A chat with the Retro 8 Films team will lift your day – their enthusiasm for their work and dedication to their clients’ success is inspiring. Retro 8 Films has carved out a powerful niche creating brand films, narrative commercials, and short films for social media. But their expertise in branding and marketing takes these projects to an even broader, more holistic level.
One thing we’ve learned is that the best way for a company to endear people to its brand is through great storytelling, rather than just focusing on the product,” says Ryan Shove, creative director, Retro 8 Films. “Yes, we’re a film production company, but we’ve assembled a team that can take a project beyond the film or video and consider brand strategy, distribution, design, and everything else that will build loyalty with the client.”
The Retro 8 Films team was excited to use the all-new Gemini 1×1 Soft LED panel.
“We first worked with Litepanels a few months ago, to shoot behind-the-scenes still photos using the Gemini 2×1 Soft panel,” Producer Claudia Rogers explains. “When the Gemini 1×1 Soft panel came out, we had the idea to produce a film that could really show off its qualities alongside the new Anton/Bauer Titon battery.”
She adds, “Since one of the main benefits for both is how versatile, mobile and rugged they are, we had the perfect opportunity to utilize some beautiful western locations like the Sierra Mountains of California and the Nevada desert. We started dreaming up stories that could showcase the Gemini and the Anton/Bauer Titon battery in extreme environments.”
The film is set in the remote, rugged, and stunningly beautiful Jean Roach Dry Lake Bed near Las Vegas.
The film showcases a lone motorcyclist on a journey through the desert. The wind kicked up and caused a sandstorm, making the location even more dramatic. “It’s evident right away that we are in a very remote location. It almost looks like the surface of Mars,” Ryan comments. “With the Lake Bed setting, we saw a chance to really use our creativity and make the film as cool and flashy as we could. We were going for the look of a fashion film or music video, which allowed us to break the rules a little.”
To create the desired effect, the Retro 8 Films crew used the Gemini 1×1’s HSI and RGBWW modes to tune specific colors. The dramatic mood of the scene was created by two hand-held Gemini 1×1’s using the dynamic color options as well as “paparazzi,” one of the LED’s many special effects. Each light was powered by Anton/Bauer Titon batteries, which provided peace of mind and the perfect long-lasting, reliable solution.
“We filmed right at the golden hour around sunset to create a very stylistic, artistic mood, and that’s when Gemini really showed its true colors – excuse the pun!” Ryan states. “In other words, we already knew Gemini was great for daylight and tungsten light, but here we were able to really highlight its full-spectrum RGB capabilities together with its cinematic effects modes.”
The Perfect Light for Any Project.
After filming in California and Nevada, the Retro 8 Films crew is excited about using the Gemini 1×1 on future productions.
Alexa Mallalieu, brand strategist for Retro 8 Films, has particular praise for Gemini’s highly accurate color representation. “Right away, we saw some great possibilities with the Gemini 1×1 to integrate a client’s brand colors into a shoot or photo session. Being able to use a specific RGB combination is something that’s really important in the brand management world. To create precise brand colors before, we would have to mount special lights or use gels, but with the Gemini 1×1, we just dial in the RGB values.”
“The Gemini 1x1 Soft will be on every one of our shoots going forward. We can do anything with it – it is the Swiss Army Knife of lights. Its output really is remarkable for a light of this size, and I love the fact that I can pack two in a Pelican case and carry them anywhere in the world to have all of these RGBWW options and lighting effects at our fingertips.””
He adds that the Gemini 1×1 Soft has even become an important sales tool for pitching new projects, because it allows the team to demonstrate new lighting possibilities. “Having the Gemini as one of the tools in our toolbox really helps clients visualize different scenarios and get excited about the possibilities of what we can do for them.”
Go behind the scenes in the video below.