Guy Holt

Call it what you will, but if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and has a beak, it is still a duck. Though Adrian can’t put his finger on it, there is definitely something about remote phosphor LEDs that still doesn’t feel right – it’s the color. While Remote Phosphor LEDs are slightly better than most LEDs panels, they still suffer the inherent limitations of all LEDs that use Remote Phosphor Technology. The bottom line is that there are inherent limitations in the “Stokes shift” process by which a portion of a LED “pump” color is transformed from shorter wavelengths to longer whether the phosphors are encapsulated in the LED emitter or encased in a remote panel like the Area 48 LEDs. The first limitation is that the “Stokes shift” process works in only one direction – that is why LEDs don’t emit color wavelengths shorter than their pump color and why Remote Phosphor LEDS, compared to continuous light sources, have no output at wavelengths shorter than about 425nm (which is why violet colors don't render well under them.) Another, inherent shortcoming to this approach to generating “tungsten” light from an LED is that the Stokes shift process reduces the total lumen output, so there is a tradeoff in lumen output with warmer color temperatures. While the Remote Phosphor LEDs generate more light in the medium blue-cyan-turquoise range from about 465-510nm than the typical Phosphor White LED, the 3200K panels still cut the high frequency output in the 600 nm range, which is why pinks, reds, oranges, and other long wave-length colors tend to look a little dull under them, compared with how they look under true Tungsten light which is a continuous spectrum light source that extends all the way out on the long-wavelength end. And, where these long wavelength colors are vital to rendering a realistic flesh tones, the absence of them explains why flesh tones still don’t look quite right under them(see my newsletter article below for Spectral Distribution Graphs for Remote Phosphor LEDs & Tungsten.) Since, remote phosphor technology makes it possible for LED manufacturers to tune the output of their luminaries to obtain high CRI ratings and deliver good color rendering to the eye while delivering generally poor color reproduction on the screen (see my newsletter article below for details), BBS Lighting will have to do more than throw around CRI ratings above 90 to convince me. There is probably a reason hat BBS Lighting doesn’t give the spectral distribution graphs for their panels on their website. Are they hiding the low and high frequency cut-offs, and how continuous the spectral distribution is in between? You have to be wary of all the claims made by LED head manufacturers because they all put a little spin on the scientific data which has a tendency to cloud issues. For this reason, to pick the right LED luminary for a particular job it helps to have a thorough understanding of the technology. For our company newsletter I have put together an overview of the technology and what products are available for motion picture lighting (available at http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/emailnewsletter_generators.html#anchorHigh%20Output%20AC%20LEDs.) Better than the typical Phosphor White LED, I would not say Remote Phosphor panels are “comparable to a 1K traditional soft light” as BBS lighting claims on their website and surely does not eliminate the challenge of lighting with the discontinuous spectrum inherent in most LED lighting sources. And, I don’t see the point of paying upwards of two grand for a fixture that offers little over what a quartz soft-light offers. Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Rentals & Sales in Boston

I think you will find it is not that simple. To get shafts of light you will need to first add “atmosphere” to the shot. That can be easily accomplished with some short of fogger (an old Mole “ramjet” fogger will eliminate having to run through the woods trailing an extension cord.) The hard part is a “hard” light source back lighting your scene several stops over your key in a wide establishing shot. On a budget there is really only one option and that is the Sun. This is one of those situations where scouting, choosing the right location, and planning your production day is worth more than all the grip trucks, tow generators, and large HMIs in the world, because nothing compares to the quality of that large plasma light in the sky. In these situations, the approach that I find works best is to choose a location that puts the sun in the backlight position for the establishing master shot that is required to bring out the shafts of light and then wait until the optimum time to shoot that shot. Up to and after that point in time, shoot the close coverage under a full silk. Shooting the coverage under a silk offers a number of advantages. If the sun is in the wrong place for scene continuity, the silk takes the directionality out of the sun and knocks down its’ level by two and half stops. Now a smaller HMI light will have more of a modeling effect. Shooting into talents' down side under a silk, I find that a 4k Par through a diffusion frame is a sufficient key source for a medium two shot and it can easily be positioned where it needs to be to match the establishing wide shot when you eventually shoot it. A good example of this approach is a scene I lit for a low budget feature that took place around a campfire in a small clearing surrounded by woods. Surrounded on all sides by woods, we knew that we would lose direct sunlight in the clearing early in the day and would need lights. We also knew that the scene was going to take all day to shoot because of its’ extensive dialogue, so we figured out where the sun was going to be throughout the day and where it would look best for our establishing wide shot. Where it was a two shot, mostly over the shoulder of one character talking to the second character who was standing with his back to the campfire with the woods behind him, we decided to wait until the sun had moved into a near back light position to shoot the establishing shot. So we shot our close coverage first with nothing more than a 4k Par and 1.2k Par under a 20x light soft frost on top of which we threw leaves. The 4k was heavily diffused and positioned so that it gave the talent the reverse key modeling that would be consistent with the wide shot but still attractive. The 1.2kw was used bare and was positioned as a backlight where the sun would be when we would eventually shoot the wide - this way there was always an edge in every shot for continuity. When the time came to shoot the establishing shot, the shadow of the overhead frame and stands were thrown forward and did not interfere with the wider framing. Since we were still shooting under the silk, we were wider open on the iris and so our exposure dug into the dark woods and brought out more detail. The smoke from the campfire drifted into the woods, creating shafts of light where the sun broke through the tree canopy. What would have been a high contrast scene without lights, turned into a beautifully lit scene, and was accomplished without a lot of amps. The whole scene was lit with nothing more than a 4k and 1.2k Par and powered by nothing more than a 60A/120 circuit from a modified 7500W Honda EU6500is/Transformer Gen-set. Guy Holt, Gaffer, Screenlight and Grip, Lighting rental and sales in Boston.

This would work if you wanted to operate your fixtures dimmed to less than 50% since its’ max output is 50V DC. What I am proposing is that Kenny operate his Colortran Fresnels at 120V DC so that he doesn’t lose any output or suffer any color shift. One of the biggest challenges in designing our converter was maintaining the DC Voltage output regardless of variations in the AC line voltage input. The effect of voltage drop on tungsten lights can be dramatic because their output falls off geometrically as the voltage decreases. For example a 1k lamp operating at 90% rated voltage (108V) produces about 68% of its normal light output - your 1kw lamp is now a 650W lamp. But, that is not all, as the light intensity decreases, so does the Kelvin color temperature of the emitted light. For this reason, I have included in our power converter a 25-tap toroidal autoformer (see picture attached.) Control circuitry monitors the incoming AC line voltage (120V, and 208V, 230V, 240V single phase) and automatically switches to the tap that will put out 120V DC ±4% anywhere within AC voltage ranges of 88 to 134 and 170 to 264 volts. It will operate on both 50 and 60 Hz. Our toroidal autoformer is not sensitive to small errors in line frequency, making it ideal for use with generators. The power converter features a switch grade breaker that offers 30A over-current protection. It’s power cord is wired with a 60A Bates plug, but it can also be used on a standard wall outlets with an Edison plug cord that has a 20A fuse in it. The power converter has proven to operate small incandescent practicals and smaller quartz movie lights flicker free up to 2000fps (we have yet had the opportunity to test it at faster frame rates.) The rule of thumb has always been that any quartz fixture smaller than a 5k would flicker at such high speeds, but with this power converter you can now use quartz fixtures smaller than 5k flicker-free. The series LED amperage indicator (see picture above) enables you to monitor total load put on the power converter between multiple small tungsten Fresnels and incandescent practicals. And, it is a lot smaller and lighter and more easily concealed on a set than ten 12V deep cycle marine batteries. Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Rental & Sales in Boston.

