall concept for this production was to build a base of the Diva fixtures and then lay in a small Leko in order to sculpt out a neckline. The two fixtures worked really well together. We were really happy and surprised how well the Divas and Ovation Rêves did together.”
“Being able to use these new Diva Luxes really gave us the base we needed to create a picture in conjunction with the Ovation Rêves, allowing us to come over top of that beautiful soft light and sculpt a picture, modeling faces to give a three-dimensional sense in a two-dimensional medium.”
LiteGear is acquired by Chauvet to expand leadership in the cinematic lighting industry
Burbank, CA – LiteGear, the innovative cinematic LED lighting manufacturer, is excited to announce its acquisition by Chauvet, a leading name in the lighting industry. This strategic acquisition aligns with Chauvet’s vision to broaden its reach and expertise in the realm of professional cinematic lighting. LiteGear, renowned for its pioneering products such as LiteRibbon, LiteMat, and LiteTile, is the latest addition to Chauvet’s prestigious roster, which includes other notable brands like Kino Flo and ChamSys. This merger brings together a powerhouse of expertise and innovation, promising to elevate the standards of cinematic lighting solutions.
With this acquisition, Chauvet is excited to introduce the Chauvet Cinema Group (CCG), a dedicated division focused on expanding cinematic lighting markets. This new division, led by industry veteran Mike Wagner, will drive the mission to venture into new lighting markets catering to image capture. The Chauvet Cinema Group will commence with the Kino Flo and LiteGear brands with plans for further expansion to include other brands. In a statement, Wagner expressed excitement about the merger citing, “Our objective is clear — we are developing a new playbook to become the market leader in cinematic lighting. By combining the strengths of LiteGear and Kino Flo under the Chauvet umbrella, we are poised to deliver unparalleled innovation and value to our customers.”
The collaborative efforts of LiteGear and Kino Flo will channel decades of experience and a commitment to advancing cinematic lighting technology while fostering education and community engagement. The Chauvet Cinema Group is poised to play a significant role in supporting and rebuilding the lighting industry amid challenging times. “Joining Chauvet enables LiteGear to offer a wider variety of products to our customers than ever before,” said LiteGear co-founder Mike Bauman. “We will be focusing on what the community needs and ensuring that new products come from the work, as LiteGear has always done.” LiteGear, under the Chauvet Cinema Group, will bring cinematic lighting forward into the future with cutting-edge technology, world-class customer service, and innovative products that meet the high standards of film professionals.
LiteGear co-founder Al DeMayo added, “The ongoing changes in our industry highlighted the need for a strong partner to continue offering the best to our customers. Chauvet’s world-class manufacturing and global reach make it the perfect partner, and we are thrilled about the future possibilities.”
LiteGear partnered with Gary Rabishaw at Intrepid Investment Bankers and Andrew Apfelberg at Greenberg Glusker to complete this industry-changing acquisition.
About Chauvet: Chauvet is a leader in the lighting industry, known for its high-quality and innovative products that serve a variety of professional lighting applications, including cinematic, architectural, and event lighting.
About LiteGear: Founded by Mike Bauman and Al DeMayo, LiteGear offers innovative LED lighting solutions for film and television, renowned for its dedication to quality and creativity on set.
FAQs
Service Continuity
Will my order or repair be interrupted?
There will not be an interruption with services, including orders and repairs.
Will my existing account remain active?
Your associated accounts including sales, service, rental, and ecommerce will remain active and unchanged.
Pricing and Billing
Will prices change after the merger?
Although limited products may see a price increase, the majority of the LiteGear product portfolio will remain unchanged.
Customer Support
Will customer service contact details remain the same?
All LiteGear contact information including our location, emails, phone, and website URL will remain the same.
Will the merger affect the quality of customer service?
You will continue to receive the same world-class industry leading customer service you have come to expect from LiteGear.
Product Changes
Will there be changes to the products I use?
There will be no immediate changes to your products. The mission of LiteGear and the Chauvet Cinema Group is to continually improve by developing cutting-edge products and technology for you.
Will new features or products be introduced?
LiteGear, under Chauvet, will focus on releasing a wider variety of lighting products and features for image capture applications.
Will certain products be discontinued?
No changes will be made to the LiteGear product portfolio at this time.
Brand and Identity
Will the company name or branding change?
The LiteGear name and branding will remain the same. The Chauvet Cinema Group will include the LiteGear and Kino Flo brands, creating a powerhouse of innovation and service for the cinema lighting industry.
Will there be changes to the website, or other platforms I use?
The LiteGear website and social media addresses will remain the same.
Will my customer experience differ due to cultural shifts?
The LiteGear culture of innovation, community, integrity, passion, and quality will remain the same. You will continue to receive the same industry leading customer service you have come to expect from us.
Transition Timeline
When will the merger take effect?
The merger takes effect on January 23, 2025.
