LOS ANGELES—The first time I used BB&S lighting was while working as a lighting designer in 2012 for the PAC-12 Network in San Francisco. I took to it immediately and soon used the ForceV along with the Area 48 on projects for the Los Angeles Lakers, TWC Studio in El Segundo, KTTV in Los Angeles, as well as KGO and Al Jazeera America studios in San Francisco.
In March of 2020, I decided to focus on my own company, RE/LIGHT. Great timing, right? As you can imagine, business was extremely slow at first, but in 2021 it picked up. While on a corporate production for a large studio set, I was introduced to the new BB&S Compact Fresnel Lights (CFL), which we used mainly for backlights and scenic highlights. It was enough to give me confidence in the CFLs on my next project.
CFL for KPNX
The challenge was to replace all of the struggling first-generation LED lighting equipment at Tegna’s KPNX in Phoenix and create a new look to air by the end of 2021. The project was originally slated for earlier in the year, but was delayed because of other manufacturers’ inability to deliver equipment due to supply chain issues.
This forced me to rethink my original design and specifications so I called Toby Sali at BB&S, who suggested the new Compact Fresnels. Having used them already, I was confident they’d work, and thankfully they were delivered to the job site on time for installation. BB&S’s ability to deliver when others could not was a life-saver.
I was impressed again with the output and quality of light from the CFL, especially given its small size. After everything was hung and focused, the talent immediately looked great on camera. The ability to get high output, with adjustable focus from 11 degrees to 52 degrees, in a small lightweight fixture that costs under $1,000 was a game changer. And that is what led me to specify BB&S lighting for talent on my next project.
New Sets for KXTV
I’ve been lighting new sets for KXTV in Sacramento for the past few months and have specified the Area 48 Studio for soft base light, the CFL for key lights, and CBLs for back lights. Knowing all of the lights are going to color match before I turn anything on helps me stay focused on optimizing the on-camera image.
Ultimately, making the most of every budget is just a reality of the job. Being able to find all the talent light I need in one place, and at a price point that allows me to use what I need makes it much easier for my clients to move forward with their projects.
What I also appreciate about BB&S is their very personal approach to customer service, the eagerness to get feedback on their equipment, and a willingness to work with me and other lighting designers to improve the equipment, or even create new equipment based on new requirements.
I have been on many calls where, if in doubt, we just phone into their Denmark headquarters to solve an issue; I don’t know of any other company I could do that with. It’s fantastic to have that kind of support and relationship with the company that makes the tools I rely on to do the work I love l
Scott Kepley, owner/principal at RE/LIGHT in Charleston, SC, is a broadcast and entertainment lighting designer, lighting director, consultant, and creative problem solver. He can be reached at sdkepley@relightld.com.
More information about BB&S Lighting, which is headquartered in Copenhagen with its U.S. office in Los Angeles, is available at 1-800-820-6610, www.bbslighting.com and info@bbslighting.com.