A tried and true approach to using spacelites without flicker is to distribute their individual circuits over the three phases of the electrical service to the stage. The reason small incandescent globes flicker is that the heating and cooling of their tungsten filaments every half cycle of the AC waveform results in uneven exposure at high frame rates. If instead of operating the six circuits of a spacelite on a single phase leg so that all of the tungsten filaments are getting brighter and dimmer in unison, you distribute two circuits on each of the three power phases, the filaments on one phase leg will be getting brighter as another is getting dimmer because of the 120 degree phase shift between the electrical phases. The net effect is constant output from the spacelite after the output of the three phases blend together inside the silk. A soco break-in makes it very easy to distribute two circuits of either a 6k or 12k spacelite on each phase leg and thereby eliminate the flicker one would normally get from the small 1kw tungsten filament. And, if Kenny is worried about the spacelite serving as a kicker or back light for his talent when he doesn’t want it to, a 4x4 solid is all that is needed to cut it off areas of the set. A new technique for eliminating the flicker from small tungsten filaments is to convert the power to DC. Any tungsten lamp can operate DC as well as AC. Operating a 1 or 2k Fresnel DC will give Kenny the compact size he wants, as well as collimated light that can be focused and will not drop off the way his Kinos do. Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Rental & Sales in Boston.

The problem I find with a lot of the alternative light sources (LED, LEP, etc) is that they are not available is the same wide array of form factors (cyc, far cyc, open face, single par, nine-light par, fresnel) as good old tungsten lights. The obvious light configuration for lighting a studio cyc would be a spacelite – two spacelites will evenly light a 40’ wide cyc wall, cove, and the floor out to the action area, and even provide a soft kicker for talent as well. Yet where LED spacelites are available they are outrageously expensive compared to the tungsten variety. IMO, Kenny would do best to invest in a couple of Mole 12kw spacelites. 12kw verses the standard 6kw for the higher output he will need for high-speed work. Like the 6kw versions, they are wired in six 2kw circuits, with a soco connector. A soco break-in will enable him to distribute two circuits on each phase leg and thereby eliminate the flicker he would normally get from the small 1kw tungsten filament. So that he doesn’t have to use his smaller Colortran Fresnels in clusters of three (one on each phase leg) to eliminate flicker, I would also suggest he convert the power supplying the fresnels to DC. Any tungsten lamp can operate DC as well as AC, and operating a 2k Fresnel DC will give him the compact size he wants, as well as collimated light that can be focused and will not drop off the way his Kinos do. In response to a DP’s recent posting on the CML, where he was looking for some way to power a chandelier flicker-free for a high-speed commercial shoot shoot (pictured above), I built him a 120V AC to 120V DC power converter so that he could power the chandelier and other practicals flicker free at high speeds. He shot with it several weeks ago and reported that it “performed beautifully” and at “2,000fps was rock solid.” The one I built for him could handle up to a 1000W tungsten load, but I have since scaled up the design to handle a Jr. with CXZ lamp. The larger converter (pictured here) will accept input AC voltages from 90-140V, and 190 – 250V and put out a constant 120V DC. It can operate at both 50 and 60 Hz. It also has a series LED display to indicate the total load put on it between multiple tungsten Fresnels and incandescent practicals. And, as you can see in the picture above, it is a lot smaller and lighter and more easily concealed on a set than ten 12V deep cycle marine batteries, wired in series, which has been the traditional approach to powering tungsten lights with DC on stages. Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Rental & Sales in Boston.

Butler, It is a little unclear what you are asking. Are you looking for good examples of films that used practicals in shots as a motivational source for motion picture lights,? Or, are you looking for examples of films that were lit solely with the practicals in the shots? Please clarify. Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting & Grip rentals & sales in Boston

Rather than re-inventing the wheel, you may want to look into ways of powering 4k HMIs off of standard wall receptacles. You can pick up a used 4k HMI Fresnel with electronic or magnetic ballast for very little money and power it off a 240V wall receptacle. There are a number 240V outlets in a typical house, office, or industrial plant in this country. The most common are air conditioner outlets, dryer outlets, range outlets, outlets for large copy machines in offices, and the outlets for motorized equipment in industrial plants. If you look at the breaker of these circuits on the building service panel you will notice that they use two pole breakers - either 30A or 50A.. Each pole of the breaker is in a sense an independent 30A or 50A 120V circuit. That is, if you measure the voltage from each pole of the breaker to ground it will be 120 volts, and if you measure the voltage between the two poles of the breaker you will notice that it is 240 volts. The 120 volts of the two poles adds up to 240V because the 120V circuits are on opposing legs (and are therefore additive) of either a single-phase electrical service of a house, or a single-phase secondary step down transformer of a office or industrial plant. In residential settings, this is how higher voltages are supplied to household appliances like Dryers, Electric Ranges, Air Conditioners, Motors, etc. that require more power than can be reasonably supplied by a single 120V circuit. Many of these household and industrial 240V receptacles use a three wire system (no neutral) because they are designed to power single phase motors or heating elements that draw a perfectly balanced load and return no current because the single phase service legs are 180 degrees out of phase and cancel each other out. How you use a 240V circuit to power a 4k HMI depends on whether the ballast is electronic or magnetic. So that they can be used in both North America and Europe, electronic 4k ballasts are designed to operate at voltages between 95-150V and 195-250V. A power factor corrected electronic ballasts operating at 240 Volts of, say, a dryer plug will draw roughly 18.4 Amps on each leg of the single phase circuit, which is well within the capacity of these circuits which are usually rated at 20, 30, or 50 Amps per leg. To operate a 120V 4k magnetic ballast from a 240V circuit requires a 240v-to-120v step down transformer like the 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro we make for the Honda EU6500is generators. Like it does with the 240V output of the Honda EU6500is Generator, our 60A Transformer/Distro can convert the 240 volts supplied by these industrial and household receptacles back to 120 volts in a single circuit that is the sum of the two single-phase legs of 30/50 amps each. That is how our 60A Transformer/Distro makes a 60A/120v circuit out of a “30A/240v” or a “50A/240v” circuit and is capable of powering bigger lights, like 4ks with magnetic ballasts, 5ks, or even a 6000W Six Light Mole Par, off a 6500W generator. It can also be used to power multiple 120V luminaries off of 240 Volt circuits because our Transformer/Distro automatically splits the load of whatever you plug into it evenly over the two legs of the 240V circuit so there is no neutral return. You can maximize the power you can pull from these 240 Volt receptacles if, rather then plugging an electronic ballast directly into the 240 receptacle, you plug it in through a step-down transformer and operate it at 120 Volts. Where a 4k power factor corrected 4k electronic ballast at 120V draws only 36 amps, you will still be able to power additional lights, like a 1200 Watt HMI (11 Amps) and a 800 Watt HMI (8 Amps), of the same circuit. For more detailed information on using 4k HMIs on standard wall outlets, I would suggest you read a white paper I wrote on the use of portable generators in motion picture production that will be available soon as an e-book from the Academy of Production Technology Press (APT.)( http://store.aptxl.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BK-PGMPP) Harry Box, author of The Set Lighting Technician’s Handbook has cited my article in the just released 4th Edition of Harry Box's “Set Lighting Technician's Handbook” (http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/BoxBook.html) and featured on the companion website “Box Book Extras." (http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/BoxBookExtras.html) Of the article Harry Box exclaims: “Great work!... this is the kind of thing I think very few technician's ever get to see, and as a result many people have absolutely no idea why things stop working.” “Following the prescriptions contained in this article enables the operation of bigger lights, or more smaller lights, on portable generators than has ever been possible before." The original white paper is still available online for free at http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/emailnewsletter_generators.html. Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lightng & Grip Rental in Boston

