VELVET: The Professional Lighting Choice

In recent years, the industry has adjusted to a seismic change in lighting technology, with lighting directors and gaffers becoming less reliant on HMIs & fluorescents – instead embracing the benefits of LED.

Barcelona-based TheLight – a pioneer of LED lighting for television & film use – continue to develop their technology through the ever-popular VELVET range.

VELVET lights produce a 'super-soft' output, reducing the presence of shadows on the talent's face whilst delivering an energetic wraparound characteristic that’s highly-desirable for documentaries, commercials and interviews.

The biggest advantage of LED over existing technology centres on an LEDs ability to alter the brightness and colour at the press of a button. In the past, gaffers have had to endure the pains of changing gels to alter the light output. With VELVET, operators can adjust dimming levels in single percentage steps, using the digital readout display as a reference. In the same way, colour temperature can be set from 2700°K to 6500°K – adjustable in 100°K steps. The tactile control panel also features a shortcut "tungsten/daylight" button, for quickly setting the colour temperature directly at 3200°K and 5600°K.

VELVET lights are offered in all common sizes – 1'x1', 1'x2', 1'x4' & 2'x2' – providing a solution for all budgets and applications, on-location or in a studio. VELVET 1 (1'x1') and VELVET 2 models are tested to an IP54 rain & dustproof standard, enabling operation in some of the world's harshest weather conditions. Larger VELVET 2x2 and VELVET 4 models are ideally-suited for long-term studio use, meeting the requirements for an IP51 dustproof rating.

Unveiled at IBC 2016, TheLight are now shipping the VELVET Mini range, offering all the benefits of the existing models in new & unique MINI-1, MINI2 and MINI-3 sizes.

TheLight also produce the VELVET Power, a variant of the VELVET delivering a long-throw, concentrated, 30º beam. Power versions are designed to flood an area with dimmable, colour adjustable light.

All models benefit from a passive cooling system – an inherent advantage of being crafted from a 100% aluminium chassis. Employing a large heat sink removes the need for an electronic cooling fan, making the VELVET operationally silent. The all-aluminium body exceeds the level expected by rental houses for durability and robustness, adjudged by the number of rental companies around the world that have invested in the VELVET light.

Every panel is tested to ensure consistency between units, guaranteeing uniformed output when multiple panels are used together. All VELVET's use high-quality OSRAM LEDs, rated for over 50,000 hours of operation.

All models of VELVET score highly in both CRI (Colour Rendering Index) and TLCI (Television Lighting Consistency Index) tests; ensuring lit subjects will reproduce accurately on-camera.

Despite the influx of new lighting manufacturers in recent years, gaffers, camera operators, rental houses and broadcasters continue to favour trusted brands, whilst also acknowledging the benefit of local stock, support and service. In all respects, the VELVET lights should be at the top of the wishlist for anyone wanting to take LED lighting to a professional level.

Please contact your usual dealer or Octica direct for more information.

See the TheLight and the new Velvet MINI range on Octica Stand #202 at BSC Expo London.

t: +44 (0) 1784 450 506 | e: [email protected] | w: www.octica.tv

This article is also available to read at BFV online here, page 12.

(JP/LM)