Chevy Volt: First Shoot Using Filmgear Lights

Cameras

Director Ilya Polyakov and I embarked on a journey to make the best Chevy Volt spot EVER! Actually, we were asked to shoot some footage for a stock photography company making its way into motion, and we decided to turn it into a commercial. With a very small budget, I asked my friends at Birns and Sawyer what they could do for me with regards to lights. Thankfully, they had a cost effective solution.

I took mostly Filmgear lights and some other G&E equipment. My lights included…

-(1) Filmgear 4x4bank dimmable 55K LED fixture
-(2) Filmgear 2x4banks (almost identical to Kino Flos)
-(1) Filmgear 150w fresnel (almost identical to Arri)
-(1) 1×1 LED light with dimmer and bank control (almost identical to Lite Panels)
-(1) Leko Source 4
-(1) Ikan 312 bicolor LED (from Jared’s kit)

I really didn’t notice any difference between the Filmgear lights and the Kino Flo or Arri lights that I usually use. Supposedly the Filmgear lights last longer, although I obviously couldn’t say from experience. These lights could be a good way to cut costs if you’re looking to invest in a solid lighting package.

Here’s a quick BTS video of one of our lighting setups…

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Jared Abrams is a cinematographer based in Hollywood, California. After many years as a professional camera assistant he switched over to still photography. About two years ago a new Canon camera changed the way the world sees both motion and still photography. He just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
  • Rob Ruscher

    that was pretty awesome. good work guys

  • Info

    Looks great Chris? Thanks for the bts! Would it be possible to start posting lighting diagrams for your lighting writeups? Seems like a natural fit! Thanks again.