Magnetic ballasts are not forgiving when it comes to flicker. The problem with them is that the light intensity of a HMI powered by a magnetic ballast follows the waveform of the supply power and increases gradually until it peaks and then decreases. Since there are two peaks per cycle (+ & - ), the light pulses twice every AC cycle or 120 times a second (see illustration below. ) This fluctuation in the light output is not visible to the eye but will be captured on film or video if the frequency (Hz) of the AC power is not precisely synchronized with the film frame rate or video scan rate. If the AC Frequency of the power were to vary, a frame of film or video scan, would receive more or less exposure depending upon the exact correspondence of the film/video exposure interval to the cycling power waveform because the light intensity is pulsating at twice the AC frequency. 
 The sinusoidal 60Hz current of a magnetic ballast (left) creates a pulsating light output (right) Electronic square wave ballasts eliminate the potential for flicker by squaring off the curves of the AC sine wave supplying the globe. Squared off, the changeover period between cycles is so brief that the light no longer pulsates but is virtually continuous (see illustration below.) Even if the AC Frequency of the power were to vary, a frame of film or video scan, would receive the same exposure because the light intensity is now not pulsating but nearly constant. In other words, electronic ballasts are “flicker free” because they square off the power sine wave which causes an increase in the duration of the peak level of light output so that the light is on more than it is off. Electronic HMI ballasts are also called “square wave” ballasts for this reason. The down side to electronic HMI ballasts is that because of their sophisticated electronics they are more expensive and more fragile than magnetic ballasts. The refined square-wave signal of an electronic ballast (left) creates virtually even light output (right)(Illustrations courtesy of Harry Box So it is not a matter of getting a larger generator, but of getting a different type of generator. Magnetic ballasts will operate reliably on the Honda EU series generators because Honda's sine-wave inverter technology provides much higher quality power than conventional (non-inverter) generators. With a waveform distortion factor of less than 2.5%, the power generated by Honda’s EU series of generators is quite often better than what you get out of the Crawford Studio Units. The power these machines generate is rock solid with a frequency variance of only hundredths of a cycle - which eliminates the need for costly crystal governors. The Honda EU series generators provide true sine wave power with enough frequency stability to power HMI's with magnetic ballasts without flicker at certain safe frame rates and shutters. I won’t address the issue of flicker and frame rate/shutter angles because it is well established elsewhere in this forum that there are safe windows that are “flicker free” with magnetic ballasts as long as the power supply is stable. As long as you shoot at one of the many safe frame rates, magnetic ballasts are “flicker free” with the Honda inverter generators. For more detailed information on successfully using Honda portable generators in digital cinema productions, I would suggest you read a white paper I wrote on the use of portable generators in motion picture production that will be available soon as an e-book from the Academy of Production Technology Press (APT.)( http://store.aptxl.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BK-PGMPP) Harry Box, author of The Set Lighting Technician’s Handbook has cited my article in the just released 4th Edition of Harry Box's “Set Lighting Technician's Handbook” (http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/BoxBook.html) and featured on the companion website “Box Book Extras." (http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/BoxBookExtras.html) Of the article Harry Box exclaims: “Great work!... this is the kind of thing I think very few technician's ever get to see, and as a result many people have absolutely no idea why things stop working.” “Following the prescriptions contained in this article enables the operation of bigger lights, or more smaller lights, on portable generators than has ever been possible before." The original white paper is still available online for free at http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/emailnewsletter_generators.html. Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lightng & Grip Rental in Boston

I wouldn't bother gelling your lights with CTB. Full CTB only passes about 30% of the light and will make your 50000W light a 1500W light. Pre-setitng your camera to 3200K and using the lights unfiltered will enable you to use the 5k as a big source. This scene was most likely shot on a set and lit entirely with tungsten lights. Besides hitting the heavy diffusion just out side the window with lights, there is also a hard light source rigged inside and above the window to edge Daniel Day Lewis and dig into the room. Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting Sales and Rentals in Boston

The problem with diesel tow plants is that, not only do you need a qualified electric to distribute and balance your load, but they are expensive and come with a lot of hidden costs. The hidden costs of blimped studio generators is one of the biggest hurdles to lighting night exteriors. It starts with the fact that rental trucks like those from Ryder or Penske are not equipped to tow, so you have to hire the rental house’s grip truck to tow them. And, since most rental houses require that one of their employees drive their trucks for insurance reasons, you have to hire a driver at roughly $575/10hrs – which is probably more than anyone else on a typical indie crew is getting paid. A solution to this dilemma that has worked for me is to use a portable generator like the new 10’000W Honda EB10000 with a boost transformer. While 10’000W is enough to power to run a 6k HMI Par, I would recommend that you use the new ARRI M40 with ARRIMAX reflector instead. Since it is a “lens-less par” it has an output comparable to a 6k Par and will draw a lot less power. It will be more than enough to light the deep background and there will be enough power left over on the EB10000 to power not only talent keys but also backlights, rim lights, and kickers to edge light your talent. A lot of productions hesitate to use non-blimped industrial generators like the new 10kw Honda EB100000 because of the noise they make – don’t. Whether you pick up generator noise on your audio tracks comes down to how you use it. A common problem with open-frame industrial generators like the EB10000 is that by the time you move them far enough off set that you don't hear them you have significant "Line Loss" (often referred to as "Voltage Drop") from the long cable run back to set. To the problem of line loss, you have the added problem that as you add load, the voltage drops on portable generators (it is not uncommon for a generator to drop 5-10 volts under full load.) The combination of voltage drop on the generator and line loss on a long cable run can cause voltage to drop to the point where HMI and Kino ballasts cut out unexpectedly or won't strike at all. Low voltage can also cause problems such as reduced efficiency and excessive heat in equipment, unnecessary additional load on the generator, and a dramatic shift in the color temperature and in the output of lights. For these reasons, portable gas generators are typically operated too close to set where they are picked up on audio tracks. The trick to recording clean audio with the EB10000 is to use the generator with a boost transformer that will enable you to operate the generator at a distance where it won’t be heard, yet maintain full line level on set. Honda EB10000 with Voltage Select 84A Transformer/Distro and 14 Gallon Fuel Caddy A boost transformer will enable you to add 300'- 400' of larger gauge 250V twist-lock extension cable between the generator and the Transformer/Distro. This is usually enough cable to place the generator around the corner of a building, or to run it out of a van or truck - which is usually all the additional blimping you need with these generators. The heavy-duty 250V twist-lock cable eliminates multiple long cable runs to the generator and minimizes line-loss (eliminating the severe voltage drop you would have using standard electrical cords.) And, by compensating for the unavoidable voltage drop you will have on a fully loaded generator, a boost transformer will assure full line level (120V) on set. Left: Honda EB10000 operating out of grip truck (note set at distance (bright spot on right side.)) Center: 84A Full Power Transformer/Distro compensates for Voltage Drop over 400ft cable run. Right: Beach Set with 120v full line level 500ft from power source. A good example of how the voltage boost capacity of Transformer/Distro makes it possible to record clean audio tracks with the EB10000, even under the worst of conditions, is the indie short "Paralarva" (pictured above and below.) The film takes place around a campfire on a beach on Cape Cod. To record sync sound without picking up the noise of a generator, the crew ran our modified 10kw Honda EB10000 out of their grip truck 500 ft from their beach set. To assure full line level on set, the production used the boost capacity of our 84A Select Transformer/Distro to compensate for the line loss over the long cable run. Left: Beach Set lit by two 1800W Arrimaxes. Center: Secondary side power distributed with standard 100 Bates Gang Boxes. Right: Set viewed from generator (note: distance and extent of set power distribution.) From the Transformer/Distro they then ran 100' of 4/3 Bates Extension to set where they broke out to 20A Edison receptacles using 100A gang boxes. While running the generator near full capacity with a lighting package that consisted of two 1800W Arri M18 Baby Max HMIs, several Tegra 400s, and assorted Litepanels and Quartz Fresnels, they experienced no appreciable voltage drop on set even after a 500' cable run because our Select Transformer/Distro was able to compensate for both the line loss of the cable and voltage drop of the generator under near full load. Left: Ready for rain on the set of "Gasp." Center: Two 4kw Pars operate on a 10kw Honda EB10000 Generator through our 84A Full Power Transformer/Distro. Right: 100A Shock Block GFCI downstream of Full Power Transformer/Distro offers Ground Fault Protection for entire 100A distro system By comparison, had the crew of "Paralarva" run 500' of standard 14 Awg electrical cord they would have experienced a line loss alone of 24.5V. To avoid having their 1800W Baby Maxs cut out from low voltage, they would have had to move the generator closer to set where it would be picked up on the audio tracks. This example clearly demonstrates how the boost capacity of transformers can enable you to not only place the generator further from set where it won't be heard, but also assures that the supply voltage on set does not drop too low (use this link for information about Line-Loss and how to combat it.) Another benefit to using a Transformer/Distro is that it splits the load of what ever you plug into it automatically. The iMonitor display on the Honda generators makes it especially easy to load them to the max. Simply plug in lights. When the load wattage displayed on the iMonitor reaches 10'000 Watts (EB10000) you are fully utilizing the power capacity of the generator. An overload alarm on the iMonitor display will tell you if you inadvertently overload the Transformer/Distro. You no longer have to carefully balance the load over the generator's legs as you plug in lights because the Transfomer/Distro does it for you automatically. Now that you are able to fully utilize the EB10000's 10’000 Watts, you are able to power not a large HMI light, like the new ARRI M40, but also smaller HMI, Kino, & Quartz lights. If you have trouble finding the EB10000 because it is so new, look for a 7500W Honda EU6500is. A modified 7500W Honda EU6500is Inverter Generator with a 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro is capable of powering a 4k HMI along with 800, & 400 Pars with PFC ballasts, plus a couple of Parabeam 400s and Parabeam 200s. Given the light sensitivity of HD Camcorders, this can constitute a complete location lighting package for a low budget HD Digital Cinema production. For more detailed information on successfully using Honda portable generators in digital cinema productions, I would suggest you read a white paper I wrote on the use of portable generators in motion picture production that will be available soon as an e-book from the Academy of Production Technology Press (APT.) Harry Box, author of The Set Lighting Technician’s Handbook has cited my article in the just released 4th Edition of Harry Box's “Set Lighting Technician's Handbook” and featured on the companion website “Box Book Extras." Of the article Harry Box exclaims: “Great work!... this is the kind of thing I think very few technician's ever get to see, and as a result many people have absolutely no idea why things stop working.” “Following the prescriptions contained in this article enables the operation of bigger lights, or more smaller lights, on portable generators than has ever been possible before." The original white paper is still available online for free at http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/emailnewsletter_generators.html. Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lightng & Grip Rental in Boston

