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How many kilowatts does it take to burn your actors?


Laura Breyers

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Assume you are working with the most directional of all lights, xenons, and they are in 6 feet of an actor, not taking heat into account, how many kilowatts of pure light energy would it take to cause burns?

 

Although it sounds like im trying to burn them, its quite the opposite. Im asking because ive heard xenons are powerful enough to break glass so im am a bit concerned. I suppose this could be true of most lights though, has anyone had any experiences walking away from a set with a tan?

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Assume you are working with the most directional of all lights, xenons, and they are in 6 feet of an actor, not taking heat into account, how many kilowatts of pure light energy would it take to cause burns?

 

Although it sounds like im trying to burn them, its quite the opposite. Im asking because ive heard xenons are powerful enough to break glass so im am a bit concerned. I suppose this could be true of most lights though, has anyone had any experiences walking away from a set with a tan?

 

There is sort of a crossover point in the rays where the heat is the most intense, so watch out for that. You can try using a heat shield on a gel frame in front of the light to help somewhat, but the best thing is to not let the actors get too close to the light.

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Assume you are working with the most directional of all lights, xenons, and they are in 6 feet of an actor, not taking heat into account, how many kilowatts of pure light energy would it take to cause burns?

 

Although it sounds like im trying to burn them, its quite the opposite. Im asking because ive heard xenons are powerful enough to break glass so im am a bit concerned. I suppose this could be true of most lights though, has anyone had any experiences walking away from a set with a tan?

 

 

It depends upon if you are referring to a burn from the heat or from UV. Most gaffers would be surprised by the UV output of MOST HMI's on the market today. Xenons may also fall into this category.

And yes, I have heard stories.

 

Wilhelm

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I use to work on a lot of Albert Pyun movies. I believe George Mooradian was his DP at the time. We were doing two films at once, Dollman and Arcade. Tim Tomerson played Dollman and we were shooting at the old Kaiser Steel Building where California Speedway sits now, We were shooting a night scene of a helicopter chasing Tim. I think we had a Xenon on scaffolding if I remember correctly. It might have been on a Helicopter, I don't remember but they removed the UV filter to get more throw on the light and even from a distance, it literally fried Tim's face. It was ugly. He was not happy. His face looked like he fell asleep in the sun for a few hours.

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There is sort of a crossover point in the rays where the heat is the most intense, so watch out for that. You can try using a heat shield on a gel frame in front of the light to help somewhat, but the best thing is to not let the actors get too close to the light.

 

The actors will be wet at the time, is the radiant heat energy so much that it will burn wet skin? How close is too close?

 

 

I don't remember but they removed the UV filter to get more throw on the light and even from a distance, it literally fried Tim's face. It was ugly. He was not happy. His face looked like he fell asleep in the sun for a few hours.

 

How long did it take to cause this?

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The actors will be wet at the time, is the radiant heat energy so much that it will burn wet skin? How close is too close?

 

Being wet won't help. Being a few fathoms under water might help. It's the ultra-violet energy that burns skin, not the infra-red (heat) energy. Burning skin is a minor worry compared with UV eye damage, which can be permanent.

 

 

 

-- J.S.

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I use to work on a lot of Albert Pyun movies. I believe George Mooradian was his DP at the time. We were doing two films at once, Dollman and Arcade. Tim Tomerson played Dollman and we were shooting at the old Kaiser Steel Building where California Speedway sits now, We were shooting a night scene of a helicopter chasing Tim. I think we had a Xenon on scaffolding if I remember correctly. It might have been on a Helicopter, I don't remember but they removed the UV filter to get more throw on the light and even from a distance, it literally fried Tim's face. It was ugly. He was not happy. His face looked like he fell asleep in the sun for a few hours.

 

Tom,

 

That my friend is hilarious, not the part about Tim but the fact that you have a memory like a steel trap. I knew I was there when you mentioned Albert and George and the Fontana steel mill, but not the Xenon incident. Hell, I don't remember anybody on the crew except George, Dana and Mark Moore, all which I see occasionally. Good Times and high concentrations of PCBs in my blood.

 

Bill

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Tom,

 

That my friend is hilarious, not the part about Tim but the fact that you have a memory like a steel trap. I knew I was there when you mentioned Albert and George and the Fontana steel mill, but not the Xenon incident. Hell, I don't remember anybody on the crew except George, Dana and Mark Moore, all which I see occasionally. Good Times and high concentrations of PCBs in my blood.

 

Bill

 

Do you remember the indoor fire pit? We were shooting a scene with Jackie Earl Halie inside this building. We had a 55 gallon drum burning wood that PA's were getting off the ground. We had EPA agent with us telling us not to add water to this and what ever you do don't add hydrochloric acid to that. Don't even touch that. The wood was just saturated with chemicals, I imagine. The room was three walls and a ceiling with the third wall missing. Most of us got sick from the fire smoke. The AD got Industrial Pneumonia. I didn't go to a doctor so I was just sick. Who else was on that? Dana Gonzales, Mark, I think Mark Melville was gaffing or it might have been Denny Moradian or Mark Jones. I think Bill Boatman was on for a few days as was Gilbert Salas. Albert's Movies are always interesting. Seth Green was doing one of his first movies. He was just a kid. I remember your name. There was also and AC with red hair and he spoke spanish. Can't remember his name. Tom Karnowski might have produced that. The only producer that ever paid me for deferred payment.

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