Location power

[Joe Vinson]

Can anyone share some tricks on how to power lights, etc. on a remote shoot?

One of the first projects I'd like to try when the Red arrives is a short film, set at night, in an old beach fort with no electricity (like, within miles). Sure I could take a gas generator, but they're so loud that it would ruin any hope of on-site audio. What other options are available to the nano-budget filmmaker?

Thanks!

[C.H.Haskell]

Shoot day for night perhaps, then color correct and tweak it in post...just one way of many.

best of luck

[Bruce Allen]

Take a look at the Honda EU3000i if you are on a budget.

Bruce Allen
www.boacinema.com

[Kevin Halverson]

Modern gennys are quite enough that with a bit of decent distro you shouldn't have any problems shooting a sync project. If you don't want to go that route, you could always shoot with battery powered sources.

You could consider having your characters carry practicals like lanterns or flashlights.

[Eileen Ryan]

Can anyone share some tricks on how to power lights, etc. on a remote shoot?.....I could take a gas generator, but they're so loud that it would ruin any hope of on-site audio. What other options are available to the nano-budget filmmaker?


Modern gennys are quiet enough that with a bit of decent distro you shouldn't have any problems shooting a sync project. If you don't want to go that route, you could always shoot with battery powered sources.

Both good suggestions, but short on details. One battery powered source you may want to consider is a Battery/Inverter set up that is commonly called a "Battverter." A "Battverter" system consists of a deep cycle 12V DC power source (usually Marine Cells), a 12V DC-to– 120V AC True Sine Wave Power Inverter, and a Battery Charger. Battverters can work great for traveling car shots but offer limited capacity and run time. The largest true sine wave inverter I have seen is 1800W which is just enough to run a few Kinos. Your run time will depend on how many batteries you wire in paralell.

To maximize the running time on however many batteries you use, I would suggest you make up a "jumper cable" to attach to the leads of a car alternator. That way you can use the car alternator as a generator to run the lights during set up and rehearsals. When it comes time to shoot, shut off the engine and continue to run the lights on the silent Battverter alone. Running the vehicle engine between takes charges the batteries so that they will run longer.

Use the link below for an example of a Battverter system that we built to run kinos to light the inside of an airport shuttle bus for the feature "Shuttle" that was shot here in Boston on the Viper. The production stills show you pretty much how we wired it into the shuttle bus.

http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/shuttlemailintro.html

Keep in mind that when voltage goes down, amperage goes up. All wire that carries 12V DC has to be sized accordingly. For instance to supply 12 volts to the 1800W inverter used on the shuttle bus required that we run 2 ought feeder to the buses' alternator. Also be sure that the alternator is large enough to take the load without burning out. On our 1800W rig we were able to run four 4' 4 Bank Kinos.

- Eileen Ryan, Boston Gaffer

[Eileen Ryan]

Can anyone share some tricks on how to power lights, etc. on a remote shoot?.....I could take a gas generator, but they're so loud that it would ruin any hope of on-site audio. What other options are available to the nano-budget filmmaker?


Modern gennys are quiet enough that with a bit of decent distro you shouldn't have any problems shooting a sync project.

If you need more than 1800Watts you should reconsider a generator. Since Honda introduced their EU series of inverter generators it is possible to record location audio without picking up generator noise if you use them with a transformer/distro package. To start, the Honda EU6500is inverter generator is much quieter than the older movie blimped Honda EX5500. Part of what makes the new Honda EU6500is so quiet is it’s “Eco-Throttle.” The Eco-Throttle’s microprocessor automatically adjusts the generator's engine speed to produce only the power needed for the applied load. It can do this because the Inverter Technology of the Honda EU6500is enables it to run at different RPMs and maintain a constant frequency and voltage. Where conventional generators like the Honda EX5500 and ES6500 have to run full speed at a constant 3600 RPM to produce stable 60 hertz (cycle) electricity, a Honda EU6500is only needs to run as fast as required to meet the load demand. Since their engines do not have to run at full speed, and the fact that an inverter generator generates 20% more power per revolution of the engine, makes the Honda EU series of inverter generators substantially quieter than conventional models.

To make them even quieter, Honda has designed a new separate triple chamber construction and a new centralized intake/exhaust system. The net result is that the EU6500is is half as loud (ten decibels) as the comparable EM7000is and ES6500 generators typically found at lighting rental houses. Honda's EU Series generators operate at 34 to 44 dBA at 50 ft. - well below what is required for trouble free location recording and quieter than your typical Crawford 1400 Amp “Movie Blimped” Generator. With sound specs this good all you need is a real distro system to record sound without picking up generator noise.

There is a company here in Boston by the name of ScreenLight & Grip that builds a step-down transformer for 6500W generators that doubles as a distro box. Their transformer/distro steps down the enhanced 240V output of their modified Honda EU6500is to a single 120V/60Amp (7500 Watt) circuit that is capable of powering larger lights, or more smaller lights, than you can without it (see my post at http://reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=33385 for more details.) You might want to look into using their 60A transformer/distro because it will enable you to place the generator further away while keeping your plug-in points conveniently close to set. To record sync sound without picking up any generator noise, all you need to do is add 100' - 150’ of heavy duty 250V twist-lock extension cable between the generator and the transformer/distro which is usually enough cable to place the generator around the corner of a building. In your case you could run it out of a van or truck - which is usually all the additional blimping you need with these generators. The heavy-duty 250V twist-lock cable eliminates multiple cable runs to the generator and the subsequent drop in voltage from line-loss from using standard electrical cords.

Their 60A Full Power Transformer/Distro is equipped with the industry standard 60A/120V GPC (Bates) receptacle. The 60A GPC outlet can be used to power a 5kw Quartz or 2.5kw & 4kw HMI Pars. With additional 60A GPC extension cables, 60-to-60 Splitters, and fused 60A GPC-to-Edison Breakouts (snack boxes) you can run power around your set - breaking out to 20A Edison outlets at convenient points. The best part about their transformer/distro is that no matter where in the distribution system you plug in, the transformer/distro automatically balances the additional load, so that you don't have to. If you use it with their modified Honda EU6500is generator, you simply plug in lights until the load wattage displayed on the “iMonitor” of the generator control panel reaches 7500 Watts. An overload alarm on the “iMonitor” display will tell you if you inadvertently overload the 60A Transformer/Distro. It is so simple that you don’t need to be an experienced electrician to operate it.

I highly recommend this new Gen-set system. I have used it on several Red shoots. The generator is super quiet. The transformer/distro gives you access to more power (7500 Watts continuous) and greatly simplifies your set electrics. For example, as I mentioned in my other post, I used one recently to power a lighting package that consisted of a 2.5kw, 1200, & 800 HMI Pars, a couple of Kino Flo ParaBeam 400s, a couple of ParaBeam 200s, and a Flat Head 80. Given the light sensitivity of the Red Camera, this was all the light we needed to light a large night exterior. Use this link for more information about using transformers on portable gas generators: http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/emailnewsletter_generators.html.

- Eileen Ryan, Boston Gaffer

[Douglas Underdahl]

Wow Eileen - great info - thanks.