A camera test, like the one David suggests, is an invaluable tool when it comes accomplishing the look you are after for a project. The standard approach is to systematically test the effect of Key, Fill, Back Light, Kickers, Hair Lights, and Liners that are over and under exposure. For example, to test the effect of your key light on flesh tones, set your exposure with two doubles and a single in your key light. Then remove them a half stop at a time (without changing your camera exposure setting or exposure of the chip chart), and systematically note on a slate in the frame what you are doing. Once you have removed all the scrims, your flesh tone will be two and a half stops over exposed (since you have not changed the camera setting.) Put all the scrims back in and now, using single and double nets, systematically under expose the flesh tone in half stop increments (remember rotating a net relative to the light source will make it "fatter" or "thinner", which will enable you to "dial in" the exact level you want from the light.) Since you want to play on the lower register, continue to under expose the flesh tone until it becomes a pure silhouette. Do the same for Fill, Back Light, Kickers, Hair Lights, and Liners in isolation and in specific combinations that you plan to use them in. Having systematically tested each light, you can now see the effect that different levels of each has on the scene and can even use the test as a reference on set when lighting the scene. So that your eye does not compensate for the low light levels, you should put a fully exposed white reference in the frame (the white foam-core in the background of the pictures.) If you use a chip chart with variable gray steps form white to black, you will actually be able to see how tonal values are compressed and (block up or burn out) as you push them onto the “knee” or “toe” of your film’s characteristic curve. For a good explanation on how to light a dark scene, see David Mullen’s excellent post at http://www.cinematography.com/index.php?showtopic=55891. In it he warns not to “make the classic mistake of assuming that a dark image involved working in low light levels.” Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Equipment Sales and Rentals in Boston.

I have no practical experience (excuse the pun) using CFLs in high speed cinematography to say if they will flicker, but I found a website called lucidmovement.com that suggests CFLs will sufficiently flicker-free up to a 1000fps to be used in practicals. Lucid Movement describes itself as a video blog that was created to “display the wonder of the world through the lens of a high-speed / slow motion camera.” In addition to displaying highspeed videos, this site also acts as a video reference for artists and researchers by including information on how the shot was created - including specific camera settings and lighting instruments used. According to this information, most of the high speed clips on the sight are shot between 1000 and 2000 FPS with a Photron Ultima APX and, in fact, use 16 x 30Watt CFL Banks (the Fotodiox Cool Light c-1600) for lighting. If you look at the clips, there is a slight flicker at 2000FPS, that is appreciably less, but still present at 1000FPS. There is also an actual clip of a 16 x 30Watt CFL bank turning on at 2000FPS (http://www.lucidmovement.com) Where the bulbs themselves do not appear to flicker in this clip, even at 2000FPS, and the objects lit by the bulbs barely flicker at 1000FPS, suggests that the slight flicker of CFLs may not be noticeable when used in practicals at 1000FPS. What might make CFL bulbs sufficiently flicker-free is that contain tiny electronic ballasts that apply high frequency output, around 40 kHz or higher, to the lamp tube. At those frequencies the period of time between the off and on pulse of each cycle is so short that the illuminating phosphors in the lamp tube may not decay in light output enough to cause a flicker. Like the 'thermal inertia' of tungsten bulbs - metal glowing white hot - that keeps them emitting light for a short time after the power drops off, the phosphors continue to glow after the power drops off as it switches at high frequency making them possibly flicker free. Lowel in fact states on their website that “our 80 Watt daylight fluorescent lamps (provide) high output with accurate color. Its high frequency ballast is designed for flicker-free hi-res digital still, video, and slow-motion cinema use.” Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Boston

It depends on the reason you are flying the silk. I quite often use silks to match the look of shots that are shot throughout the day under changing light conditions. In these situations, the approach that I find works best is to shoot the establishing master shot when the sun is in a backlight position. Up to that point I shoot the close coverage under a full silk. Shooting the coverage under a silk offers a number of advantages. If the sun breaks through cloud cover, the silk takes the directionality out of the sun and knocks down its’ level by two and half stops. Now a smaller HMI light will have more of a modeling effect. Shooting into talents' down side under a silk, I find that a 4k Par through a diffusion frame is a sufficient key source for a two shot. If you wait to shoot the wide coverage until the sun has moved around to a back light position, your background is also back-lit so the discrepancy in exposure between the background and your talent to camera is not that great and so you can open up to gain exposure of your talent in the foreground without burning out the background. Also, when your background is back-lit, it does not over expose because of the discrepancy in levels under the silk and outside the silk – it helps to strike a good balance. Also, your background looks better because it is not flatly lit, but has some contrast. Finally, with the sun in a backlight position, the shadows of the silk frame and stands are thrown forward, which enables you to frame wider before picking up the shadow of the hardware. A good example of this approach is a scene I lit for a low budget feature that took place around a campfire in a small clearing surrounded by woods. Surrounded on all sides by woods, we knew that we would lose direct sunlight in the clearing early in the day and would need lights. We also knew that the scene was going to take all day to shoot because of its’ extensive dialogue, so we figured out where the sun was going to be throughout the day and where it would look best for our establishing wide shot. Where it was a two shot, mostly over the shoulder of one character talking to the second character who was standing with his back to the campfire with the woods behind him, we decided to wait until the sun had moved into a near back light position to shoot the establishing shot. So we shot our close coverage first with nothing more than a 4k Par and 1.2k Par under a 20x light soft frost on top of which we threw leaves. The 4k was heavily diffused and positioned so that it gave the talent the most attractive modeling. The 1.2kw was positioned as a backlight where the sun would be when we would eventually shoot the wide - this way there was always an edge in every shot for continuity. When the time came to shoot the establishing shot, the shadow of the overhead frame and stands were thrown forward and did not interfere with the wider framing. Since we were still shooting under the silk, we were wider open on the iris and so our exposure dug into the dark woods and brought out more detail. As an unexpected added bonus, the smoke from the campfire drifted into the woods, creating shafts of light where the sun broke through the tree canopy. What would have been a high contrast scene without lights, turned into a beautifully lit scene, and was accomplished without a lot of amps. The whole scene was lit with nothing more than a 4k and 1.2k Par and powered by nothing more than a 60A/120 circuit from a modified 7500W Honda EU6500is/Transformer Gen-set. Guy Holt, Gaffer, Screenlight and Grip, Lighting rental and sales in Boston.

