softsun

[Guest hoytevanhoytema]

Hi,

 

Anyone worked with the 50KW or 100KW hmi softsun (made by lightningstrikes)? I am considering it for an upcoming project to be shot in a 8000sqm studio.

 

Any shared experiences will be highly appreciated!

 

Hoyte

[Tony Brown]

I've used 10k Softsun for a moonlight effect (fantastic) and the 50kw for daytime use (seriously unimpressed). I got more out of 2 x 12k Pars than the 50kw. Its a pain in the butt to move around too.....

[Kevin Zanit]

Used 100kw one on a feature for a week or so. It had a lot of spread and a lot of punch, but as said before it was kind of "Eh". Maybe try to do some tests down at lightningstrikes to see if its what you are looking for.

 

 

Kevin Zanit

[Guest hoytevanhoytema]

Riku Naskali has sent you this email from

http://www.cinematography.com/forum2004/index.php.

 

 

Hi, I just stumbled upon an old post of your concerning lightning

strikes. You asked for some shared experiences, so now I'm asking some from

you :)

 

Ville Penttilä mentioned some time ago you used two 100kW's, am I

right? He sure seemed to be impressed with them.

 

Can you tell me something else about the production? It's always

exciting to hear something from another perspective, since Ville told me

about the movie.

 

i think the lamps were exactly right for the production. But, they are , as tony said, a hassle to move around... we had them standing on one scissor lift each. Amazing with those lamps is: you can dim them without intervalls...like tungsten. The amount of light is much bigger then anything, but in all not super impressive either... i used them a lot bounced, and that worked fine, since the lamps give a very spreaded beam...

Genarally I liked them, even though, they caused the nessesary trouble too... also, indoors, they turned to hot sometimes.... these lamps where perhaps not tested for a indoors environment, where they burn for 8 hrs in a row, for approximatelty 20 days.

 

if you are interested, here are some stills from the set:

 

http://www.cinematography.nl/phpBB2/module...=view_album.php

 

regards,

hoyte

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

Just out of interest, what is the emissive mechanism in a softsun? It looks like tungsten, but I seem to remember it's some kind of oddball discharge tube.

 

Phil

[Guest hoytevanhoytema]

Hi,

 

Just out of interest, what is the emissive mechanism in a softsun? It looks like tungsten, but I seem to remember it's some kind of oddball discharge tube.

 

Phil

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

hi,

 

some aditional information on the lamps: http://www.lightningstrikes.com/softsun.html

 

hoyte

[Jon Rosenbloom]

I think it's a really pretty light; it's defintely soft, as advertised. Maybe this isn't why some people aren't impressed by its punch.

 

On the other hand, it is a freakin' monster; it helps to have a forklift to mount the light.

[Tony Brown]

On the other hand, it is a freakin' monster; it helps to have a forklift to mount the light.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Not in a Scottish bog it doesn't :blink:

 

I would't hesitate to use it again, but not for a localised 'soft sun' effect. I'd stick with conventional lights for that, more bang per buck to overide ambient light.

 

However in lower level or interiors (heat problems noted) I would think it a good bet.

 

Probably get as good results for fewer $$$ and a bit more thought however. Producers are no longer as blinded by the black art as they once were sadly