Challenge

At a time when so many options for filmmaking tools are available, there are endless considerations for artists and crews to examine when deciding what to rig into a grid or pack onto the truck. What fixtures or manufacturers are the DP most comfortable with? Is there a safety-blanket combination of lights, diffusion, and rigging that will be utilized in every setup? What can we lean on in a pinch that has worked before and allowed us to meet our shooting schedule?

These, among countless other questions, followed Director of Photography Jeremy Benning, ASC, CSC, and his team as they started conversations going into principal photography for Cross S2. Working alongside co-DPs Brendan Steacy, Maya Bankovic, and Claudine Sauvé, Jeremy and team knew the direction they wanted to take for equipping themselves and the production for seamless workflow that would allow the shooting schedule to be met alongside reliability of tools: the Aputure LED ecosystem.

Solution

When examining the different fixtures found in an authentic police station and combining those needs with creating punchy, organic natural light pouring in through exterior-facing windows, Jeremy’s familiarity with Aputure led him to the solutions offered by a variety of form-factors. Not only is he working to recreate for Cross’ audiences a believable interior of a police station and the sun outside, but he and his team of co-DPs must also take into account the multitude of locations where they would be filming sequences for the show.

During the shooting of Cross S1, Jeremy had his lighting department rig Nova P600c panels along the length of the set, facing outward toward the scenic backdrop behind the police station windows. By illuminating the backdrop, the Nova P600cs created an ambient glow that pushed through the windows, mimicking soft morning sunlight or a stylized overcast daylight. This effect helped bring a natural sense of atmosphere to Detective Cross’ primary workspace.

Atmospheric and immersive, this “Library Effect” lighting encourages the audience to listen closely to the dialogue between characters while drawing them deeper into the inner workings of Cross’ police station. Jeremy and his team found the Nova P600c to be a reliable and budget-conscious solution in season one. This solution was successful enough to carry over into season two.

For moments in the police station that called for a brighter, more focused, and color-temperature-controlled fixture, Jeremy rigged an Electro Storm XT26 and aimed it at each individual window. These Electro Storm XT26 units served not only for key lighting moments within the police station, but also out in the field on location.

The versatility and punch of the Electro Storm XT26 proved invaluable when Jeremy and his team moved outside the stage. Rather than relying on tungsten or HMI counterparts, Jeremy knew the Electro Storm XT26 offered an IP65 weatherproof, high-output LED source with adjustable color temperature and ±G/M tint. Whether shooting at night in a cold, dark forest or on city streets under pouring rain, the fixture delivered reliable performance in challenging conditions.

With his bases covered for panel and COB fixtures, Jeremy needed a solution for small handhelds and practicals and the Aputure ecosystem delivered. The INFINIBARs proved to be agile, battery-powered tools that his team could hide within the production design using powerful magnets and rigging options, leave visible on camera thanks to their sleek, flat-face design, or use as off-camera eye lights with softbox and grid attachments. Beyond their form and design, the range of attachments and modifiers made these tools versatile enough to handle nearly every lighting scenario required on set.

When shooting on location in a house that required 360° visibility throughout the space and a low enclosed ceiling, Jeremy leaned on the Spotlight Max attached to the Electro Storm XT26 pointed up into the ceiling of the set to create an even ambient glow within the room. This seemingly simple solution could only be achieved by the high output and controllability of the Electro Storm XT26, the dense ellipsoidal light quality bouncing into the ceiling, and most importantly, Jeremy's expertise and experience as a professional filmmaker to know that combining the right tools allows for all departments to meet their goals for the project.

Results

Change is never easy in any industry. Whether you work in rocket ships, potato chips, or filmmaking, the tools you bring to the workspace every day can determine the amount of time you spend working through a particular problem. When new tools are introduced, especially in filmmaking and lighting, the skills and methodologies required to operate the legacy tools and fixtures can be transferred but the learning curve will present its own set of challenges both in prep and during shooting. When making the transition on Cross S2 from HMI and tungsten to LED and, more specifically, the Aputure ecosystem, Jeremy knew he needed to show the advantages rather than propose them ahead of time.

Through repeatedly succeeding at meeting the shooting schedule, daily wins for shot setup times, lower wattage pulls from the LED fixtures, and countless versatile solutions to innumerable problems figured out on the fly during production days, Jeremy and his team were successfully able to convince not only the producers of Cross but also the rental house partners that the Aputure ecosystem can equip their team to create a compelling story that looks unique and unparalleled. The build quality of the fixtures, tunability of the light engine, and modularity afforded because of the library of modifiers and attachments within the Aputure lighting tools ecosystem enabled Jeremy and his team to successfully transition their fixtures from HMI and tungsten to LED.