Impact on Locations or Availability
Will physical locations remain open?
LiteGear will remain at our current location, 4406 Vanowen Street, Burbank, CA 91505 Our days and hours remain are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30PM
Will the LiteGear expand or reduce its service areas?
LiteGear and Chauvet Cinema Group will expand into new markets while providing high-quality lighting products to lighting professional worldwide.
Full-Spectrum, Image-Based Video Lighting Tile Synchronizes With LED Volume Content to Deliver Unprecedented Realism for Music Video
BURBANK, Calif. — Feb. 13, 2024 — Kino Flo Lighting Systems today announced that its MIMIK 120 full-spectrum, image-based video lighting tile was utilized by Hollywood-based digital film production company Fearless Productions in Project Chimera — a music video designed to demonstrate the capabilities of the very latest in virtual production technology. For the video, Fearless Productions utilized a variety of MIMIKs in different configurations on a virtual production LED stage to light talent and a Tarform electric motorcycle with full-spectrum color, creating a more realistic and immersive viewing experience.
Set to drum and bass electronic music by Janaka Selekta, Project Chimera combines an action storyline with an abstract interpretation of a classical Indian dance performance — all set in a cyberpunk future — to tell the story of a love triangle. Filmed on a virtual production stage at Fuse Technical Group, the video was shot with RED Komodo 6K digital cinema cameras with Fujinon Premistas zoom lenses. It also showcases a wide range of cutting-edge technologies for the creation of AR objects, camera tracking, and motion control, with Kino Flo’s MIMIK 120 synchronizing lighting on the virtual set with Unreal Engine content playing on the LED volume.
Optimized for virtual production environments and for delivering extended spectral bandwidth and cinematic color fidelity when lighting talent and set elements the patented Kino Flo Matchmakker algorithm converts the incoming RGB video wall signal into four or more individual emitters — RGB-WW-CW for the MIMIK 120 — generating synchronized foreground lighting that delivers the utmost realism on virtual sets, including natural skin tones and accurate renderings of colorful costumes.
“With Project Chimera, our goal was to show how technology can bring the unimaginable to life — through the video and a series of short documentary videos showing how we did it,” said Snehal Patel, director and producer at Fearless Productions. “Representing a monumental leap forward in virtual production lighting, the MIMIK 120 played a key role. In addition to providing higher brightness and better spectral response curves than LED walls, the MIMIK actually uses the content on the LED volume to light actors and foreground objects. This gives the gaffer and cinematographer a whole new toolset to utilize, allowing them to deliver unprecedented realism that completely immerses viewers into the cyberpunk world we’ve created.”
Delivering 10,000-nits brightness, the adaptable MIMIK 120 is designed to be stacked like a video wall, flown as a ceiling, or put on traditional lighting rigs. For Project Chimera, Fearless Productions utilized eight panels in an 8-foot-by-8-foot video wall configuration — featuring a ground support system that allowed it to be easily moved to meet the needs of the shot — while eight additional units were mounted on separate mobile lighting rigs. The lighting system is controlled by the Megapixel VR HELIOS LED processor.
“With control via a Megapixel Helios processor, the MIMIK 120 integrates seamlessly into the world of virtual production,” added Patel. “We were able to use the same processor and interface for the lighting system and LED volume, which allowed us to work far more efficiently. Using the processor, all we had to do was route video data throughout the lighting system over Ethernet, sending different pieces of background content to different panels to get the exact look we wanted. As a result, we were able to change setups very quickly. Over a two-day period, that allowed us to complete a staggering 86 shots, and was essential to our completing the project on time and under budget. We already have a variety of additional projects lined up for the panels, including virtual production, volumetric filming on a 3D capture stage, and practical driving shots.”
“By mimicking what’s on the LED volume, Kino Flo’s MIMIK 120 represents a huge leap forward in lighting for virtual production — the difference it makes in terms of light interactivity and the verisimilitude of the image can’t be overstated,” said project cinematographer Robert McLachlan, ASC, CSC. “I can see it being especially useful in driving shots, by providing cinematographers with complete control over reflections in windows instead of relying on compositors, who don’t always know how pronounced reflections should be.”
To view the behind-the-scenes footage of the music video, viewers can visit the Kino Flo YouTube channel here. For more information on Kino Flo and its products, visit www.kinoflo.com.
Gaffer Lů Mořický built a paradise for a shopping mall TVC with some creative rigging and Kino Flo.
The studio-like setup for a night shoot in a shopping mall may have required some funny rigging, but with a bit of rope to suspend a Celeb 850 with 6×4 ft softbox above the scene, the result was heavenly:
Behind every good meal is a love story. Tesco’s Food Love Stories TVC series shows real people making real recipes.
