Jump to content

Eileen Ryan

Basic Member
  • Posts

    12
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by Eileen Ryan

  1. If the circuit doesn't have a neutral, your one option is a step-down transformer. Call Guy Holt at ScreenLight & Grip. They make a step-down transformer that converts the enhanced 7500W output of their modified Honda EU6500is to a single 60A/120V circuit. You could use the same transformer/distro to step down the output of your 50A/240V Twistlock circuits to a 60A/120V circuit . Because the transformer will pull a perfectly balanced load, the opposing legs of the single phase 240V circuit will cancel and so there is no need for a neutral. Use this link for more details http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/emailnewsletter_generators.html#anchorFull%20Power%20Transformer%20Distros. - Eileen Ryan, Gaffer
  2. As a gaffer in New England (about which Mark Twain famously quipped “If you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes and it will change”) I don’t find boards to be very effective. The problem is that boards require the sun, and where I work the sun is unpredictable. Not only does it move, but weather moves in front of it. They are great when the sun is out, but as soon as a cloud moves in there is no way you are going to be able to cut footage together. I’ve learned the hard way that it is not safe to go outside without a lighting package – especially if we are shooting a dramatic scene with a lot of coverage. But, you don’t need a very large lighting package. If you plan your shots properly, you can get away with nothing more than a 4k Par and 1.2 Par which you can run on one of the new 7500W Honda EU6500is/Transformer gen-sets that provides a single 60Amps/120V circuit. The approach that I find works best is to shoot the establishing master shot when the sun is out and its’ position offers the best modeling or effect. I then shoot the coverage under a full silk and/or when the sun has moved into a backlight position. Shooting under a silk offers a number of advantages. If the sun pops in and out, 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 model your talent to mimic the establishing shot - where without the silk you would need an 18k. The ideal situation is to wait to shoot the coverage until the sun has moved around to a back light position. When in this position, you are shooting into the shadowed side of the talent so small lights, like 2.5/4ks, will have even 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. And, as the sun goes in and out of clouds, a 1.2 kw is usually sufficient to bring back the edge of the sun through the silk that was lost. With the sun in a back light position, your background is also back-lit so the discrepancy in exposure between when the sun is out and behind cloud cover is not that great and so is hardly noticeable. 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, when it comes out, 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. The production still above is a good example of this approach. As you can see from the umbrellas covering some of the ballasts it has been raining. But there is blue sky, so obviously they took this approach to maintain continuity between when it was overcast and raining and when the sun came out. Having made the decision to start under a silk with lights means that their coverage will cut together seamlessly. Had they used boards, there would be a noticeable difference between footage shot when the sun was out and when it was under cloud cover. Eileen Ryan, Boston, Gaffer
  3. I agree. You don't need scaff rigs and goal posts. You can get the quality of helium balloons from latex weather balloons that you can get cheaply from an army surplus supply and helium tanks you can get cheaply from a local gas supplier. Float the balloons with the helium and shoot a HMI or Tungsten Par into the underside of the balloon. With a little trial and error you will figure out where the light should be on the ground to get the right angle of reflectance to light your set. A few tips: besides your anchor line of heavy weight monofilament coming straight down, super glue picture hanging tabs onto the circumference of the balloon so that you can attach guide lines of mono filament to hold the balloon into position. That way the balloon won’t move around too much if the wind comes up. Be sure the balloon is fully inflated before you glue the tabs. Have several balloons on hand because you will probably pop one or two the first time you try this. Once you get the hang of it you should have no problem. You will need a fairly big light on the ground to get any kind of level from bouncing onto a balloon. Where you need to do it on a low budget, I would suggest a 4k Par for an HMI source and the new Mole 5k Par for a tungsten source, because you can run either of them on one of the new modified Honda EU6500is gen-sets that provides a single 60Amps/120V circuit through a separate Transformer/Distro. You need to use a 240v-to-120v step down transformer/distro, like the one ScreenLight and Grip manufactures for their modified Honda EU6500is, because it is the only way I know of to power the Mole 120V 5k HMI Par on a portable generator. It steps down the 240V output of the generator to a single 60A 120V circuit that is capable of supplying the 42 Amps required by the 5k. Using a 240v-to-120v step down transformer/distro will also enable you to save money by renting an older style 4K HMI par with a 120V magnetic ballast. Stepping down the enhanced 7500W output of their modified Honda EU6500is, ScreenLight & Grips transformer/distro creates a single 120V circuit large enough to handle the high front end striking load, and even the voltage spikes, of a 4kw magnetic HMI ballast operating at 120V. And since, magnetic HMI ballasts will operate flicker free at all standard frame rates on an inverter generator (without the need for a crystal governor), you won’t have any flicker problems with a 4kw HMI on their system. The Honda EU6500is is so quiet, that to record dialogue without picking up the sound of the generator, all you need to do is run it out of the back of a truck or van. Another advantage to using ScreenLight & Grip’s transformer/distro is that it is designed to give a light boost to the secondary voltage. This slight boost compensates for the drop in voltage you get over a long cable run and so allows you to place the generator further away from set yet have plug in points on set at full line level. Use this link for other examples and benefits of using step-down transformers in production. Eileen Ryan, Gaffer, Boston
