Best Of Show For Anova PRO 2

Every April, the NABShow held in Las Vegas becomes the hub for new broadcast technology. This event is a key date in the calendar for broadcasters, directors of photography (DoP) and cinematographers, enabling them to keep up to date with the latest trends, technologies and innovations in the industry.

This year's NABShow in Las Vegas was no different. Rotolight, attending for the sixth year, used the show as a platform to launch its pioneering, flagship Anova PRO 2 LED to the North American market. The result? As well as garnering overwhelming positive interest from attendees and press, the Anova PRO 2 was also awarded Best of Show in the StudioDaily Prime awards. The judges undertook a rigorous and thorough test of the unit and described it as "love at first sight".

"The Best in Show winners truly exemplify innovation, value and reliability in the creative marketplace," said StudioDaily Editorial Director and Associate Publisher Bryant Frazer. "They enhance creativity through technical ingenuity and a focus on customer needs — and therefore they make great business sense."

As an industry-first all-in-one continuous light and High Speed Sync (HSS) flash for creative image-makers, the Anova PRO 2 is powerful enough for studio use, while offering portability for location shoots too. The LED offers new levels of flexibility and functionality to productions and gives directors and DOPs the platform to fully explore their creativity. In keeping with the rest of the Rotolight range, the unique circular shape provides a naturally soft, flattering light output, with the company's signature catchlight effect. 

More than just an LED
The latest model of the light — the fourth generation from a much-loved heritage of Rotolight Anovas — forms a fundamental part of TV studios and film sets all over the world. It incorporates all the benefits of an LED, energy efficiency, cost savings and powerful output, but takes that a step further with innovative features that are built directly into the light.

For those working specifically in television and film production, the Anova PRO 2 includes a customisable suite of Rotolight's award-winning CineSFX™, which simulates effects such as fire, TV, gunshots or lightning for added drama. The built-in feature eliminates the need for expensive and time-consuming legacy 'flicker-box' workflows. Additionally, as costly equipment is no longer needed, productions can be more agile and the effects can be quickly and easily adjusted as needed.

Shining bright
Of course, performance is incredibly important for any LED and this is where the Anova PRO 2 excels. It is one of the brightest LEDs ever launched in its class, delivering 10,700 lux at three feet. It offers 70% more power output than its predecessor (the Anova PRO) and provides the best power to consumption ratio in the industry, making it one of the most energy efficient LED panels ever designed. The overriding benefit? At just 72W, it helps significantly reduce the operating costs of TV studios, while also providing unrivalled battery performance when taken out on location.

Accurate colour
The Anova PRO 2 also features outstanding colour reproduction (CRI>96, TLCI 91) due to the patented Rotolight AccuColour™ LED phosphor technology. This feature eliminates the need for expensive post-production work as filmmakers and photographers can get the right shot with the right colour, first time. The LED also features electronically adjustable colour temperature in both flash and continuous modes, giving users the ability to adjust to ambient light or achieve a specific look or mood. 

The Anova PRO 2 in action
The Anova PRO 2 is currently being used by pioneers of the film and photography industry, including the UK-based Celebro Media that only uses the most cutting-edge equipment. Celebro operates London's first fully 4K television studio, which is home to multiple Anova PRO 2 units and is used regularly by global broadcasters including the BBC, MTV and the Discovery Channel. Celebro recently placed an order for a further 200 Anova PRO 2 units for its new studios in Washington, Moscow and Los Angeles.

A number of the lights were also used on the set of the latest season of ITV's 'Dancing on Ice'. The Anova PRO 2 was chosen to help deliver a dramatic new look for the show's return, after a four-year break. Facing enormous pressure to deliver a bigger and better show, production teams were tasked with creating a look never seen before on UK television; something dramatic, glamorous and unique.

Rotolight worked with the production team to design five unique rigs, each featuring six lights in a flower configuration. The custom-designed hex rings were so aesthetically appealing that they were used not only in the filming of the TV idents, glamour and profile shots to physically light the celebrities, but were also visible in the background of the main set, as well as the interview room.

Going forward
The Rotolight Anova PRO 2 is just one innovative light in the company's portfolio. With the entire range of LEDs developed and enhanced in line with user demand and technological developments, the Rotolight LEDs and the Anova PRO 2 especially, will continue to take the industry by storm.

Author: Rod Aaron Gammon, MD, Rotolight

This article is also available in the June edition of Broadcast Film & Video.

www.rotolight.com