Exploring the LED Landscape: A sit down with Gaffer Tyler Rousseau & Director Nikola Kitanovski

For years, HMI and tungsten hot lights have been the backbone of film lighting, delivering the power needed for large-scale productions. But with high energy consumption, increased labor, and limited color control, traditional hot lights come with trade-offs. While they still have their place, today’s fast-paced, sustainability-driven filmmaking calls for more efficient solutions.

That’s why industry insiders Tyler Rosseou and Nikola Kitanovski turned to FilmGear’s latest LEDs for their recent projects. Tyler used the Zenith 2000 to light Land Rover’s Defender campaign featuring Black Pumas, while Nikola relied on the MEGA 1200C for his feature film, Tramps Like Us.

Q+A: How Were FilmGear®'s LEDs Used?

Tyler Rousseau

Gaffer

Uses the Zenith to light up Land Rover’s campaign for Land Rover’s Defender.

Tyler: “It was a commercial for Defender. They were doing a two-day campaign following Black Puma, and integrating the everyday lifestyle of someone who’d use the car. We used the Zenith as a key light, wrapping the fill with a bounce and adding barefaced Zeniths for extra exposure. The lenses gave us the punch to bring the light closer without affecting makeup, while a book light softened it for a textured look. Everyone was happy with the results.”

Nikola Kitanovski Director

Harnessed the MEGA 1200C for his new project, Tramps Like Us.

Nikola: “We used it for multiple sceneraios from the fight scenes to the poker night - The MEGA had enough punch to be our key light in various scenes. Its high output make it a lifesaver, especially when managing stunts and extras—letting us focus on the story.”

Thoughts On The Build Quality?

Tyler: “Shooting in the Malibu hills, we relied on the Zenith’s IP65 weather sealing. It’s tough enough for high-speed shoots, durable, and easy to handle—just bend your knees and lift with ease!”

Nikola: “The MEGA is built like a tank—sturdy and durable. Unlike most LEDs, it matches the output and robustness of traditional hot lights with no visual difference.”

What Sets FilmGear® LEDs Apart?

Tyler: “The menu was intuitive, letting me control output directly without extra connections. The pixel control and color customization were also impressive.”

Nikola: “It’s hard to find an LED this versatile at this price. With FilmGear’s local support, we know help is just a call away. The quality speaks for itself on screen—that’s the beauty of our work.”

At FilmGear®, we’re redefining LED technology with our MEGA and Zenith, emphasizing versatility that sets us apart. Engineered by filmmakers for filmmakers, our lights adapt to various production scenarios and continually evolve to your needs on set. The MEGA 1200C transforms easily into a space light, dual, quadruple, or a wall of light while the Zenith line offers exceptional flexibility and unparalleled output. Discover how our LEDs can elevate your productions! To learn more, reach out at info@filmgearusa.com or call (323) 780-8880.

Written and Interviewed by Jibran Kabani

Maxibrute ⟹ MEGA: The Evolution

The Tungsten Maxibrute has been a cornerstone of lighting for decades, earning its place as an industry standard for multi-headed fixtures. From small commercial sets to cinematographic masterpieces crafted by Roger Deakins himself, Maxis have shaped the visual language of cinema. As much of film lighting shifts from tungsten to LED, FilmGear® takes the lead on transforming and modernizing the beloved maxibrute. The MEGA 1200 fuses the Maxibrute’s classic form with cutting-edge LED technology. It’s not just an update—it’s the next evolution, built for modern filmmakers.

From Maxibrutes to LED

As the industry shifts to more efficient and more versatile LED technology, the Maxibrute still remains a trusted staple, highlighting the timeless need for an impressively powerful yet relatively inexpensive light to fill its niche. FilmGear®s' Maxibrute, extensively used by Roger Deakins in "1917," stands as a testament to tungsten's enduring legacy and continued role in modern lighting.


MEGA 1200C: The Evolution 

The MEGA 1200C takes the foundation of the traditional Maxibrute and evolves it for modern demands. While maintaining the presence of its predecessor, its 4-headed modular design introduces the potential for even greater versatility and scalability. The MEGA can transform into a wall of light, double-yoke fixture, or even a space light. This flexibility allows for a wide range of creative setups, while still incorporating the power of the original Maxibrute. For gaffers and riggers, the modularity also results in a more streamlined, adaptable lighting solution.