DoP Ian Murray shares his production notes:
With Tescos the brief was to create delicious looking food in a lifestyle environment. For the first sequence mainly lighting through the windows then supplementing it with soft controllable lights. When we went to the side shots we had to wrap the lights more around the subjects to create contact.
When we went to the table shot at the end we blacked out the windows and created the maximum amount of shape by continuing the theme of hard late afternoon sun backlight with soft side and 3/4 light front light, as if it’s bouncing off the walls around the rooms. For food, I always start with a very soft top light then a low hard side light then build it from there.
DoP Byonghoon Jo shares his setup and results on the set of short film Loners.
The scene is in a basketball court and we waited for the sunlight through the window and hazed it up. Because we were relying on the sun and the actors were running with the ball, we needed a quick and soft fill light. We used a Kino Flo Celeb 850 and matched the color temperature to the natural light with the passage of time.
Credits
Director: Heui Song Son Cinematographer: Byonghoon Jo Gaffer: Dol Fino
Kino Flo’s MIMIK 120 Continues Winning Ways With Latest Accolade: 2023 HPA Award for Engineering Excellence
For Utmost Realism in Virtual Productions, Image-Based Video Lighting Tile Mirrors LED Volume Via RGB Video Signals, With Patented Conversion Algorithm
Burbank, California — Sept. 27, 2023 — Kino Flo Lighting Systems today announced that its MIMIK 120 full-spectrum, image-based video lighting tile has been honored with a 2023 Hollywood Professionals Association Award for Engineering Excellence. Previously this year, the MIMIK 120 also received the Best of Show Award at the Euro Cine Expo and a Product of the Year Award in the “Location/Studio Lighting” category at the 2023 NAB Show.
The HPA Awards for Engineering Excellence are a coveted honor, denoting outstanding technical and creative ingenuity in media, content production, finishing, distribution, and archiving. A distinguished panel of industry judges review materials and video presentations to determine the shortlist of finalists. The finalists then appear before the panel to answer in-depth questions about their submitted solution. The panel then votes on the top technologies, with the MIMIK 120 chosen as a winner based on the innovation and advancement it delivers for the media and entertainment industry.
“The MIMIK 120 is designed to create a full spectrum color correct lighting environment on virtual sets that perfectly mirrors the LED wall volume via the video signal, ensuring unprecedented realism for every shot,”
said Frieder Hochheim, founder of Kino Flo Lighting Systems. “We believe its capabilities are a game-changer for virtual production, and it’s extremely gratifying to have our efforts acknowledged with these three prestigious awards.”
Optimized for virtual production environments, the 7,200-pixelMIMIK 120 mirrors video content while applying a higher tonal and color rendering range, delivering extended spectral bandwidth and cinematic color fidelity when lighting talent and set elements. The patented Kino Flo algorithm converts the incoming RGB video wall signal into four or more individual emitters — RGB-WW-CW for the MIMIK 120 — generating synchronized foreground lighting that delivers the utmost realism on virtual sets.
Featuring a lightweight carbon fiber frame, the adaptableMIMIK 120 is designed to be stacked like a video wall, flown as a ceiling, or put on traditional lighting rigs. The lighting system is controlled by the Megapixel VR HELIOS LED processor — which provides a level of control that would be limiting if performed through a traditional DMX — and delivers 10,000-nits brightness, along with the ability to shoot as high as 900 frames per second and offer as many as 30 Alpha channels at 30 frames per second. A single processor can control up to 2,100 panels — that’s over 15 million pixels with zero latency — which can also be fully synchronized up to 30 kHz to eliminate flickering and support advanced VR technologies.
The 2023 HPA Awards for Engineering Excellence will be presented at this year’s HPA Awards Gala on November 9 at the Hollywood Legion in Hollywood, California.
Big Easy Queens is a campy romp of a movie that tells the story of archrivals Miss Bouvèé and Poodles Makenzie fighting for turf supremacy in New Orleans. Budgets are always tight and time is a precious commodity when shooting independent film, and especially so for a glam horror project like this one, with its big set pieces and colorful sequences.
We check in with director Erynn Dalton and cinematographer Laszlo Thomas Nador for their thoughts on the ways Kino Flo gear saved time creating big shots and capturing big performances with fast lighting setups.
Lightweight. Fast to set up. And ready to be dialed in.
“It was incredible what we did with a small crew. It is such a difference when you set a light and you don’t have to run for a gel, or you don’t have to run for a diffusion, or you don’t have to go tweak. The versatility of these beautiful Kino Flo Celebs allows us the opportunity to just dial it in.”
–Laszlo Thomas Nador, cinematographer
Saving on color correction whether filming sequins, machine guns or drag queens.
“The speed of setup was a big consideration. We shot this in ten days. If we didn’t have the speedy setups that we did with Kino Flo, we wouldn’t have been able to do it in that amount of time. And, the raw footage, because of these lights, looks amazing, and it’s gonna save us a lot on color correction.”