  4. If you are suggesting that I am the same person as “that guy in Boston,” I would have had to change more than my name – I would have had to change my sex. And, as far as I recall, I have not undergone a sex change operation. I also work in Boston and quite often rent equipment from Guy’s company ScreenLight and Grip. You see the same production stills in my post because they are from a production I worked on that used their HD Plug & Play Pkg. They are featuring that production on their website. After experiencing the benefits of their low noise lighting package on several productions, I highly recommend that anyone using HMI or Fluorescent fixtures on a set read the article Guy wrote on the use of portable generators in motion picture lighting. While the HMI lighting package he has developed as a result of his tests is new (introduced Jan 09), the set power issues caused by HMI and Fluorescent ballasts have been vexing electricians for years. His article explains the electrical engineering principles behind these issues in a very understandable way I have not seen elsewhere. What’s different about his article is that he undertakes a comprehensive survey of the prevalent lighting and portable power generation equipment and describes how he systematically tested how well they work together. One startling result of his tests, was that if you don’t have access to the newest power factor corrected electronic ballasts, you are better served by using the older magnetic ballasts on an inverter generator like their modified Honda EU6500is generator over non-PFC electronic ballasts. The 240v-to-120v step down transformer/distro that they manufacture for their modified Honda EU6500is is the only sure way I know of to power a 120V 2.5kw and 4kw HMI magnetic ballasts on a portable gas generator. It steps down the 240V output of the generator to a single 60A 120V circuit that is capable of accommodating the high front end striking load, and even the voltage spikes, of either a 2.5kw or 4kw magnetic ballast at 120V. And since, magnetic HMI ballasts will operate flicker free at all standard frame rates on an inverter generator (without the need for a crystal governor), their new gen set gives new production life to the older 2.5kw & 4kw HMIs with 120V magnetic ballasts that can be picked up very cheaply on ebay. An affordable way of powering more affordable HMIs, their gen set has greatly improved the production values of a lot of independent films shot in Boston. For example, see my post on a poor man’s helium balloon at www.cinematography.com/index.php?showtopic=44493. I highly recommend that anyone using HMIs read Guy’s article. The article is available at www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/emailnewsletter_generators.html. As for the length of our posts, let me paraphrase the words of a former business manager of the NYC local of IATSE (Local 52) to a former business manager of the New England local (Local 481): “The problem with Local 481 electrics is that they are over educated.” Eileen Ryan, Gaffer, Boston
  5. No one look is going to be appreciably cheaper than the other. Either way you will need, as Satsuki suggests, both a sizable grip package with overheads as well as an HMI package and the power to run it. As a gaffer in New England (about which Mark Twain famously quipped “If you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes and it will change”) I don’t go outside without both a grip and lighting package – especially if we are shooting a dramatic scene that will take a while to shoot. The reason is that no matter what look you are going for, you will need a basic grip and lighting package to match your shots when nature deals you the opposite of what you want. For example, if you are going for the feel of “overcast, grey and drizzly” and nature gives you a sunny day, you will need at least 12x overheads and a 4k to accomplish your look. If possible try to arrange to shoot your establishing master shot when the sun is backlighting your talent or set. When the sun is in this position, you are shooting into the shadowed side of the talent and background and they will look flatter and there will not be the feel of a directional sun source. Where it is not possible to shoot this way all day, I would plan to shoot the closer coverage under a full silk. Shooting under a silk offers a number of advantages. It takes the directionality out of the sun and knocks down the ambient level by two and half stops, which enables you to use smaller lights to model your talent to mimic the establishing shot. 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 and you can run it on one of the new modified Honda EU6500is gen-sets that provides a single 60Amps/120V circuit through a separate Transformer/Distro. Finally, with the sun in a backlight position all 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. An example of this approach is a scene I lit for a low budget feature that was shot during the summer on top of Mt. Washington in NH. Since the top of Mt. Washington is covered by clouds 90 percent of the year, all the footage was under overcast gray skies. A problem arose however when we had to go back and shoot pick up shots in November and the mountain was closed because of bad weather. Even though the mountain top was under heavy cloud cover, it was a clear sunny day at the base of the mountain. We found a roadside scenic observation point that allowed us to match the angle of the previous shots looking up at the talent sitting in a jeep, but the clear blue sky did not match the overcast skies of the footage shot on top of the mountain. So that the shot would match we filmed the scene under a 12x solid. By the time we opened up the camera iris for the reduced light levels under the solid the blue sky blew out. To bring back some contrast under the solid, we heavily diffused the 4k and used it to model the talent in the jeep. After printing down the footage it matched perfectly with what we shot on the mountain. To record dialogue without picking up the sound of the generator, we ran it out of the back of the grip truck. The Honda EU6500is is so quiet that running it out of the back of the grip truck was all the further attenuation we needed. To avoid line loss over the long cable run to the truck we used ScreenLight & Grip’s Transformer/Distro on set to power the 4k as well as our production gear. Their Transformer/Distro is designed to boost the voltage slightly in order to compensate for the drop of voltage you get over a long cable run. And since the 4k ballast was power factor corrected and the generator provides clean stable power, we had no problem with the production gear running on the same power. An example of the opposite problem - matching a sunny look - is a scene for the same feature that took place around a grill in a backyard surrounded by woods. Since it was a sunny day and we knew the scene was going to take all day to shoot, 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 grill with the woods behind