What Makes The MEGA Stand Out

FilmGear® is renowned for its durability, and the MEGA 1200C is a prime example, boasting an IP65 rating for reliable performance in any environment. Its 19º beam angle provides precise directional lighting, while the advanced 7-color LED system expands the color gamut to deliver unparalleled results. The MEGA 1200C also offers exceptional versatility with accessories like soft boxes and diffusion kits, allowing beam angles to be easily adjusted for precise light shaping and rapid adaptability. 

The Maxibrute’s legacy has defined lighting for decades, and with the MEGA 1200C, FilmGear® evolves that heritage. Retaining the core power and reliability of the Maxibrute, the MEGA transforms it into a multipurpose LED fixture built with convenience and adaptability in mind, bridging the gap between tradition and innovation. We’re eager to see how it reshapes lighting on set for both seasoned pros and emerging creators. Experience the evolution—try the MEGA 1200C today and find out more by emailing us at info@filmgearusa.com or calling at (323) 780-8880.

Written & Edited by: Jibran Kabani + Jonathan Pino

The Power Beam’s Role on the set of “Skincare”: Interview with DP Christopher Ripley & Gaffer Mathias Peralta

                                                                                                   Chris with the 12k Power beam 

In 2019, the Tungsten 12kW Power Beam made its debut in the North American market, offering filmmakers a powerful addition to their creative arsenal. With its sharp reflector and massive output, it quickly became a staple for beam lights. In this newsletter, we sit down with two industry trailblazers, Director of Photography Chris Ripley and Gaffer Mathias Peralta (full interview linked above). Known for their music video work with artists like Kendrick Lamar and The Rolling Stones, we discuss their new feature film, Skincare, and how FilmGear®'s 12kW Tungsten Power Beam helped bring it to life.

Skincare is described as a “sunshine noir,” revolving around a renowned aesthetician who faces sabotage from a rival clinic. This sets her on a personal quest to uncover the saboteur's identity.

Ripley and Peralta highlighted the Power Beam’s impressive output and parallel beams, which allowed them to create a "portable sun" that illuminated two adjacent skincare clinics through the windows—a technique that became a signature element of the film’s lighting design. “We only used two big heads, and one of them was the 12kW Tungsten Power Beam. It felt like having a laser... it would hit the right point on the wall or the floor and feel natural. That was one of my favorite qualities,” said Peralta.

                                                                                                                  Gaffer Mathias Peralta 

Facing the challenges of on-location shooting in Los Angeles, the team adapted by rigging the Power Beam on urban porches and rooftops. This setup showcased the light’s 0° beam angle and its nimble 64-pound body while delivering a strong, directional output. "Instead of hanging it off a condor, we'd place it on a porch, allowing it to shine straight down and do amazing things. Another fixture, at that distance and with those restrictions, would be too clunky. But the Power Beam had the punch, thanks to its optics."

Beyond its role as a hard light source, the Power Beam was also used as a soft light by reflecting it into various locations, gently illuminating characters' faces in emotionally charged scenes. “We’d punch it into this small room, and then skate it from one side, so the return would softly illuminate their faces,” said Chris.

This process was enhanced by the tungsten dimming curve, controlled via an iPad-operated dimmer, which was also crucial in saving time on set. It allowed the team to simulate the passage of time from day to evening without changing the lighting setup. 'At one point, we had back-to-back scenes in the same room, each needing to feel like a different time of day. We could quickly shift the lamp's position because it was lightweight, creating the feel of late afternoon, warmer sunlight, or sunset. The dimmer made it intuitive, with a smooth dimming curve that was just beautiful. It was perfect for when we had to shoot five scenes in a row.' said Ripley.

Tungsten dimming curve controlled via iPad.

The Power Beam has quickly become one of FilmGear®’s most highly in-demand fixtures, and with filmmakers like Chris Ripley and Mathias Peralta pushing the boundaries of what a beam projector can achieve on set, it’s easy to see why! In our interview, linked below, we continue our discussion on the Power Beam and explore their insights on the future of film lighting, the broader gear economy, and the evolution of their personal styles. 

