Markus Harthum

Hi, on an upcoming show there's going to be a scene where someone runs with a torch through a forest at night. I had this kind of shot quite often before but there's one thing that always bothers me. It's the exposure level of the torch compared to the moonlight. The torch is bright enough to illuminate the person, but not the surroundings. I'd like to have this effect where the shadows from the trees are thrown all around the forest, especially on the wider shots. My idea is to rig a hard lightsource over the torch that travels with it. Depending on the shotsize on a long boom or a wirerig. This light wouldn't hit the person, only the surroundings. I thought of using 2 1k bare bulbs from a 1k fresnel set apart a little and have them flicker. Anyone ever tried this? Or other suggestions? Thanks, Markus

I just added a behringer bcf2000 motorized fader panel to this setup and i have to say so far it really works like a charm. I would still be interested in other experiences.

Hi, Could you explain in detail what kind of laptop setup you use? I tried something similar on a music video lately, but it didn't work that great. Technically everything worked fine but it lacked control. I just used a mac laptop running qlc+ and the enttec artnet node connected to a router and an android smartphone using artnet controller app. The two major problems: without a console with faders ,using just the mouse is really no way to control the lights. When altering the dmx value of a channel using the smartphone, those changes aren't reflected on the laptop and vice versa. So with the time you end up with a pretty messy setup. Does anyone know of a system where the smartphone controls the laptop and not the dmx channels directly? And a fader console to connect to the laptop? Or probably even a setup without the laptop? Just smartphone and console? Regards Markus

Thanks Ed

Hi Walter, thanks for the info. I'm sorry, I'm just confused by the names i guess. what kind of connectors do all these cables have? And banded cable, does that mean its 5 single cables banded together? The 2/0, 4/0 cables are laid seperately? I''m just confused about this banded cable thing, we don't have them over here. Thanks a lot, Markus

So you mean your just using one phase for the whole Set? And this Phase is running on 120v? If you use 3 phase systems are they 400v or 240?

Ok cool, thanks. And concerning the banded cables, are these the single phase runs of the camlok banded together ( Phase 1-3, Ground, neutral), or anything else? Sometimes i see items such as 4-wire banded, or 5 wire banded.

Hi, Im from Europe, Austria, and pretty unfamiliar with the US Power System, but I'd like to learn about it. If someone with experience in this field could help me a little bit would be great. 1st question: What du you use as connection from generator to the set? Camlok? or only on the bigger sets? And are the camlok cables what sometimes seems to be called banded cables? And in what sizes (amp- wise) come these cables? 2nd question. what cables do you use to power the lamps? bates? or are there different systems for different lamps? 3rd : What do you use a grounding cable for? just for grounding the genny? Thanks in advance, if i can help out with the European System let me know. Markus

Hi Thanks for your replys. I think i'll do it in the way described and secure it to the fence, and secure the fence to something else, just in case. Thanks, Markus

Servas alex, so we see us again:-) there will be no danger to people or animals. The lamp will hang over a terrace, which we can close off.

Hi everyone, I need to rig a light outside a window. The light used will be a 2500W HMI Par. The window is in the last floor of a 5 storey high building, so it's not possible to rig it from the ground. But we have access to the roof and i think it's possible to rig from there. I have attached an image to show the shape of the roof, as it is a bit complicated to explain. The roof has a little fence at the edge, an then the first 2 feet or so are lower then the rest of the roof. But the difference in height is just 1/2 feet and can be leveled out with appleboxes. My idea would be to take a 9feet long alluminium pole and rig the light to it, while putting a LOT of weight on the other end. Additionally securing the pole on the fence. The Pole would exceed the edge for 3 feet and stay on the roof for 6 feet. But somehow i think there may be a better solution. Any ideas? Thanks, Markus

Yeah, you name it. To my eye the Tiffen looks more neutral, but the color meter measured a greater color offset. Acutally i always thought these filters are produced to that high standards that absolutely no color shifts occure.

Hi, I'm currently working for a rental house and have recently, while cleaning filters, discovered that the Schneider ND Filters have a slightly different color than the Tiffen Filters. The Schneider Filters seem to be a little bit cooler (bluer) than the Tiffen Filters. I measured them with a color temperature meter, and the Tiffen was about 200 degree Kelvin cooler than the Schneider. Does anyone know if this as generally the case or maybe just with our filters, and if this is also recognisable on film? Markus

Hi everyone, I´m doing some 1fps sunrise shootings for a musicvideo for nearly two months now. And not for one morning the light looked as i imagined it would look. I thought it would be an orange to peach color, slightly diffused and coming from a low angle. But what i now know ist that it is extremely blue as the morning is never withouth clouds (at least not here in Prague). And even if you can see some little orange-peach light at th e horizon it doesnt effect the light hitting the earth. And it is completely diffused. While the sunsets usually are redish, feature an overcast but partly open sky and make everything look warm. And it is directional. So basically its exactly the opposite. Before i started to get up early in the morning and really learn about the lighting conditions i always thought sunrise and sunset would be nearly the same in effect just reversed. Actually i still think it is the same but the weather conditions differ so greatly that it looks so different. Does anyone here has made some furthergoing observations? Maybe from another part of the world, where the weather in the morning is different? Or has some knowledge about lighting for sunset/sunrise settings?Because thats the two setups i always had the greatest difficulties. Maybe because i made my sunrises too red. BTW. My first post, and ist a great forum. Markus Harthum