him, we decided to wait until the sun had moved into a near back light position. Surrounded on three sides by woods, we knew that we would lose the sun altogether at some point and would need lights. So we shot our close coverage first under a 20x silk using nothing more than a 4k Par and 1.2k Par. The 4k was heavily diffused and positioned so that it gave the talent the most attractive modeling. The 1.2kw was positioned where the sun would be when we would shoot the wide so that there was a consistent edge. When the time came to shoot the establishing shot, the shadow of the overhead silk 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 added bonus the smoke from the grill drifted into the woods, creating shafts of light where the sun broke through the tree canopy. What could easily have been a plainly lit scene, 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 Honda EU6500is. So you see, no one look is going to be appreciably cheaper than the other. Either way you will need both a sizable grip package with overheads as well as an HMI package and the power to run it in order to keep a consistent look. Wide Shot of Night exterior scene lit with a pkg. consisting of PFC 2.5 & 1.2 HMI Pars, PFC 800w Joker HMI, Kino Flo Flat Head 80, 2 ParaBeam 400s, and a ParaBeam 200 powered by a modified Honda EU6500is. In fact, we shot the whole film on the Red with nothing more than a modified Honda EU6500is. A dual wattage 2.5/4k Par was our one big light. Not only did the Par configuration give us more output but it was also more versatile. When we needed a lot of light for day exteriors we lamped it with a 4k globe. When we didn’t need the punch of a 4k Par, like on a night exteriors, we swapped the 4kw globe for a 2.5kw globe giving us more power to run additional lights on the generator. When you consider that a Kino Flo Parabeam 400 uses only 2 Amps , the 15 Amps we saved by burning the smaller 2500W globe enabled us to power quite a few more Parabeam lights on the small generator. PFC 2.5 & 1.2 HMI Pars, PFC 800w Joker HMI, Kino Flo Flat Head 80, 2 ParaBeam 400s, and a ParaBeam 200 powered by a modified Honda EU6500is through a 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro For example, on night exteriors we ran a package consisting of a lighting package that consisted of a 2.5kw HMI Par, 1200, & 800 HMI Pars, a couple of Kino Flo ParaBeam 400s, a couple of ParaBeam 200s, and a Flat Head 80. Given the light sensitivity of the Red Camera, this was all the light we needed to light even large night exteriors. Use can this link - www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/hdfilmstrip4lg.html - to see the final results which are showcased on ScreenLight & Grip’s website, and to get more detailed information on the lighting package we used. Eileen Ryan, Boston, Gaffer
  6. I agree with Adrian’s comment below. The question is what's the biggest HMI you can use? What size you can use will be determined in large part by how much power is available to you. Assuming that you can’t afford a generator, the largest light that you can plug into a u-ground Edison outlet is the new Arrimax 1800. But where it draws about 17 Amps, you have to make sure you are plugged into a 20Amp circuit because it will blow the more common 15Amp circuit. The largest light that you can safely plug into any circuit (since you don’t always know the amperage of the circuit you are plugging into) is a 1200W HMI with a power factor corrected electronic ballast (11 Amp) or a magnetic ballast (13.5 Amps.) A non-power factor corrected electronic ballast will draw 19 Amps and blow a 15 Amp circuit, and even a 20 Amp circuit if there is anything else plugged into it. If you are not familiar with Power Factor Correction (PFC), it is more sophisticated ballast electronics that utilizes a RF Mains Filter to restrict the flow of harmonic currents back onto the supply service. A PFC circuit realigns voltage and current and induces a smoother power waveform at the distribution bus. As a result, the ballast uses power more efficiently with minimized return current and line noise and also reduces heat, thereby increasing their reliability. For this reason, all major manufacturers include PFC circuitry in large HMIs (12-18kw), and offer PFC circuitry as an option on medium-sized ballasts (2.5-6kw). However, because of the added cost, weight, and complexity of PFC circuitry, manufacturers have not until recently offered PFC circuitry in HMI ballasts smaller than 2.5kw. Except for one notable exception, when manufacturers do offer PFC circuitry in smaller ballasts it is at a premium, adding as much as a $1000 to the cost of a 1200W ballast for instance. Ballast manufacturer Power-to- Light, on the other hand, is including PFC circuitry in their ballasts at the same price point as other manufacturer’s non-PFC There are a number of 240 volt outlets in a typical house, office, or industrial plant in this country that you can also use to power 2.5 – 6kw HMIs. 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. 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. Where a 4kw HMI with PFC electronic ballast, operating at 240 Volts draws roughly 18.5 Amps on each leg of a single phase 240V circuit, its’ load is well within the capacity of these circuits. Where 4kw ballasts are typically wired with a 120V 60Amp Bates Plug (Stage Pin), you will need a 120V Female Bates to 240V adapter. I keep an assortment of adapters because all these 240V receptacles use a different pin configuration. Where most magnetic 4k ballasts only operate at 120V this method is not an option with magnetic ballasts because they will draw 40Amps. The only way to power 120V 2.5kw & 4kw HMI magnetic ballasts on wall receptacles (without a tie-in) is from 240V circuits through a 240v-to-120v step down transformer. There is a lighting rental and sales company in Dedham MA by the name of ScreenLight & Grip (SL&G) that manufactures a 60A transformer/distro for the Honda EU6500is generators that they modify. Like it does with the enhanced 240V output of their Honda EU6500is Generator, their 60A transformer/distro will convert the 240 volts supplied by these industrial and household 240V receptacles to 120 volts in a single circuit that is the sum of the two single phase legs of 30/50 amps each. In other words, out of a “30A/240v” or a “50A/240v” circuit their transformer/distro makes a 60A/120v circuit that is capable of powering bigger 120V lights, like 2.5kw & 4kw HMIs with magnetic ballasts (even Quartz 5ks, mini brutes (5850W) or Six Light Mole Par (6000W)). There are even benefits to be gained by powering 2.5kw & 4kw electronic ballasts (PFC or not) on 240V circuits through a 240v-to-120v step down transformer. Most 2.5/4kw electronic ballasts (like the Power Gems (PG) 425CDP, the Power-to-Light (P2L) 425LVI, and