We loved hearing from them and are eager to hear more from members of the FilmGear family in the future. Share your experiences with us by calling (323) 780-8880 or emailing info@filmgearusa.com. 

Written & Edited by: Jibran Kabani + Jonathan Pino

When Power Meets Precision

Precision Reflectors are increasingly used in film lighting for efficiently illuminating multiple objects from a single source. However, their potential for simulating distant light sources is often overlooked. Achieving natural daylight's characteristics—like light falloff and intensity—is challenging but precision reflectors can come in clutch, despite light spill requiring larger, more power-intensive lights. Pairing Filmgear®’s Power Beams with reflectors allows gaffers to enhance output by reducing spill.

To answer the question of whether or not reflectors highlight the strengths between Fresnels, faceted PARs, and beam projectors, we experimented with each fixture across a variety of scenarios and observed the output, shadow quality, and general daylight-likeness. We hypothesized that the Power Beams’ tighter beam angle and greater output would pair well with a precision reflector to take the age-old brightness versus clarity tradeoff to its extreme.

The following images have been lightly edited for clarity to adjust for varying lighting levels.

Starting from Figure 1, there was no significant difference in light quality. Shadows were similarly soft, but the first two lights could not match the Power Beam's 4800lux compared to the 1500lux and 2700lux of the Fresnel and Par lights.

In Figure 2, the Fresnel at full flood provided the cleanest and sharpest shadows of the bunch, emphasizing the fresnel’s biggest strength, its cutability.

In Figure 3, a quirk of beam projectors becomes evident: the high optical quality of the Power Beam’s glass mirror reflects everything in the lamp head, including the arc of the globe depending on the spot/flood level. As expected, the Power Beam is best used when you need a strongly defined shaft of light to cross great distances.

Overall, the results highlighted the true strengths of these fixtures and where their best placement is on your set. The Fresnel shines with its clean and crisp shadows, the F-Series shows off with its powerhouse output, and the Power Beam pierces with its narrow beam shafts and longer throw.

FilmGear® offers a wide range of film lights including the Hybrid Power Beams, Daylight Faceted PARs, and Daylight Fresnels used in this test. If you’re interested in running some tests of your own, you can always schedule a one-on-one demo at your convenience. Simply contact us at (323) 780-8880 or email info@filmgearusa.com to book a demo at your location or ours.

Thank You For Another Wonderful Year At CineGear!

Thanks to everyone for coming by our booth this year and making Cine Gear 2024 one to remember! We had the pleasure of debuting three new fixtures that made a huge splash at the expo: the MEGA 1200C, the Power Beam Hybrid and the Zenith 900C!

MEGA 1200C

The talk of the expo was the MEGA wall, a demonstration of our MEGA 1200C’s modular capabilities and powerhouse output. Additional MEGA lights set up with a double yoke or as a space light showed off the wide variety of use cases for this versatile luminaire. With punchy output that lit up the showroom floor even at just 6% intensity, everyone wanted the chance to play with this IP65-rated gem of a light fixture!

Power Beam Hybrid

We also wowed attendees with the brilliant engineering of FilmGear®’s Power Beam Hybrid. The simple daylight/tungsten switching mechanism will make these rare beam projectors much more widely available in the colors that gaffers want them. With the full range of outputs on display during the show, the Power Beam Hybrid sure drew in a big crowd!

Zenith 900C

And of course the Zenith had quite the showing this year with the newest addition of the Zenith 900C. A lot of people were drawn in by the convenient form factor of the 900C and its impressive output for its compact size. Beyond the output, there was particularly good feedback on the light’s color accuracy, offering more complete coverage over the Rec. 2020 color space, and the IP65-rated build quality certainly didn’t hurt!

CineGear 2024 was such a blast and we want to thank everyone on the CGE team and of course all the wonderful visitors to our booth for making it such a wonderful experience!

To show our appreciation to those of you who showed us some love, we’re offering a show discount of up to 35% on our items if you checked in at our booth. If you missed your chance to see us on the showroom floor, feel free to request an in-person demo with us by calling (323)780-8880! Thanks for another wonderful year at CineGear!

