K5600 Lights The Way at Kay Lites

WOBURN, MASS. - As a Gaffer for more than 25 years, and the owner of Kaye Lites, I have the privilege of choosing from multiple brands and hundreds of fixtures to get the lighting job done right. Now, more than ever, digital video, film and photographic productions are coming to me for “quick and easy” set-ups, usually with multiple locations, both indoors and out. It’s imperative that I keep my lighting packages small, portable, and yet versatile.

As the industry changes, we all face tighter budgets, and sometimes even competition from newcomers calling themselves “gaffers” who have acquired older model used lights. So it’s more important than ever before that the quality I bring to all of our jobs exceeds that from all others.

My “go-to” lights are the K5600 Joker-Bug 800 and 400 Watt fixtures. I truly love my Joker-Bugs, as they’re the most convenient daylight source in this size range. I love how the new compact cases that can either be carried individually or clipped together and easily rolled with their built-in wheels. That is why I carry the newest 1000HZ weatherproof K5600 Joker-Bugs with me everywhere.

MANY WAYS TO USE ONE LIGHT

I often use a Joker-Bug as a key light with a Chimera light bank (usually an 800 with a Video-Pro medium) as I get the most exquisite, soft-source, portrait-style light quality with ease. If I need more control, I can change out one of the many chimera diffusion fronts or add a LCD grid, or use the fixture inside a chimera pancake lantern with skirts. As a PAR (parabolic aluminized reflector) I have a super-bright, punchy source with a complete set of PAR lenses, scrims and barn doors for control. I also sometimes bounce the light from my Joker-Bugs off walls or use it directly through windows or diffusion screens to get the effect I want. I can use the 400 in a K5600 SoftTtube to provide a great soft fill. The SoftTubes easily fit both horizontally and vertically into tight areas.

When the shoot calls for a pattern or shape in the background or a long throw fixture, I use a K5600 Bug-A-Beam adapter on an ellipsoidal fixture. There are many ways to use this one light.

NO HEAVY POWER CABLES

A great advantage to these instruments is that they can be powered from virtually any outlet due to their low power requirement. This is especially useful when shooting corporate or low-impact shoots where it’s inconvenient to run heavy power cables.

I’ve used these fixtures on everything from feature films to sports and news programs for most all of the major networks. Our Joker-Bugs have lit Tom Brady in the locker rooms and studio at Gillette Stadium and Robert Kraft at Patriots Place, as well as numerous Red Sox sportscasters at Fenway Park.

I’ve also used the Jokers for lighting political commercials, corporate shoots for many big organizations, and for documentaries at Harvard University and MIT.

I’ve found that there are many, many places to use this one great light.

Stephen Kaye is a gaffer and the owner of Kaye Lites. He may be contacted at rent@kayelites.com.

For additional information, contact K5600 at 818-762-5756 or visit www.k5600.com.