Arri 2.5/4 EB w/ALF) typically have an operating range of 90–125 & 180-250 Volts. At 120V they will draw approximately 38 Amps, so you will be able to run additional large lights (like 1.2kws) on the same circuit if, rather than plugging the 4kw PFC electronic ballast directly into the 240 receptacle (operating it at 240V) and monopolizing it, you plug it in through their 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro (operating it at 120 Volts), you will be left with 21 Amps to power additional lights on the same circuit. That’s a lot of additional power to waste by plugging the 4k directly into the 240V receptacle. And, since an electronic ballast “ramps up” gradually during the striking phase, you don’t have to leave head room as you would with a magnetic ballast. By operating the light through the Full Power Transformer/Distro you can more fully utilize the capacity of 240V circuit. For example, since the P2L 4/2.5 LVI ballast at 120V operates a 2.5k HMI luminary at 23 amps, you will still be able to power two additional 1.2kw HMIs (if operated by P2L 575/1200 ballast (11 Amps)), as well as a 800 Joker HMI (if operated by a P2L 800/1200 ballast (8 Amps)), off of the same circuit. That’s a lot of additional light to be gained by not plugging the 2.5 directly into the 240V receptacle. - Eileen Ryan, Boston Gaffer
  7. As a gaffer in New England (about which Mark Twain famously quipped “If you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes and it will change”) I don’t go outside without a lighting package – especially if the shoot will take all day. If you pre-plan your shots you can get away with nothing more than a 4k Par and 1.2 Par which you can run on one of the new modified Honda EU6500is gen-sets that provides a single 60Amps/120V circuit. If possible wait to shoot your wide establishing shot when the sun is out and in a position that offers the best modeling of the course landscape. This is usually at just after dawn or just before dusk – commonly referred to as “magic hour”. Once you have figured out where the sun would be for the wide shot, then shoot the coverage under a full silk and/or when the sun has moved into a backlight position. Shooting under a silk offers a number of advantages. It takes the directionality out of the sun and knocks down the ambient level by two and half stops, which enables you to use smaller lights to model your talent to mimic the establishing wide shot. The ideal situation is to wait to shoot the coverage until the sun has moved around to a back light position. When in this position, you are shooting into the shadowed side of the talent so small lights will have even more of a modeling effect. Finally, with the sun in a backlight position all 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. 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. And, if the sun does goes behind a cloud for a time, it is no big deal because your key source is constant. If the sun goes away all together a 1.2 kw is usually sufficient to bring back the edge that was lost. On overcast days, the 4k will be more than enough to create a sunny look under the silk, and the discrepancy in levels under the silk and outside the silk will be such that the background will be slightly over exposed and appear brighter. An example of this approach is a scene I lit for a low budget feature that took place around a grill in a backyard surrounded by woods. We knew 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 grill with the woods behind him, we decided to wait until the sun had moved into a near back light position. Surrounded on three sides by woods, we knew that we would lose the sun altogether at some point and would need lights. So we shot our close coverage first with nothing more than a 4k Par and 1.2k Par under a 20x silk. The 4k was heavily diffused and positioned so that it gave the talent the most attractive modeling. The 1.2kw was positioned where the sun would be when we would shoot the wide so that there was always an edge. When the time came to shoot the establishing shot, the shadow of the overhead silk 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 added bonus the smoke from the grill drifted into the woods, creating shafts of light where the sun broke through the tree canopy. What could easily have been a plainly lit scene, 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 Honda EU6500is. If you can’t wait for the optimum sun position, the same modified generator will run a 6kw par that you can use to fill direct sun. Night exterior scene lit with nothing more than a Honda EU6500is In fact, we shot a whole film on the Red with nothing more than a modified Honda EU6500is. A dual wattage 2.5/4k Par was our one big light. Not only did the Par configuration give us more output but it was also more versatile. When we needed a lot of light for day exteriors we lamped it with a 4k globe. When we didn’t need the punch of a 4k Par, like on a night exteriors, we swapped the 4kw globe for a 2.5kw globe giving us more power to run additional lights on the generator. When you consider that a Kino Flo Parabeam 400 uses only 2 Amps , the 15 Amps we saved by burning the smaller 2500W globe enabled us to power quite a few more Parabeam lights on the small generator. A Honda EU6500is & 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro powering PFC 2.5 & 1.2 HMI Pars, PFC 800w Joker HMI, Kino Flo Flat Head 80, 2 ParaBeam 400s, and a ParaBeam 200 For example, on night exteriors we ran a package consisting of a lighting package that consisted of a 2.5kw HMI Par, 1200, & 800 HMI Pars, a couple of Kino Flo ParaBeam 400s, a couple of ParaBeam 200s, and a Flat Head 80. Given the light sensitivity of the Red Camera, this was all the light we needed to light even large night exteriors. Use can this link to ScreenLight & Grip’s website - to see the final results, and get more detailed information on the lighting package we used along with more production stills from the movie. Eileen Ryan, Boston Gaffer
  8. Yes, I do remember the neutral getting very warm. Then we doubled the size of it and didn't have a problem after that. I never would have thought powering just four Kino 4'-4 Banks would be such a challange. Eileen Ryan, Gaffer, Boston
