FILMTEKNIK - New Low Cost Video Lighting in the UK

[Nicholas Bartleet]

Hi Guys,

I have been a Director, DOP and DVinfo forum member for some time. Having become slightly dissapointed with the offerings from some lighting companies in tearms of cost vs quality, i decided o go about setting up my own lighting company here in the UK.

All of the products i sell will be equivalent to the big name brands in quality and will all be made in Germany.

I have started the company, selling the staple redhead kits 800w or 1000w and will be expanding the range over the coming year to include:

Flourescent Kits with daylight and Tungsten as standard.
Fresnel Kits - 300w and 650w
Smaller 300w open Face
Camera Lights
A Ring Light

and hopefully, many more products.

At the moment i am pricing the kits as low as possible, and well well below any other red head kits out there. They really are fantastic quality, and include manfrotto stands, GE bulbs and the standard features such as Spot / Flood control, barndoors, wireguard etc.

Over these first few weeks of business i have supplied two television stations amoung other customers who have been overjoyed with the quality and await the arrival of additional products.

I really want to get ideas from DVinfo forum members on what products they would like to see me develop, and to get feedback on my existing products.

Thankyou everyone. Nick

[David Scattergood]

Thanks Nick.
It just so happens I'm looking a starter kit whilst adhering to a strict budget (I have one or two 'shouts for help' threads knocking about on here).
I shall give you site a whirl - I'm still researching what might be best for me to begin with at least.
Good luck too.

[Nicholas Bartleet]

Hi David,

Well I have made many music videos as a DOP, feel free to take a look at my production company website too which is:

www.pixelloft.com

All of the music videos on there were shot using redheads and occasionally, a 2kw blonde or two.

If i can help at all, or if there is any particular light combination you are looking for i.e 1 fresnel and 2 open face in a kit please drop me an email.

Best Regards, Nick

[Duncan Craig]

In the spirit on DVinfo I should point out that the very similar redhead equipment is available for a fair bit less on the Thomann website. http://www.thomann.de/gb/

Items 180042, 134708, 185047. Order them early and wait for stock to come in. Then choose from a range of stands, gaffa clamps, cheap gaffa tape etc. and shipping is free on a smallish spend.

I bought my 3 readheads from there after many, many successful purchases in the past. I'd recommend Thomann if you want to shop for all your own parts, but Nicholas is offering a great kit too.

Duncan.

[Nicholas Bartleet]

Hi Duncan,

Thankyou for the link.

When you combine the costs of all of the items in my kit with a high quality kit bag, it is actually more costly to assemble a kit in the way you have mentioned (unless of course you use cheaper components) so i think it is a bit unfair to say it is quite a bit less. You needs to include all of the components of my kits to make a comparison.

Also, you dont have the trouble of assembling a kit, and my kit includes a gel holder and gels as a very useful added bonus.

3 x Filmteknik Pressed Aluminium Redheads
3 x Manfrotto 051 Professional Lighting Stands
3 x Four Leaf Barn Doors
3 x R7 1000 Watt Bulbs
3 x Wireguards
1 x Professional Quality Padded Lighting Case
1 x Filter Case
3 x Lee Filters (201,226,228) Diff, Silk & Daylight

I am developing a range of other lights at the moment, so watch this space.

Best Regards, Nick

[James Collinson]

Hi Nick,

Is it just me, or are redhead kits quite a UK thing? or is it all in the name? They don't seem to be used in quite the same way in the states... or at least that's the way it seems to me, what with arri fresnels being name dropped all the time.

Having said that, I would potentially be interested in one of your kits, possibly with a bit of customisation... ill drop you a line.

I wish you have your flourescent light availble now though! Looking forward to them, and someone really needs to produce somthing similar to litepanels in the UK... maybe something you could look into???

Jim

[Ralph Keyser]

I hear them (500w-1kw open face tungsten instrument) referred to as Redheads with the 2k version called a Blonde by some folks over here, so it's not entirely a UK thing. Probably more common here are the Mole-Richardson names - Mickey for the 1K and Mighty for the 2k. Arri's open face units always end up being called by someone else's name. There are also differences between the east coast of the States and west coast. All-in-all, it's worse than sailing :-) There must be three of four names for the same lamp.

[Richard Andrewski]

You guys in Europe really are getting killed with pricing between VAT, customs tax and the huge cost of living in Europe in general.

I have customers ordering fluorescent lights from me all the time now and are happy to pay the relatively higher cost of shipping from Usa to Europe because its still a good deal next to what you have to pay. $4000USD equivalent for a kino flo diva? That's incredible.

[James Collinson]

Tell me about it! I recently priced up a diva, £1600 once the VAT was added... thats over $3200!!!

[Richard Andrewski]

Amazing. They really have you hostage there.

[James Collinson]

Thats why im keeping my fingers crossed for someone in the UK, or at least Europe, gets working on some products like litepanels or Kino-Flo. Especially as I am starting work on a film in a childrens hospital later in the year and really need to shoot it entirely with zero heat (or as close as) lamps.

Jim

[Teodor Miljevic]

When vill your fresnellmodell be up for sale. can you give us a preliminary notice?

[Nicholas Bartleet]

Hey Guys, sorry I am so late to get back on this thread, been really busy with getting new products.

An update:

There will be UK spec 2500 Watt In line dimmers coming out this week.
The Fluroescent light will be on the website within the next 2 weeks.

I am guageing interest in the fresnels at the moment, becuase i could start off with a 300w softcase kit with 3 x 300w fresnels or a 600w flightcase kit with 3 x 600w Fresnels

I know vat and duty is a nightmare in the UK, which is exactly what i found when i was setting up my production company (www.pixelloft.com) which is why i have decided to try and have made or assemble kits of very high quality, which sell at a much more reasonable price. The one thing you can guarantee is that i wouldn't sell cheap fluorescent fixters with cheap balasts and which arn't the correct color temp, as with many of the new products from south america and the far east.

Thanks, Nick

[Vincent Rozenberg]

Hi Nicholas, I can not find any info on your website about shipment to the mainland of Europe. Does that mean that we can not order from you?

Thanks.

[Nicholas Bartleet]

Hi Vincent,

Of course you can my friend, I have shipped kits as far as cambodia :) If you email me with your requirements and address i can quote you for shipping.

Best Regards, Nick