There is good reason to be wary about LED's ability to render a good skin tone. The inability of Phosphor White LEDs, even those used in the Litepanel and Coolights 1x1, to render color accurately has been well established in tests recently performed by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) as part of their “Solid State Lighting Project Technical Assessment.” (see http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/emailnewsletter_generators.html#anchorHigh%20Output%20AC%20LEDs for details.) In one (below) a model was photographed wearing a dress that had a number of different blue/cyan tints. Footage was shot with both a true tungsten source and a White Phosphor LED source. The tungsten-lit footage displayed all of the subtle differences in blue tones in the fabric, while the LED-lit footage, lacking cyan output, showed just a nice blue dress, without the same richness of hue. Since the light doesn’t put out much cyan, the camera/film simply can’t record it because those wavelengths are not reflected by the dress. Left: Tungsten source, Right: White Phosphor LED source. The same holds true of flesh tones illuminated by LED light. As is also evident in the pictures above, skin tones don’t reproduce well under White Phosphor LED lights because of the steep drop off of high frequency colors (above the 600nm cut off) such as pinks, reds, oranges, and other long wave-length colors. As the illustration below, comparing the reflected spectral distribution of a Caucasian skin tone under theoretical pure white light (an even distribution of all wavelengths) to that of a Phosphor White LED demonstrates, absent these wavelengths the skin tones look pale under LEDs because light reflected by the skin tone is likewise absent these critical long wavelength colors. Reflected Spectral Distribution of Caucasian skin tone under theoretical White Light and Phosphor White LED Light In the picture above illuminated by the Phosphor White LED, both the cyan/blue dress and the skin tone, don’t reproduce well because you can't get accurate color reflected from an object unless that color is in the light in the first place. In other words, if the light source doesn’t generate the color (cyan), it is not reflected by the object (the dress) and so the camera/film simply can’t record it. For more details regarding the issues surrounding the use of LED lights in motion picture lighting see http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/emailnewsletter_generators.html#anchorHigh%20Output%20AC%20LEDs Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting Rental and Sales in Boston.

As Tim points out, AC can be 100% safe around water. James Cameron is crazy enough to put his life at risk, but you can be sure the risk management departments of studios would not put the lives of actors like Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet at risk if there was any chance they would be injured or killed. The erroneous notion that AC can not be not be used safely around water originates from the commonly held belief that "electricity wants to go to the ground." This common fallacy is even found in electrical safety training videos and even books published about electrical wiring. The basis of this belief - called the "Sump Theory of Ground" - is that the earth is some kind of giant drain of electro-magnetic charge to which electrical current is drawn. Nothing could be further from the truth. Electricity wants to return to its source and nowhere else. It is attracted only to the singular magnetic field, in the core of a transformer or the rotors of a generator, from which it was created. The two low impedance conductors that we design into our electrical systems to carry it safely, the neutral and ground conductors, are the preferred rout it takes back to its’ source. Whenever current goes to earth ground, or any other ground loop, it is only because it offers another low impedance alternate path to return to its' source. If Ronnee were to use a portable generator, place it on a rubber matt to insulate it from earth, ground his fixtures with a grounding wire as Tim suggests, and make sure there are no nicks in his cable that would expose the copper to the water, electricity will not use the water/earth ground as a conductor because it is a much higher impedance circuit. Add a properly designed Interlocking Zone Ground Fault Protection system with GFCIs at the loads and on the main feeder trunk and you have full proof ground fault protection. For GFCIs to work however, you have to make sure the portable generator you use has a bonded neutral (there is a jumper between the neutral of the stator and the grounding system.) Most of the Honda Inverter generators have Floating Neutrals (the neutral is not bonded to the ground.) What's wrong with a Floating Neutral system? Since the Ground wire and the Neutral wire are not bonded at the generator bus, the Equipment Grounding wire does not offer a path for Fault Current to complete the circuit back to the generator windings. An open circuit, electricity will not go to the grounding wire in the event of a fault. If current won't go to Ground, in a double fault situation, balance can be restored in the distro system before reaching the GFCIs, creating a potential for a lethal shock. In effect, the GFCI will not work even though the GFCI test circuit will indicate it will. GFCI test circuits therefore can be misleading when they are used on Floating Neutral generators. A remedy for un-bonded generators is to use a step-down transformer/distro to step-down their 240v output to 120 since a transformer/distro bonds the neutral to system ground (see http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/481_GFCI_Workshop.html for details.) Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip sales and rentals in Boston

You can use AC in and around water with 100% safety if you use GFCI devices – but I am not talking about only the hardware store variety (though you will want to use those too as part of a comprehensive ground fault system.) Large Amperage GFCI devices were, more or less, invented in 1996 for the production of the film "Titanic." Director Jim Cameron wanted the highest level of reality, which meant literally hundreds of people in, around, and under the water, with hundreds of submerged practical lighting units. On top of that there was assembled, what was to date, the largest lighting package ever used on a motion picture production consisting of 5,000 lighting units, requiring 50,000 amps of electrical power, and over 140 miles of distribution cable. Because "Titanic" required a combination of HMIs, incandescent, dimmers and 'specialized' lighting units, "Titanic" Gaffer, John Buckley, and Rigging Gaffer, Mike Amorelli, realized that DC power would not accommodate all of the production's power needs. And, given the scale of "Titanic" traditional methods for handling AC around water (use of distilled water) was insufficient. Realizing "Titanic" required a new approach to working in and around water, they turned to Bill Masten and Rick Prey who operated a company called SMS Inc. Primarily known for their award-winning NiteSun products - portable generator trucks with 120 ft booms for 12k HMIs - these two had already begun work on a protoype of a 208-240V multi-phase device which did not exist at the time. When Rick Prey worked on "The Abyss" in 1988 they used the electrical equipment that was available at the time, and as a Navy trained electrician, it scared him to death, Prey said, because, absent a Class A device, they "had protection, but not personnel protection." After working with the Academy Award winning 100A Shock Block (developed by Stephen J. Kay of the K-Tec Corporation) on several more shows involving water (including "Crimson Tide"), Prey and Masten realized that high amperage multi-phase GFCI devices were technically feasible and were working on a prototype for such a device when approached regarding "Titanic." Recognizing that the magnitude of power needed for "Titanic" (50'000 Amps in all) was beyond the scope of K-Tec's 100A Shock Blocks alone, Prey and Masten began work on developing ground fault protection devices capable of protecting circuits of 400 Amps, which did not exist at that time. Familiar with the Bender Corporation's efforts on the "MagLev Train", a proposed high-speed rail line between Los Angeles and Las Vegas using a Magnetic Levitation Train, Prey and Masten thought that some of the same technology could be applied to their prototype and so they approached Marcel Tremblay at Bender with their schematics. With the help of Bender, SMS built a total of twenty-eight 1200 Amp GFCIs, and a number of 3-Phase 100- and 200 Amp models that were used, along with the 100 Amp 120-volt Shock Blocks from K-Tec, in the production of "Titanic." The proof of concept came when a high wind dragged a piece of heavy duty lighting equipment into the water, the 1200 Amp blocks SMS designed shut down power instantly - saving lives. Using the "Titanic" production as field tests, Bender Corporation worked out further refinements to SMS's basic design for a 1200 Amp device until they had a unit that would meet the requirements for UL listing as a personnel protection device. Shock Block was subsequently acquired by the electrical manufacturing giant Littlefuse which introduced its' own UL listed high voltage multi-phase devices. For more details on how to use GFCI to protect talent and crew in and around water see a curriculum that I developed on electrical hazard protection for the entertainment industry that is available at www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/481_GFCI_Workshop.html. One important consideration in Ronnee’s case is the source of power. Ronnee, how had you planned to supply power to your dimmer packs? Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip sales and rentals in Boston