  9. If you are talking about adding “3x the actual amount” of fluorescent tubes that are already in the bus, you are talking about a fairly large electrical load that you will have to power somehow. Another alternative to rigging a generator outside the bus is a Battery/Inverter set up that is commonly called a "Battverter." A "Battverter" system consists of a deep cycle 12V DC power source (usually Marine Cells), a 12V DC-to– 120V AC True Sine Wave Power Inverter, and a Battery Charger. Battverters can work great for traveling car shots but offer limited capacity and run time. The largest true sine wave inverter I have seen is 1800W which is just enough to run a few Kinos. Your run time will depend on how many batteries you wire in paralell. Here are some production stills that show you two Battverter systems we built to run kinos to light the inside of an airport shuttle bus for the feature "Shuttle." The first is a 750W "Batt-Verter" rig wired into in Calzone case and mounted on a Exo-skeletal pipe rig that also held Kino Flos. Exo-skeletal pipe rig on shuttle to rig lights and mount 750W batt-verter on front (covered for rain protection) To maximize the running time on however many batteries you use, I would suggest you make up a "jumper cable" to attach to the leads of the bus’ alternator. That way you can use the bus alternator as a generator to run the lights during set up and rehearsals. When it comes time to shoot, shut off the engine and continue to run the lights on the silent Battverter alone. Running the vehicle engine between takes charges the batteries so that they will run longer. 750W "Batt-Verter" Rig wired into in Calzone case and tied into the Shuttle’s alternator The production stills below show you a more elaborate 1800W Battverter system that we built to run 16 - 4’ kinos tubes inside the airport shuttle bus. Use this link - http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/shuttlemailintro.html - for details on how we wired it into the shuttle bus. 1800W "Batt-Verter" Rig wired into the back of Shuttle Keep in mind that when voltage goes down, amperage goes up. All wire that carries 12V DC has to be sized accordingly. For instance to supply 12 volts to the 1800W inverter used on the shuttle bus required that we run 2 ought feeder to the buses' alternator. Also be sure that the alternator is large enough to take the load without burning out. On our 1800W rig we were able to run four 4' 4 Bank Kinos. SL&G's custom 1800W BattVerter powers 16 - 4' Kino Flo single tubes rigged in the interior and on the exterior of an Airport Shuttle If you need more than 1800Watts you have no alternative but to tow a small portable generator behind the bus. I would suggest a Honda EU6500is Inverter Generator with a transformer/distro. The Honda is so quiet that you will not notice it over the noise of the bus engine. When the bus is stationary, if you hear the generator at all, it will sound like the bus engine is idling. The Honda EU6500is inverter generator is much quieter than the older movie blimped Honda EX5500. Part of what makes the new Honda EU6500is so quiet is it’s “Eco-Throttle.” The Eco-Throttle’s microprocessor automatically adjusts the generator's engine speed to produce only the power needed for the applied load. It can do this because the Inverter Technology of the Honda EU6500is enables it to run at different RPMs and maintain a constant frequency and voltage. Where conventional generators like the Honda EX5500 and ES6500 have to run full speed at a constant 3600 RPM to produce stable 60 hertz (cycle) electricity, a Honda EU6500is only needs to run as fast as required to meet the load demand. Since their engines do not have to run at full speed, and the fact that an inverter generator generates 20% more power per revolution of the engine, makes the Honda EU series of inverter generators substantially quieter than conventional models. To make them even quieter, Honda has designed a new separate triple chamber construction and a new centralized intake/exhaust system. The net result is that the EU6500is is half as loud (ten decibels) as the comparable EM7000is and ES6500 generators typically found at lighting rental houses. Honda's EU Series generators operate at 34 to 44 dBA at 50 ft. - well below what is required for trouble free location recording and quieter than your typical Crawford 1400 Amp “Movie Blimped” Generator. With sound specs this good all you need to record sound without picking up generator noise is a real distro system that will allow you to tow the generator behind. There is a company here in Boston by the name of ScreenLight & Grip that builds a step-down transformer for 6500W generators that doubles as a distro box. Their transformer/distro steps down the enhanced 240V output of their modified Honda EU6500is to a single 120V/60Amp (7500 Watt) circuit that is capable of powering larger lights, or more smaller lights, than you can without it (see my post at on RedUser.Net for more details.) You might want to look into using their 60A transformer/distro because it will enable you to tow the generator behind, yet have a flexible distro system inside the bus. You would use heavy duty 250V twist-lock extension cable between the transformer/distro on on the bus and the generator on a small trailer. The single heavy-duty 250V twist-lock cable would eliminate multiple cable runs to the generator and give you plug in points conveniently located in the bus. Their 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro is equipped with the industry standard 60A/120V GPC (Bates) receptacle so you will need additional 60A GPC extension cables, 60-to-60 Splitters, and fused 60A GPC-to-Edison Breakouts (snack boxes) to run power around the bus - breaking out to 20A Edison outlets at convenient points. The best part about their transformer/distro is that no matter where in the distribution system you plug in, the transformer/distro automatically balances the additional load, so that you don't have to. If you use it with their modified Honda EU6500is generator, you simply plug in lights until the load wattage displayed on the “iMonitor” of the generator control panel reaches 7500 Watts. An overload alarm on the “iMonitor” display will tell you if you inadvertently overload the 60A Transformer/Distro. It is so simple that you don’t need to be an experienced electrician to operate it. If you don’t want to tie marine cells into the alternator of the bus, I would highly recommend this new Gen-set system. I have used it on several Red shoots. The generator is super quiet. The transformer/distro gives you access to more power (7500 Watts continuous) and greatly simplifies your set electrics. For example, as I mentioned on my Red User post, I used one recently to power a lighting package that consisted of a 2.5kw, 1200, & 800 HMI Pars, a couple of Kino Flo ParaBeam 400s, a couple of ParaBeam 200s, and a Flat Head 80. Given the light sensitivity of the Red Camera, this was all the light we needed to light a large night exterior. Use this link for more information about using transformers on portable gas generators: - Eileen Ryan, Boston Gaffer
