Litepanels shines on "World Trade Center"
"It was something that came about by necessity, and now I love what I can do with Litepanels," says cinematographer Seamus McGarvey, BSC. "On World Trade Center, we were looking for a light source that was cool, because of the confined conditions and restricted environment. Litepanels was the best, perhaps the only solution."
Much of the high drama of World Trade Center played out in extremely small sections of an elaborately designed set that was difficult to reach. "The beauty of the Litepanels Minis was we could hide them in existing girders and twisted bits of metal. They were unobtrusive. They could exist in the shafts and when we went wider, we could look right at them and they would literally meld into the set."
McGarvey also took advantage of the dimmer function to adjust the intensity without affecting color temperature. Often, he was working at two or three stops underexposed. "We had to be able to control the light quickly," he says. "Even with barely any light, the Litepanels remained constant and gave us what we needed every time."
Recently, McGarvey was in Los Angeles for a series of meetings. He got to see several new Litepanels tools. "I am really excited about these lights," he says. "They have added the remote dimming cable to the Minis, which is a great development.
"I also see so many uses for the new 1x1s," he adds. "Up against windows or behind blinds, extending the light when natural light ends.
"I've seen the new Ringlite Mini on the Steadicam. It is great for a lighting effect in the eyes or an eye light on wider shots. It's great for focused light as well.
"Actors like it when we bring in the Litepanels," he adds. "The fact that they work at such low levels means that it is an easier and kinder environment to work in. They simply are a wonderful development in lighting."