Even if you decide not to use a 4k, you may still want to use a transformer/disro to power the Arri M18s on the Honda and house power. The reason is that the Arri 1800W ballast has a nominal Apparent Power of 2250VA (2600 Max according to the ballast manual) which means it will draw 19.5 amps at 115V. Arri is guilty of a bit of hyperbole when they claim the Baby Max is “the brightest light that you can plug into the wall.” Lately, they have been footnoting that claim as follows: ““Into the wall” denotes a single, 20A 120VAC electrical outlet on a single circuit.” The reason for the footnote is that many wall outlets are on 15 Amp circuits, and those that are on 20 Amp circuits probably use receptacles only rated for 15 Amps. It will also trip the common 15amp house circuit and will trip a 20 Amp circuit if there is something else, like a computer or light, on the same circuit. Where you can't always know what else is on the same circuit, or even if it is a 20 or 15 Amp circuit when you plug into a wall outlet, it is risky to plug the Baby Max into the wall. Even if you were to find a dedicated 20A circuit (by unplugging the refrigerator for instance) you may still have problems because the draw of the 1800W Baby Max is just too close to the threshold to operate reliably. If there is any line loss from a long cable run, or increased resistance from an overheated/under-rated plug end, the draw of the ballast climbs over 20 Amps and trips the breaker. It has been my experience that more often than not the stinger plug-ends overheat because most are only rated for 15 Amps. The increased resistance that results from the heat causes the voltage to the ballast to drop and so it has to draw more power to maintain the 1800W load. At 110V it will draw 20.5 Amps. The power drawn by the 1800W Baby Max is just too near the operating threshold of a 20A circuit for it to operate reliably plugged into a U-Ground Edison Outlet. The same is true of operating them on the 20A circuits of portable generators. To the problem of line loss and overheating plug ends, you have the added problem that as you add load on portable generators their voltage output drops. It is not uncommon for a generator to drop 5-10 volts under full load. The 1800W ballast that drew 19.5 Amps at 115 Volts will draw 21.4 Amps at 105 Volts. It has been my experience that the Arri 1800W Baby Max works best on a real film distribution system where every circuit is 20 Amps, you know what is on the circuit because you are loading it yourself, and because you are distributing the power yourself from a tie in or generator you can bring the receptacle to the light. When you can run a 60A whip and drop a Snack Box next to the ballast you won’t have a problem. But, if your style of shooting requires that you run multiple stingers to plug into a wall or generator outlet, you will likely have problems with the plug ends or receptacle overheating. I have found that the only reliable way to power a 1800W Baby Max on wall out-lets or on portable gas generators is from a 240V circuit through a 240v-to-120v step down transformer. A transformer will convert the 240V output into a single large 120V circuit that is more than capable of powering the 19.5A load of a 1800W Baby Max. And, if the transformer is outfitted with a 60A Bates receptacle, it will enable you to use a distro system that will allow you to move the generator off set (where it won’t be heard), minimize line loss over a long cable run, and provide plug-in pockets close to the ballasts. To assure full line level (120V) on set, use a "boost transformer" that is designed to compensate for the slight line loss you will inevitably have over an extended cable run by stepping up the voltage slightly. A boost transformer will enable you to run 200’ or more of cable to get the generator further from set where you won't hear it, yet assure that the supply voltage on set does not drop below 120V and cause the 1800W ballast to draw more power and trip its’ 20A breaker. If the transformer is equipped with a 60A Bates you can use standard film distribution equipment like 60A Siameses, 60A Whips, and 60A Snack Boxes to run power to the light (breaking out to 20A Edison pockets next to the ballast), rather than having to run multiple stingers from the ballast back to the generator. A transformer will also enable you to run 1800W Arri Baby Maxs on “house power” from common 240v household outlets as well. Just like it does with a generator, a transformer will step down the 240V power of common high voltage household outlets to a single 120V circuit capable of powering multiple 1800W Baby Maxs. Common 240V sources found on interior locations include Range Plugs, Dryer Plugs, and special receptacles installed for Window Air Conditioners. By giving you access to more “house power” through common 240V household outlets, a transformer also enables you to run a real distro system without the need for a tie-in or expensive tow generator. The ability to run multiple 1800W Baby Maxs off of common 240V house receptacles, or the 240V receptacle of portable generators, is one of the best reasons that I can think of to use transformers on set. For more detailed information on reliably operating M18s on generators and house power, I would suggest you read the article I wrote on the use of portable generators in motion picture production mentioned above. Guy Holt, Gaffer, SceenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Rental in Boston.

Yes! As long as there is a sun and moon in the sky there is the need in my humble opinion for a large HMI like a 4k on interior and exterior sets because smaller HMIs (even the M18s), Kino-Flos, & LED panels don’t come close to balancing direct sunlight in day light scenes or covering deep background in night scenes. For powerful daylight fill on exterior sets, to create the feel of hard sunlight on interior sets, or to light deep background on night exterior sets, the dual wattage Arri M40 with Max reflector is an invaluable tool on low budget productions because it will operate off a modified Honda EU6500is (pictured below) or off of regular wall outlets with a transformer/distro. A 7500W Honda EU6500is with transformer/distro & what can be powered on it The Max reflector of the Arri M40 not only will give you more output than a traditional par, but is also extremely versatile. When you need a lot of light for fill on day exteriors you can lamp it with a 4k globe. The light output is crisp enough to cut a hard window pattern for day interior shots. And, when you don’t need the punch of a 4k Par, like on a night exterior, you can swap the 4kw globe for a 2.5kw globe giving you more power to run additional lights on a 7500W Honda EU6500is with transformer/distro. The 15 Amps you save by burning the smaller 2500W globe will power quite a few more lights when you consider that a Kino Flo Parabeam 400 uses only 2 Amps. For example, it is possible to power a lighting package that consists of PFC 1200, & 800 HMI Pars, a couple of Kino Flo ParaBeam 400s, a couple of ParaBeam 200s, and two 4'- 4 Bank Kino Flo Tegra lights, in addition to a Arri M40 (with a 2.5kw globe) off of the modified 7500w Honda EU6500is Generator with a Transformer/Distro. Given the light sensitivity of the Arri Alexa this can constitute a complete night exterior lighting package. When you have a camera system like the Arri Alexa, that offers a large image sensor, interchangeable lens capability, and is capable of an ASA of 1000 without noticeable noise, you don't need much more light than can be run off a modified 7500W Honda EU6500. For details about powering the new Arri M40 4k HMI on wall outlets and portable generators read an article I wrote on the use of portable generators in motion picture production. Harry Box, author of “The Set Lighting Technician’s Handbook” has cited my article in the just released Fourth Edition of the handbook. In addition, he has established a link to it from the companion website for the Fourth Edition of the Handbook, called “Box Book Extras.” If you haven't yet read the article, or looked at it in a while, it is worth re-reading. I have greatly expanded it to be the definitive resource on portable power generation for motion picture production. Of the article Harry Box states: "Great work!... this is the kind of thing I think very few technician's ever get to see, and as a result many people have absolutely no idea why things stop working." "Following the prescriptions contained in this article enables the operation of bigger lights, or more smaller lights, on portable generators than has ever been possible before." The “Box Book Extras,” site is also worth checking out because it includes other source material used for the handbook, articles by Harry Box published in other periodicals, related websites, a list of production oriented i-phone apps, as well as more in depth discussion of topics touched upon in the handbook. You can log onto the Box Book Extras site at http://booksite.focalpress.com/box/setlighting/ with our pass-code "setlighting." Use this link for my news letter article on the use of portable gas generators in motion picture production.] Guy Holt, Gaffer, SceenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Rental & Sales in Boston.