  10. Unfortunately, incandescent lights are the least efficient light source for the creation of moonlight. Since eighty percent of the energy consumed by an incandescent light goes into the generation of heat, they generate less lumens per watt of any other light source. Add to that, the fact that the Full CTB gel required to convert incandescent lights to daylight has a transmission factor around .3 (it takes a 1000 Watt incandescent source to generate 300 Watts of day light balanced light) make them the most impractical light source for the creation of cool moonlight. I strongly agree with Rob that perhaps you should look at shooting 16mm and use the money you save to rent HMI lights, which would be a much more efficient source for the creation of blue moonlight. I have seen many low budget productions make the mistake of shooting 35mm. What they don’t realize is that even with the same fillm stock, 35mm requires more light than 16mm. The reason is that to get the same field of view in 35mm as you do in 16mm, requires a longer focal length. At the longer focal length, there is less depth of field, which requires that you stop down to get sufficient depth of field. To stop down the lens without underexposing requires more light. I have seen many independent productions blow their budget on 35mm only to find that they don’t have sufficient light levels to keep focus. Had they shot 16mm they would be working wider on the lens, with greater depth of field, and be able to afford a lighting package to bring up their exposure. If your concern about using larger fixtures is how to get power to them, there is a company here in Boston by the name of ScreenLight and Grip that has developed a portable gen-set that is film blimped and puts out 7500W (60amps) in a single 120V circuit. That’s enough to power a 6kw HMI Par, 5k Quartz Par, or a complete lighting package for an HD cinema production. Their system consists of a film style 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro that steps down the enhanced 240V output of a modified Honda EU6500is “movie blimped” generator to a single 120V/60A circuit. The enhanced capacity of their modified Honda EU6500is inverter generator would be wasted if not for their 60A transformer/distro. Without the transformer/distro you could never fully utilize the full power of the generator because the load of a light would have to go on one circuit/leg of the generator or the other. For example, when plugging lights into the factory installed power outlet panel of a Honda EU6500is, you reach a point where you can't power an additional 1.2 Par because there is not 11 amps (w/ a P2L PFC ballast) available on either one of the factory installed 20A outlets/leg of the generator. With their Full Power Transformer/Distro you can still add that 1.2 Par because the Transformer/Distro not only accesses more power (7500 Watts) through a higher rated circuit (60 Amps), but it also splits the load evenly over the two legs (5.5A/leg) of the generator on that circuit. The end result is that the generator is capable of handling a larger load more easily because it is a perfectly balanced load. Another benefit to using their Transformer/Distro is that it splits the load of what ever you plug into it automatically. Which means you no longer have to carefully balance the load over the generator's two 20A/120 circuits/legs as you plug in lights because the Transfomer/Distro does it for you. With their modified Honda EU6500is you simply plug in lights until the load wattage displayed on the generator’s iMonitor reaches 7500 Watts. An overload alarm on the iMonitor display will tell you if you inadvertently overload the Transformer/Distro. It’s so easy that you don’t need to be an experienced electrician to distribute power around your set. Now that you are able to fully utilize the generator's available power, you are able to power larger lights, or more smaller lights, than you could without their transformer/distro. Night exterior scene lit with nothing more than a Honda EU6500is For example, on a recent independent short shooting with the Red, I used their modified Honda EU6500is Generator to power a lighting package that consisted of a 2.5kw, 1200, & 800 HMI Pars (with PFC ballasts), a couple of Kino Flo Parabeam 400s, a couple of Parabeam 200s, and a Flat Head 80. Given the light sensitivity of the Red Camera, this was all the light we needed to light a large night exterior. The scene takes place behind a mall, but the principles are the same: we used the 2.5 HMI par to light the deep background, the 1200 HMI par to light the near background, and the 800 Joker was mounted on a Source 4 Leko with a bug-a-beam adapter to create a window pattern on the ground from a building that doesn’t exist but you don’t see that in the movie. We used two Parabeam 400s to key the talent and a Kino Flo Flathead 80 to fill the entire scene. A Honda EU6500is & 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro powering PFC 2.5 & 1.2 HMI Pars, PFC 800w Joker HMI, Kino Flo Flat Head 80, 2 ParaBeam 400s, and a ParaBeam 200 Where we were using the Red, we pitched the color temperature of the lights to the Red’s native 5000K color balance as follows: the 2.5 & 1200 Pars were gelled with ½ CTB for moonlight. We put half CTO on the Joker 800 to create warm window light. We mixed 3200K tubes into the Parabeam 400 on the “window” side to create a warm key source motivated by the window. The Parabeam on the other side was gelled with ¼ CTB to create a cool key source motivated by the moonlight. Finally, we lamped the Flathead 80 with only 5500K tubes to create a slightly cool fill. To see the final results, use this link - www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/hdfilmstrip4lg.html - to ScreenLight & Grips website where they have posted more detailed information on the lighting package we used along with production stills from the movie. A 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro supplying location power from a Honda EU6500is If we were using 3200K film or native 3200K Video, we would have pitched the color temperature of the lights as follows: the 2.5 & 1200 Pars would be gelled with ½ CTO for moonlight. We would have used the 750 HPL back on the Source Four instead of the Joker 800 and used half CTO on it to create warm window light. We would use all 3200K tubes in the Parabeam 400 on the “window” side and add half CTO to create a warm key source motivated by the window. We would lamp the Parabeam on the other side with half 3200K tubes and half 5500K tubes to create a cool key source motivated by the moonlight. Finally, we would lamp the Flathead 80 with only 3200K tubes to create a white fill. - Eileen Ryan, Boston Gaffer
