Stefano Ceccon is an Italian cinematographer and colorist who specializes in documentaries, commercials, video clips, short films, and fiction. He recently shot a series of short documentaries called Histoires des Cuisiniers (Stories of the Chefs) for RAI that tells stories from the chef’s point of view about the day-to-day operations of the food businesses in Aosta, Italy. Stefano shared how he relied on the versatile DMG DASH to create this character-driven docuseries that engages viewers on both a visual and an emotional level.
Stefano remarked that while working on these productions, he strived for “quality, operating speed, compactness, and low-weight gear.” He noted how the pocket-sized DASH fixtures enabled him to create a variety of quick lighting setups wherever he was shooting. He was able to be efficient and discreet, which helped him capture the spirit and atmosphere of the story. “Making documentaries with an anthropological slant – with subjects whose working time you are taking away – is not easy,” Stefano remarked. “In order to get the personality of the people you’re filming, you have to be able to quickly bring a lot of video gear into the shoot in a short amount of time, without being too invasive on location.”
Stefano explained how the ultimate goal was to have “a product where the feelings and souls of those filmed were transmitted to the viewers. This meant maintaining the highest possible technical quality in the shortest amount of time.” To accomplish this, he mostly used his DASH lights in two ways while he was shooting the documentaries: 1) to illuminate the subjects and 2) to light up the background.
Stefano underlined the light quality and the lumen output of the DASH. “They are small but powerful,” he said, noting how “the light is of the highest quality like its big brothers – the DMG MINI and DMG SL1.” He also commented on how versatile his DASH fixtures were on set. “At full power, they last about 3 hours and they have excellent mounting accessories that are useful in different shooting situations. They can be set up and positioned on set in just a few minutes – no cable, no battery, easy!”
“The high CRI is my first favorite thing,” noted Stefano as he recalled some of his favorite DASH features and accessories. “I also really like the magnetic Dome and Egg Crate modifiers. They are easy to use and quickly install in just a few seconds. The DOT Round Diffuser is an accessory that I often use as well to light my subjects.”
When it comes to controlling his DASH units, Stefano shared how much he relies on the myMIX app. “The myMix app was always open while I was shooting this project. It was fundamental for me. From behind the camera, I could directly make intensity and color corrections myself without the gaffer having to move into the middle of the set, ruining the atmosphere with the subject being filmed.”
If you’d like to learn more about the light he used to shoot intimate food docuseries, please explore the DMG DASH product page on the Rosco website.