"Clean" light

[Nicolas Eveilleau]

Hi everyone!

 

I'm working as DOP on a small fiction about ecology, so I'ld like to try my best to use "clean" light, and by that, I'm mean that I'll fell weird to have my big generator on a "green set" ^^

 

So, do you know any alternative ? For now, I'm looking for LED's panel plugged on big solar batteries, I still have to make some math to know hom long it will work, but what use less energy than LED right ? But if you have any advice, any tricks you'ld like to share... :P

[Freya Black]

Hi everyone!

 

I'm working as DOP on a small fiction about ecology, so I'ld like to try my best to use "clean" light, and by that, I'm mean that I'll fell weird to have my big generator on a "green set" ^^

 

So, do you know any alternative ? For now, I'm looking for LED's panel plugged on big solar batteries, I still have to make some math to know hom long it will work, but what use less energy than LED right ? But if you have any advice, any tricks you'ld like to share... :P

 

How about Solar lighting? In the early days of cinema, sets were often built in studios with large glass ceilings!

 

If your set is waterproof you could build it outside.

 

The sun is a very powerful lighting source. It completely blows away all these people with their fancy H.M.I's.

 

You can then use bounceboard to provide fill etc!

 

Solar energy is clean and renewable.

 

love

 

Freya

[Nicolas Eveilleau]

Yes I thought of this, a combinaison of miror and soft bounce. It's just that I have some night scene and I'm not that much kean on day for night (also I might do it anyway, it's in a forest, I won't have any problems with the sky) and I won't shoot in a build set, it's a small project, so it will be on location. I know I can easily plug my spots in the wall but I'm looking for anything less consuming. First of all, I'll obviously use HMI more than tungsten, but LED for example are less energivore than HMI etc.

 

It's actually a lot more a question of challenge and curiosity.

[Michael Nash]

Some productions here in LA are switching over to (partially) bio-diesel fueled generators:

 

http://www.litepower.com/technical_information.htm

http://www.line204.com/cart/gpg.asp

 

LED lights:

http://www.nila.tv/

 

Links to "green" filmmaking:

http://www.film.ca.gov/GreenFilmmaking/Production.html

[John Brawley]

Hi everyone!

 

I'm working as DOP on a small fiction about ecology, so I'ld like to try my best to use "clean" light, and by that, I'm mean that I'll fell weird to have my big generator on a "green set" ^^

 

So, do you know any alternative ? For now, I'm looking for LED's panel plugged on big solar batteries, I still have to make some math to know hom long it will work, but what use less energy than LED right ? But if you have any advice, any tricks you'ld like to share... :P

 

 

Why don't you just carbon offset your production. Plant enough trees to soak up the carbon emitted.

 

I really don't get biodiesel. Aren't you still emitting carbon when you burn this stuff ?

 

jb

[Valerio Sacchetto]

The theory is that from biodiesel you put in the atmosphere the same carbon the plant soaked from the air itself. Hence the result is 0. Using regulr fossil fuels you put in the atmosphere carbon that wasn't in the air before.

[John Brawley]

The theory is that from biodiesel you put in the atmosphere the same carbon the plant soaked from the air itself. Hence the result is 0. Using regulr fossil fuels you put in the atmosphere carbon that wasn't in the air before.

 

 

I don't want to get into a debate about it and am no expert, but i've read that it's not a simple carbon in carbon out equation once you take into account the energy required to grow, harvest and fertilise, not to mention they're cutting down Indonesian rainforest to create more land to grow biodiesel crops.

 

jb

[Michael Nash]

The idea is that biodiesel is partly from a renewable source and not fossil fuel exclusively. Plus, it's something that we can do to now (converting the engines is relatively easy) rather than wait for some new technology to become available. It's simply an alternative, not a long-term "cure-all."

 

I'm not taking any stance on the stuff, just passing along info:

http://www.biodiesel.org/

[John Brawley]

I'm not taking any stance on the stuff, just passing along info:

 

As am I. But growing the crops isn't that good for the planet either.

 

http://www.greenhealthwatch.com/news/lates...estructive.html

 

The thing is, that all fossil fuels were also once *bio* material....just from a really really long time ago. We have to actually lower our consumption. Not just switch fuels.

Edited March 9, 2008 by John Brawley

[Valerio Sacchetto]

I don't want to get into a debate about it and am no expert, but i've read that it's not a simple carbon in carbon out equation once you take into account the energy required to grow, harvest and fertilise, not to mention they're cutting down Indonesian rainforest to create more land to grow biodiesel crops.

 

jb

 

You're absolutely right, mine was a voluntarily simplistic answer (for your same reason). The truth is much more complicated.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiesel#Environmental_effects

[Nicolas Eveilleau]

Damn I know I shouldn't have brought moral problems along with our aesthetic and technical problems ^^ I can't figure out if it'll be a good idea to use a biofuel gene now :P

 

Anyway thanks a lot for all the links, it's kind of reasuring to see what CA film commission is doing, and to see some technicians concern with the problem too ;)

 

For now, I think the LED technology stay one of my favourite possibilities.

[Hal Smith]

My client, The University of Central Oklahoma (I contract engineering services at their radio station), is powered by wind farm generated electricity. I'm not certain how it works exactly but there's some way of purchasing electricity that originated at a wind farm. I suspect it's an agreement to buy power from the general grid at the price it costs to generate the power at a wind farm. So the electrons flowing through the University may not have originated exactly at a wind farm, but it's power that's being replaced somewhere in the grid by wind farms.

 

Is there such an arrangement possible on the West Coast to buy electricity originating at hydroelectric dams?

[Michael Nash]

As am I. But growing the crops isn't that good for the planet either.

 

http://www.greenhealthwatch.com/news/lates...estructive.html

 

The thing is, that all fossil fuels were also once *bio* material....just from a really really long time ago. We have to actually lower our consumption. Not just switch fuels.

 

I won't argue that. But again: the idea behind biodiesel is that it's a temporary alternative that we can use right now to mitigate the use of fossil fuels and creation of greenhouse gasses. It's not a long term cure-all. And "sustainable" means NOT expanding production and slashing rainforests...