The FilmGear® Experience Hits CineGear LA 2024 This Weekend!

Be there for FilmGear®’s showing at CineGear LA 2024 on June 7-8! Order a free pass to the expo through us and get a first-hand look at these hot ticket items that will be on display at Booth S4101 on Stage 24 of the Warner Bros. lot!

Power Beam Hybrid

We’re also bringing back some FilmGear® favorites: the F-Series, Apollo, and Aurora!

And of course some lovely raffle prizes and free giveaway goodies will be handed out each day of the expo, including:

The FilmGear® experience hits the expo floor later this week so don’t miss it!

FilmGear® Premieres Brand New Toys at CineGear LA 2024!

FilmGear® is unveiling three innovative new lights at CineGear LA 2024: the Power Beam Hybrid, the RGB Megabrutes, and the Zenith 900C panel. We’re excited to invite gaffers, cinematographers, and industry friends from all around the world to booth S4101 on the Warner Bros. Studio lot this June 7th and 8th to see the revolutionary additions to the FilmGear® line:

Power Beam Hybrid

New Dual Color Beam Projector

  • Capable of using both HMI and tungsten bulbs

  • Adjustable lamp height for centering up to 4 different bulbs

  • Reinforced glass mirror

  • Up to four wattages per fixture

    • 36”: 24/20k Tungsten + 18k/12k HMI

    • 24”: 12/10k Tungsten + 9/6k HMI

    • 18”: 5/2k Tungsten + 4/2.5k HMI

    • 18”: 2k Tungsten + 1.8/1.2k HMI

    • 12”: 1k Tungsten + 800W HMI

Evolution of the RGB Maxibrute

  • New 7-in-1 color MCOB LEDs fired through punchy TIR lenses

  • IP65-rated build for water and dust resistance

  • Modular capabilities allowing fixtures to be linked together to create any size wall of light

  • Wireless control (CRMX/W-DMX)

Latest Member of the RGB Power Panel Family

  • 2x1 form factor version of the Zenith power panels

  • New 7-in-1 color MCOB LEDs fired through punchy TIR lenses

  • IP65-rated build for water and dust resistance

  • Wireless control (CRMX/W-DMX)

It’s going to be a grand premiere at this year’s CineGear, so be sure to show up and see these new fixtures in action, including a massive wall of the Mega 1200Cs in action!

Bring the whole crew over to Cinegear Booth S4101 this June to get the full FilmGear® experience! Get lucky and maybe you’ll win our raffles, and grab some free goodies while chatting with our techs. Feel free to register for a pass through us with this link! Hope to see you there!

FilmGear®’s Zenith: Pack the Punch, Rain or Shine!

 We at FilmGear® are excited to announce a new addition to the Zenith lineup: The Zenith 700C! This model joins the robust Zenith lineup of punchy, all-in-one LED lights as the most compact version yet. The 700C packs the same powerhouse optics as the 1000C and 1500C unveiled last year, in a more convenient and portable 2x1 form factor.

  • Zenith 700C

  • Zenith 1000C

  • Zenith 1500C

The entire Zenith line boasts a punchy, narrow 19° beam angle due to their state-of-the-art TIR lenses which house 7-color MCOB LEDs. This combo produces unprecedented output and color mixing for an LED light, making the Zenith an essential first pick off any gaffer’s truck.

Despite its compact size, the Zenith 700C doesn’t compromise on durability. Built for the long haul, its IP65-rated body is designed to handle any water and dust you can expect on the wettest shoots or the dustiest scenes.

Not only is the Zenith series extremely tough, but also incredibly adaptable. With a wide range of versatile accessories, you can transform its naturally hard output into a soft panel as needed Slide in the flat or dome diffusers to broaden the field of light or attach a soft box for gentler illumination, and make the Zenith your ultimate tool for achieving perfect lighting for every scene.

If you want to get an up-close and personal look at the Zenith lineup in action, be sure to visit our booth at this year’s CineGear LA! Also feel free to book a one-on-one demo with us at your shop or ours by giving us a call at (323)780-8880 or emailing info@filmgearusa.com!

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