There is a third option Tim hasn’t mentioned – inverter generators. To power older magnetic HMI ballasts without getting “flicker” the generator must put out a true sine wave with low distortion and stable frequency in addition to stable voltage. Honda's sine-wave inverter generator provide smoother, higher quality power than conventional (non-inverter) generators. With an unparalleled waveform distortion factor of less than 2.5%, the power generated by Honda’s EU series of generators is quite often better than what you get out of the wall outlet. Because it passes the power its generates through an inverter, the Honda EU6500is is rock solid and its’ frequency varies only hundreths of a cycle which eliminates the need for costly crystal governors. There is a popular misconception that you should only use electronic ballasts with portable generators. Where that is true with conventional generators without crystal governors, it is not true of inverter generators for the reasons above. In fact, besides the extra bulk and weight of magnetic ballasts, the smaller magnetic ballasts (575-2500W) offer the distinct advantage of being less expensive and drawing less power (once they have come up to speed) than the commonly available electronic equivalents. Operating at 120V, a 1.2kw HMI with non-power factor corrected electronic ballast will draw 18-19 amps verses the 13.5 amps of a magnetic ballast. The downside to magnetic ballasts is when you have little head room - i.e. striking a 1200Watt HMI on a EU2000is with other things plugged into the generator as well. A magnetic ballasts draws more current during the striking phase and then they “settle down” and require less power to maintain the HMI Arc. By contrast, an electronic ballasts “ramps up.” That is, its’ current draw gradually builds until it “tops off” - but it “tops off” with a considerably greater draw than a magnetic ballast “settles down” to. A Honda EU2000is will power either. A magnetic ballast offers the slight advantage that you can power another tungsten or fluorescent lights light on the generator, but only after you have already struck your HMI.For more details see an article I wrote for my company newsletter on the use of portable generators in motion picture lighting. It is available at www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/emailnewsletter_generators.html. Guy Holt, Gaffer, New England Studios, Lighting & Grip Equipment Rental & Sales in Boston

The problem with portable generators under such circumstances, even the super quiet Honda Inverter generators, is that by the time you move them far enough off set that you don’t hear them you have significant “Line Loss” (often referred to as “Voltage Drop”) from the long cable run (if you use regular cable) back to set. Running standard extension cords 450M from a building will result in significant line loss as well. It sounds like your f**ked either way.Low voltage on set can cause problems such as reduced efficiency and excessive heat in equipment, unnecessary additional load on the generator, and a dramatic shift in the color temperature and in the output of lights. For example, the effect of line loss on tungsten lights can be dramatic because their output falls off geometrically as the voltage decreases. For example a 1k lamp operating at 90% rated voltage (108V) produces about 68% of its normal light output – a 1kw lamp is now a 650W lamp. But, that is not all, as the light intensity decreases, so does the Kelvin color temperature of the emitted light. In the case of fluorescents, HMIs, and LEDs, because their power supplies are typically of a “constant power” type, they will draw more current as the line voltage decreases in order to maintain constant power to the lamp. In the case of generator output, voltage loss translates into an exponential loss in power. That is because, if you double the ampere load on the cable, the voltage drop also doubles, but the power loss increases fourfold. What this means is that when a distribution system has a large voltage drop, the performance of the generator (its maximum effective load) is reduced severely – use this link for details.) Guy Holt, Gaffer, SceenLight & Grip, Lighting and Grip Rental & Sales in Boston

Join me in a workshop I am teaching on Feb. 16th titled "Lighten Up: Doing More with Less without Compromise." The subject is how to get the most out of todays lighting instruments. The poor Power Factor of HMIs, Kinos, & LEDs have been vexing set electricians for years. For more information about the adverse effects these loads can have on generators and power distribution systems, and how to remedy them so that you can operate bigger, or more small, lights on portable generators or house power than has ever been possible before take this workshop. As part of the same workshop series, New England Studios, Talamas Broadcast, and Production Hub will be sponsoring a workshop on “Video Lighting Design” by L.D. Richard Cadena on Feb. 9th. Noted Focal Press Author, ETCP Trainer, and Founder of the Academy of Production Technology, Richard’s workshops are both lively and informative. Log onto http://bit.ly/nptwkshps for more workshop information and registration details. Guy Holt, Gaffer, New England Studios, Lighting & Grip Rental in Massachusetts

If the forecast is for a sunny day, drop the big tungsten heads and rent a bunch of mirror boards instead. Guy Holt, Gaffer, New England Studios, Lighting and Grip Rental in Boston

I would split the difference. You can certainly light with a higher contrast ratio without painting yourself into a corner. When ever you want to play on the lower register the problem is always knowing where the bottom is. In order to accomplish the look you are after in the camera and still have a little lattitude, I would suggest you shoot another camera test along these lines. Test in a systematic fashion the effect of Key, Fill, Back Light, Kickers, Hair Lights, and Liners that are over and under exposure. For example, to test the effect of your key light on flesh tones, set your exposure with two doubles and a single in your key light. Then remove them a half stop at a time (without changing your camera exposure setting or exposure of the chip chart), and systematically note on a slate in the frame what you are doing. Once you have removed all the scrims, your flesh tone will be two and a half stops over exposed (since you have not changed the camera setting.) Put all the scrims back in and now, using single and double nets, systematically under expose the flesh tone in half stop increments (remember rotating a net relative to the light source will make it "fatter" or "thinner", which will enable you to "dial in" the exact level you want from the light.) Since you want to play on the lower register, continue to under expose the flesh tone until it becomes a pure silhouette. Do the same for Fill, Back Light, Kickers, Hair Lights, and Liners in isolation and in specific combinations that you plan to use them in. Having systematically tested each light, you can now see the effect that different levels of each has on the scene and can even use the test as a reference on set when lighting the scene. So that your eye does not compensate for the low light levels, you should put a fully exposed white reference in the frame (the white foam-core in the background of the pictures.) If you use a chip chart with variable gray steps form white to black, you will actually be able to see how tonal values are compressed and (block up or burn out) as you push them onto the “knee” or “toe” of your film’s characteristic curve. For a good explanation on how to light a dark scene, see David Mullen’s excellent post at http://www.cinematog...howtopic=55891. In it he warns not to “make the classic mistake of assuming that a dark image involved working in low light levels.” Or, attend a workshop on “Lighting Design” by L.D. Richard Cadena that New England Studios, Talamas Broadcast, and Production Hub are sponsoring on Feb. 9th Noted Focal Press Author, ETCP Trainer, and Founder of the Academy of Production Technology, Richard’s workshops are both lively and informative. Log onto bit.ly/nptwkshps for more workshop information and registration details. Guy Holt, Gaffer, New England Studios, Lighting and Grip Equipment Sales and Rentals in Boston.