  11. One alternative is a Battery/Inverter set up that is commonly called a "Battverter." A "Battverter" system consists of a deep cycle 12V DC power source (usually Marine Cells), a 12V DC-to– 120V AC True Sine Wave Power Inverter, and a Battery Charger. Battverters can work great for traveling car shots but offer limited capacity and run time. The largest true sine wave inverter I have seen is 1800W which is just enough to run a few Kinos. Your run time will depend on how many batteries you wire in paralell. Here are some production stills that show you two Battverter systems that a local gaffer that I work with, Guy Holt, built to run kinos to light the inside of an airport shuttle bus for the feature "Shuttle." The first is a 750W "Batt-Verter" rig wired into in Calzone case and mounted on a Exo-skeletal pipe rig that also held Kino Flos. (Exo-skeletal pipe rig on shuttle to rig lights and mount 750W batt-verter on front (covered for rain protection) To maximize the running time on however many batteries you use, I would suggest you make up a "jumper cable" to attach to the leads of the bus’ alternator. That way you can use the bus alternator as a generator to run the lights during set up and rehearsals. When it comes time to shoot, shut off the engine and continue to run the lights on the silent Battverter alone. Running the vehicle engine between takes charges the batteries so that they will run longer. (750W "Batt-Verter" Rig wired into in Calzone case and tied into the Shuttle’s alternator) The production stills below show you a more elaborate 1800W Battverter system that we built to run 16 - 4’ kinos tubes inside the airport shuttle bus. Use this link - http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/shuttlemailintro.html - for details on how we wired it into the shuttle bus. (1800W "Batt-Verter" Rig wired into the back of Shuttle) Keep in mind that when voltage goes down, amperage goes up. All wire that carries 12V DC has to be sized accordingly. For instance to supply 12 volts to the 1800W inverter used on the shuttle bus required that we run 2 ought feeder to the buses' alternator. Also be sure that the alternator is large enough to take the load without burning out. On our 1800W rig we were able to run four 4' 4 Bank Kinos. (SL&G's custom 1800W BattVerter powers 16 - 4' Kino Flo single tubes rigged <br> in the interior and on the exterior of an Airport Shuttle) If you need more than 1800Watts you should consider towing a small portable generator behind the bus. I would suggest a Honda EU6500is Inverter Generator with a transformer/distro. The Honda is so quiet that you will not notice it over the noise of the bus engine. When the bus is stationary, if you hear the generator at all, it will sound like the bus engine is idling. The Honda EU6500is inverter generator is much quieter than the older movie blimped Honda EX5500. Part of what makes the new Honda EU6500is so quiet is it’s “Eco-Throttle.” The Eco-Throttle’s microprocessor automatically adjusts the generator's engine speed to produce only the power needed for the applied load. It can do this because the Inverter Technology of the Honda EU6500is enables it to run at different RPMs and maintain a constant frequency and voltage. Where conventional generators like the Honda EX5500 and ES6500 have to run full speed at a constant 3600 RPM to produce stable 60 hertz (cycle) electricity, a Honda EU6500is only needs to run as fast as required to meet the load demand. Since their engines do not have to run at full speed, and the fact that an inverter generator generates 20% more power per revolution of the engine, makes the Honda EU series of inverter generators substantially quieter than conventional models. To make them even quieter, Honda has designed a new separate triple chamber construction and a new centralized intake/exhaust system. The net result is that the EU6500is is half as loud (ten decibels) as the comparable EM7000is and ES6500 generators typically found at lighting rental houses. Honda's EU Series generators operate at 34 to 44 dBA at 50 ft. - well below what is required for trouble free location recording and quieter than your typical Crawford 1400 Amp “Movie Blimped” Generator. With sound specs this good all you need to record sound without picking up generator noise is a real distro system that will allow you to tow the generator behind. Guy Holt's company here in Boston, ScreenLight & Grip, builds a step-down transformer for 6500W generators that doubles as a distro box. Their transformer/distro steps down the enhanced 240V output of their modified Honda EU6500is to a single 120V/60Amp (7500 Watt) circuit that is capable of powering larger lights, or more smaller lights, than you can without it (see my post at http://reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=33385 for more details.) You might want to look into using their 60A transformer/distro because it will enable you to tow the generator behind, yet have a flexible distro system inside the bus. You would use heavy duty 250V twist-lock extension cable between the transformer/distro on on the bus and the generator on a small trailer. The single heavy-duty 250V twist-lock cable would eliminate multiple cable runs to the generator and give you plug in points conveniently located in the bus. Their 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro is equipped with the industry standard 60A/120V GPC (Bates) receptacle so you will need additional 60A GPC extension cables, 60-to-60 Splitters, and fused 60A GPC-to-Edison Breakouts (snack boxes) to run power around the bus - breaking out to 20A Edison outlets at convenient points. The best part about their transformer/distro is that no matter where in the distribution system you plug in, the transformer/distro automatically balances the additional load, so that you don't have to run back and forth between the bus and trailer to check the load balance. If you use it with their modified Honda EU6500is generator, you simply plug in lights until the load wattage displayed on the “iMonitor” of the generator control panel reaches 7500 Watts. An overload alarm on the “iMonitor” display will tell you if you inadvertently overload the 60A Transformer/Distro. It is so simple that you don’t need to be an experienced electrician to operate it. If you don’t want to tie marine cells into the alternator of the bus, I would highly recommend this new Gen-set system. I have used it on several Red shoots. The generator is super quiet. The transformer/distro gives you access to more power (7500 Watts continuous) and greatly simplifies your set electrics. For example, as I mentioned on my Red User post, I used one recently to power a lighting package that consisted of a 2.5kw, 1200, & 800 HMI Pars, a couple of Kino Flo ParaBeam 400s, a couple of ParaBeam 200s, and a Flat Head 80. Given the light sensitivity of the Red Camera, this was all the light we needed to light a large night exterior. Use this link for more information about using transformers on portable gas generators: www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/emailnewsletter_generators.html. - Eileen Ryan, Boston Gaffer
