LED battens for TV studio

[samchurchill]

Hi, I’m looking to get some hair lights for a new TV studio being built in a room with a low ceiling. Ideally these shouldn’t be in shot when the talent is standing, so I’m looking at what’s out there with a very small drop that could do the job.  Our existing 1x1 video lights will be too low, especially with the yoke, so I’ll use them as key and fill from the front.

I’m thinking an LED batten might be the answer; something like https://www.prolights.it/product/LUMIPIX8H (don’t need full colour, adjustable cold-to-warm white would be fine).

Is anyone able to offer any alternatives that I should also be looking at (especially at the less expensive end of the market!) or any other ideas of what form factor lights I should be researching?

Thanks!

 

Edited October 4, 2022 by samchurchill

[Thirdtap]

What about light panels? They could have quite slim profiles?

Arri for example

Also with honeycomb / baffle on the front this could stop / reduce camera flare

Edited October 5, 2022 by Thirdtap
Adding other information

[Bryson]

I think that the 1x1s he mentioned are about the same drop as the Arris.

Two things:  

 

1:  Minimize your drop by making the grid out of Unistrut tight to the ceiling, not pipe, and use these guys:  https://www.thelightsource.com/products/uni-bolt-for-strut-channels-82 to hang your fixtures.

2:  Look at some of the micro fixtures that Rosco make (actually, I think they resell them from someone else):   Braq/Miro/Pica or DMG Mix.

 

EDIT:

 

If you're just using the micro fixtures, Unistrut might even be overkill, tbh.  Might be something lighter weight you could do.

[samchurchill]

Thanks both.  Yes, those light panels look a similar height to our 1x1 panels.

I'm feeling very smug as we've already gone down the unistrut route for the grid - an idea I got from YouTube and used when we fitted out the room the studio is currently in.  The problem is that the room we're relocating to has an even lower ceiling.  Thanks for the idea though, and especially for the link to the fixings - at the moment we're using ones we had made with a spigot on them.

The Rosco fixtures look great - I'll look into those.

[themadhippy]

Quote

, and use these guys:  https://www.thelightsource.com/products/uni-bolt-for-strut-channels-82 to hang your fixtures.

Ok what am I missing? what do they offer over zebedee's

[sandall]

A huge difference in cost?

[Bryson]

2 hours ago, themadhippy said:

Ok what am I missing? what do they offer over zebedee's

No spring to go BOING and launch itself across the room.  Whole assembly is captive and lives on the fixture, rather than needing to deal with separate pieces.  Much quicker to mount and demount.  Stops the yoke from grinding directly on the unstrut without a big washer.  They are genuinely nicer to work with....

 

1 hour ago, sandall said:

A huge difference in cost?

...but yes, that.

I'd argue that it's not a million miles from the cost of a decent hook clamp, but obviously orders of magnitude more than a 25 cent zebedee.

One of the cheapest of the "nice" options, though: https://www.stagelightingstore.com/Stage-lighting-store/unistrut-accessories?page=1

 

[sunray]

8 hours ago, Bryson said:

I think that the 1x1s he mentioned are about the same drop as the Arris.

Two things:  

 

1:  Minimize your drop by making the grid out of Unistrut tight to the ceiling, not pipe, and use these guys:  https://www.thelightsource.com/products/uni-bolt-for-strut-channels-82 to hang your fixtures.

2:  Look at some of the micro fixtures that Rosco make (actually, I think they resell them from someone else):   Braq/Miro/Pica or DMG Mix.

 

EDIT:

 

If you're just using the micro fixtures, Unistrut might even be overkill, tbh.  Might be something lighter weight you could do.

O M G. I had no idea these are a commercial product. It must have been 15 years ago  I welded a length of M10 studding into ZEBs, made some washers out of 1/4" ali plate with a 63mm starrett saw for temporary sensors in plant rooms. the bottom wingnut/locknut was purely to give a positive twisting action and position indication to the ZEB.

Edited October 5, 2022 by sunray

[p.k.roberts]

I've always found that with backlighting for video, being able to control the beam is needed to keep it off the camera lens, so the LED batten originally suggested and probably the 'LED PAR' style lights may prove problematic, probably needing flags or grids, neither of which are great in a low ceilinged space. My choice would be a small fresnel; be aware though, some of the more budget versions I've seen seem to have been designed with the barn doors as more of a 'decorative feature' rather than for proper beam shaping.

[sunray]

On 10/6/2022 at 12:11 AM, sunray said:

O M G. I had no idea these are a commercial product. It must have been 15 years ago  I welded a length of M10 studding into ZEBs, made some washers out of 1/4" ali plate with a 63mm starrett saw for temporary sensors in plant rooms. the bottom wingnut/locknut was purely to give a positive twisting action and position indication to the ZEB.

Here's one I prepared earlier, looks like locktite or super glue in Zeb and a steel washer.

[david.elsbury]

There’s nothing there?

[sunray]

Does anyone see my pic?

[sunray]

Does this work?

[ed_ld]

I think Astera Titan or Helios tubes would be great for this. Or maybe their Hydra Panels if you need something a little harder.

Full colour temp control with +/- green as well as the full colour spectrum.

Egg crates and honeycombs available to control direction and spill.

Lots of low profile mounting options available.

Flicker free and good colour rendition for TV/Film

Good control options via their excellent Bluetooth app or Lumen radio for wireless DMX or hardwired DMX through the DC power lead and their Titan Box.

Built in batteries as well...in case you want to whip them down and take them on location.

Really have revolutionised the film industry over the last few years.

[samchurchill]

Oh, they look nice, but unfortunately probably out of our budget.  I think I’d actually prefer a version that is mains powered as I’d like to get as close as possible to a room where you go in, switch on and start shooting (at least for a standard setup), so I think a fair amount of the cost is going into an area we won’t use.