MQ is doing the same modification to the Honda EU6500is that we did until we developed our present approach – so I am quite familiar with the differences. The 120V/60A Bates receptacle on the MQ PSG6 does not give you a full 60 Amps. In their modification, the Bates circuit is fused at 50 Amps so that you cannot draw more than 6000 Watts of peak load from it. And, like all Honda EU6500is generators configured for the US market the continuous rated load (loads lasting more than 30 minutes) is 5500 Watts or 45.8 Amps (see the spec table below from the MQ PSG6 broschure.) We take a very different approach with our modified Honda EU6500is. What we do is access the additional power (7650W) that is built into the base model of the Honda EU6500is generator for the 230-240V markets around the world that is not available in the US configuration of the generator because of our National Electrical Codes. We then step down this 7650W/240V output to 120V with our 60A Transformer/Distro to give you the full power capacity, that is built into generator for the world market, in a much larger 60A/120V circuit capable of powering larger lights or more smaller lights than their modification permits. Besides being able to power larger lights, our system has a number of other benefits: Single Large 60A/120V Circuit Simplifies Electrical Distribution Cushions the Impact of Large HMI & Tungsten Heads Compatible w/ Standard Distribution Equipment Line-Loss Compensation Reliable Operation of the Arri 1800W Baby Max Harmonic Mitigation Brings Honda EU6500is into Compliance w/ OSHA Regs Enables use of Film Style GFCIs From a safety standpoint, the last two have got to be the greatest benefits to using our 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro with the Honda EU6500is Generator. As is true of all Floating Neutral generators, the Honda EU6500is does not meet OSHA requirements for use on work sites out of the box. But, since Transformers bond the Neutral to Ground on the secondary load side, they meet that OSHA requirement that the EU6500is alone does not. For the same reason GFCIs will also operate reliably when used on a step-down Transformer/Distro, even when the power is being generated by a Floating Neutral generator like the EU6500is. So, to bring the Honda EU6500is generator into full OSHA compliance, you only have to use a GFCI, like a 100A Shock Block, with our 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro (use this link for a detailed explanation of OSHA requirements and why almost all portable generators do not meet them.) A 100 GFCI with our 60A Transformer/Distro meets OSHA requirements for use of a Honda EU6500is generator on work sites. Another big advantage to using our 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro with a Honda EU6500is is that it enables you to place the generator further away while your plug-in points remain conveniently close to set. The Honda EU6500is is so quiet, that to record sync sound without picking up any generator noise, all you need to do is add 200' – 300’ of heavy duty 250V twist-lock cable between the generator and the transformer/distro. This is usually enough cable to place the generator around the corner of a building, or to run it out of a van or truck - which is usually all the additional blimping you need with these generators. The heavy-duty 250V twist-lock cable eliminates multiple cable runs to the generator; as well as the voltage drop you would have using standard electrical cords. To assure full line level (120V) on set, our 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro is designed to compensate for the slight line loss you will have over an extended cable run. That is, it is designed to slightly boost the voltage on the load side (secondary). For instance, if you were to plug the Transformer/Distro directly into the generator and feed the supply side (primary) of the transformer with 240 volts from the generator, 127 volts would come out on the secondary side where you plug in the lights. This slight boost compensates for the slight line loss that is unavoidable over a long cable run and enables you to place the generator further from set where you won't hear it, yet assures that the supply voltage on the secondary side of the transformer does not drop too low. http://vimeo.com/24089134 A good example of how our Transformer/Distro makes it possible to record clean audio tracks even under the worst of conditions is the indie short "Toothbrush." In this story of mistaken identity produced by Guymanly Productions, a pivotal scene takes place in the middle of a near vacant parking lot of an all night convenience store. With no building or other sound barrier within a reasonable distance to block the sound of the generator, Gaffer Aaron MacLaughlin had no recourse but to put it behind their grip truck as far from set as possible. As you can see from the photos below, he ran 300' of twist-lock extension cable from the generator to our Transformer/Distro hidden behind a newspaper box. From the Transformer/Distro he then ran 200' of 6/3 Bates Extension to set where he broke out to 20A Edison receptacles using a 60A snack box. While running the generator near full capacity with a lighting package that consisted of three 1200W HMI Pars and two 1k Baby Quartz Fresnels, he experienced no appreciable voltage drop on set even after a 500' cable run because our Select Transformer/Distro was able to compensate for both the line loss of the cable and voltage drop of the generator under near full load. Left: Scene in parking lot. Center: Transformer/Distro hidden behind newspaper box (set 200' in distance.) Right: Generator baffled by truck (Transformer/Distro 300' in distance.) This example shows how the variable boost of our Select Transformer/Distros, not only enables you to place the generator further from set where you won't hear it, but also assures that the supply voltage on the secondary side of the transformer does not drop too low. By comparison, had Aaron run 500' of standard 14 Awg electrical cord he would have experienced a line loss alone of 24.5V. With that severe a voltage drop, his HMI ballasts would probably have cut out from low voltage as he added additional loads on the generator. Without the line-loss compensation of our Transformer/Distros, he would have had to move the generator closer to set where it would be picked up on the audio tracks. Arri M40 4k HMI with Max Reflector & 1.2ks HMI Pars powered from 30A/240V dryer outlet through step-down transformer/distro for Bose still shoot. Don’t forget that our 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro also enables you to access more power on location from common 240v household outlets as well(use this link - http://www.screenlig...on Wall Outlets - for a details.) Common 240V sources found on interior locations include Range Plugs, Dryer Plugs, and special receptacles installed for Window Air Conditioners. By giving you access to more house power as well, our system is more versatile. You can see that the addition of our 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro adds a lot of benefits to our system that are not available with their modification. Regardless, in the end, it comes down to how many lights the generator is capable of powering. Our modified Honda EU6500is Inverter Generator with our 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro is capable of powering an Arri M40 (w/2.5kw globe) along with the 1200, 800 Pars of our HD Plug and Play Pkg., plus a couple of Parabeam 400s, a couple of Parabeam 200s, and a Kino Flo Flat Head 80. I challenge any other system to do the same. Guy Holt, Gaffer, New England Studios, Lighting & Grip Equipment Rental & Sales in Boston

With the new Arri 1000Hz High Speed ballasts you will be able to achieve flicker free images at frame rates of 500 - 1000 fps and in many cases beyond. This new technology supplies the lamp with a greatly raised 1000Hz square wave current, allowing for high speed cinematography with HMIs for commercials, sports, industrial applications, automotive component testing, ballistics or material testing - even with a single HMI daylight source. 1000Hz High Speed Ballasts are available for all wattages from 125W – 4000W. Here’s a demonstration video from the Arri channel on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgiG_0DDBwQ If you want to use the M18 you have to make sure you have the high speed ballast (Arri model #L2.76626.KA) and not the standard ballast (Arri model #L2.76626.A). But, you can run a much larger HMI on a Honda EU6500is without blowing it up if you know how. For instance, with a Transformer/Distro you will be able to run the M40 with high speed ballast, along with the rest of your package, on a 7500W modified Honda EU6500is. Rather than being conservative, be smart. Learn which HMIs ballasts are capable of what and how to operate them on portable generators. The poor Power Factor and flicker of HMIs have been vexing set electricians for years. For more information about the adverse effects these loads can have on generators and power distribution systems, and how to remedy them so that you can operate bigger, or more small, lights flicker free on portable generators or house power than has ever been possible before, join me in a workshop I am teaching on Feb. 16th titled “Lighten Up: Doing More with Less without Compromise.” As part of the same workshop series, New England Studios, Talamas Broadcast, and Production Hub will be sponsoring a workshop on “Video Lighting Design”by L.D. Richard Cadena on Feb. 9th. Noted Focal Press Author, ETCP Trainer, and Founder of the Academy of Production Technology, Richard’s workshops are both lively and informative. Log onto bit.ly/nptwkshps for more workshop information and registration details. Guy Holt, Gaffer, New England Studios, Lighting & Grip Rental in Massachusetts