  12. You have to be really careful when using inverters with cars otherwise you will blow fuses or start a fire. Keep in mind that when voltage goes down, amperage goes up. All wire that carries 12V DC has to be sized considerably larger than wire carrying the same load at 120V AC. For instance to supply 12 volts to an 1800W inverter requires 2/O feeder cable. Also most car alternators are not large enough to support 1800W load without burning out. One alternative is a Battery/Inverter set up that is commonly called a "Battverter." A "Battverter" system consists of a deep cycle 12V DC power source (usually Marine Cells), a 12V DC-to– 120V AC True Sine Wave Power Inverter, and a Battery Charger. Battverters can work great for traveling car shots but offer limited capacity and run time. The largest true sine wave inverter I have seen is 1800W which is just enough to run a few Kinos. Your run time will depend on how many batteries you wire in paralell. To maximize the running time on however many batteries you use, I would suggest you make up a "jumper cable" to attach to the leads of the car’s alternator (wire in an appropriate sized fuse block to protect the alternator.) You can then use the car alternator as a generator to run the lights during set up and rehearsals. When it comes time to shoot, shut off the engine and continue to run the lights on the silent Battverter alone. Running the vehicle engine between takes charges the batteries so that they will run longer. Use the link below for an example of a Battverter system that we built to run kinos to light the inside of an airport shuttle bus for the feature "Shuttle" that was shot here in Boston on the Viper. The production stills show you pretty much how we wired it into the shuttle bus. http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/shuttlemailintro.html Where this was an airport shuttle van that was already wired to the gills with lights and heaters it had a beefy alternator. For that reason we were able to run 2 ought feeder from it's alternator to supply an 1800W inverter. But even then we were not able to power more than four 4' 4 Bank Kinos. If you need more than 1800Watts you should reconsider a generator. Since Honda introduced their EU series of inverter generators it is possible to record location audio without picking up generator noise if you use them with a transformer/distro package. To start, the Honda EU6500is inverter generator is much quieter than the older movie blimped Honda EX5500. Part of what makes the new Honda EU6500is so quiet is it’s “Eco-Throttle.” The Eco-Throttle’s microprocessor automatically adjusts the generator's engine speed to produce only the power needed for the applied load. It can do this because the Inverter Technology of the Honda EU6500is enables it to run at different RPMs and maintain a constant frequency and voltage. Where conventional generators like the Honda EX5500 and ES6500 have to run full speed at a constant 3600 RPM to produce stable 60 hertz (cycle) electricity, a Honda EU6500is only needs to run as fast as required to meet the load demand. Since their engines do not have to run at full speed, and the fact that an inverter generator generates 20% more power per revolution of the engine, makes the Honda EU series of inverter generators substantially quieter than conventional models. To make them even quieter, Honda has designed a new separate triple chamber construction and a new centralized intake/exhaust system. The net result is that the EU6500is is half as loud (ten decibels) as the comparable EM7000is and ES6500 generators typically found at lighting rental houses. Honda's EU Series generators operate at 34 to 44 dBA at 50 ft. - well below what is required for trouble free location recording and quieter than your typical Crawford 1400 Amp “Movie Blimped” Generator. With sound specs this good all you need is a real distro system to record sound without picking up generator noise. There is a company here in Boston by the name of ScreenLight & Grip that builds a step-down transformer for 6500W generators that doubles as a distro box. Their transformer/distro steps down the enhanced 240V output of their modified Honda EU6500is to a single 120V/60Amp (7500 Watt) circuit that is capable of powering larger lights, or more smaller lights, than you can without it (see my post at http://reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=33385 for more details.) You might want to look into using their 60A transformer/distro because it will enable you to place the generator further away while keeping your plug-in points conveniently close to set. To record sync sound without picking up any generator noise, all you need to do is add 100' - 150’ of heavy duty 250V twist-lock extension cable between the generator and the transformer/distro which is usually enough cable to place the generator around the corner of a building. In your case you could 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 and the subsequent drop in voltage from line-loss from using standard electrical cords. Their 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro is equipped with the industry standard 60A/120V GPC (Bates) receptacle. The 60A GPC outlet can be used to power a 5kw Quartz or 2.5kw & 4kw HMI Pars. With additional 60A GPC extension cables, 60-to-60 Splitters, and fused 60A GPC-to-Edison Breakouts (snack boxes) you can run power around your set - breaking out to 20A Edison outlets at convenient points. The best part about their transformer/distro is that no matter where in the distribution system you plug in, the transformer/distro automatically balances the additional load, so that you don't have to. If you use it with their modified Honda EU6500is generator, you simply plug in lights until the load wattage displayed on the “iMonitor” of the generator control panel reaches 7500 Watts. An overload alarm on the “iMonitor” display will tell you if you inadvertently overload the 60A Transformer/Distro. It is so simple that you don’t need to be an experienced electrician to operate it. I highly recommend this new Gen-set system. I have used it on several Red shoots. The generator is super quiet. The transformer/distro gives you access to more power (7500 Watts continuous) and greatly simplifies your set electrics. For example, as I mentioned in my other post, I used one recently to power a lighting package that consisted of a 2.5kw, 1200, & 800 HMI Pars, a couple of Kino Flo ParaBeam 400s, a couple of ParaBeam 200s, and a Flat Head 80. Given the light sensitivity of the Red Camera, this was all the light we needed to light a large night exterior. Use this link for more information about using transformers on portable gas generators: www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/emailnewsletter_generators.html. - Eileen Ryan, Gaffer
×
×
  • Create New...