MiniPlus Dependable under Arctic Conditions
When filming under Arctic extremes to portray the challenges a German marine biologist and logistician faced while supplying research stations and vessels with equipment and essentials, cinematographer Sabine Streckhardt needed rugged, dependable lighting. “That’s where Litepanels MiniPlus units really helped,” says Streckhardt
Most of the filming took place outdoors or in remote research stations. “In order to film a reindeer hunt, for instance, we had to march through 25 kilometers of difficult terrain with the camera equipment (Sony PDW-700) on our shoulders and 30 kilograms of baggage,” says writer/director Lutz Neumann.
“The MiniPlus was ideal for this because it is handy and lightweight,” explains Streckhardt. “Another advantage, when filming outdoors was that the MiniPlus can be powered by snap-on batteries that allow for over eight hours of operation. That enables fast work flow. Annoying setup and dismantling times are no longer necessary.
“The stepless dimming allowed us to create a natural illumination, even in extreme low-light situations,” he adds. “The interchangeable conversion and diffusion filters that slip into an integral frame gave us even more control.
“Thanks to Litepanels, we were able to capture the rough landscape and the picturesque fjords as well as the people of Spitsbergen, to bring a different world to Arte, the Franco-German TV network audience for their ongoing series 360˚-GEO Reportage.”
GEO has had a television presence since 1999 and produces four new programs per month. More than 170 high quality TV documentaries have been made so far in co-operation with Arte.
