Komatsu Ltd, a world leading manufacturer of construction, mining and utility equipment, recently launched its new PW148-11 wheeled excavator. To market the new release, the audiovisual and photography studio IMAGE4YOU was tasked with the challenge of creating a teaser video for the new excavator from inside the Komatsu factory in Hannover, Germany. Because the new machines were still under embargo and transportation to a large nearby studio implied budget overage, the video had to be shot inside a vast factory hall located adjacent to the assembly line. Thanks to our DMG Lumière LED fixtures, IMAGE4YOU was able to shoot one of the first builds directly off the assembly line. Below, Chris De Paepe from IMAGE4YOU explains the benefits of using DMG Lumière fixtures for this video shoot.
The basic idea was to top light the excavator with a very soft light, like you would shoot a genuine car commercial. We used the DMG Lumière Lights because of their flexibility and ease-of-use. They are so easy to rig! They’re quite lightweight and the light that comes out of those fixtures is just amazing – both in color rendition and brightness.
A DMG Lumière MAXI Switch was rigged above the excavator. Because of its slim, lightweight design, we could easily hoist it up inside the factory. The ultra-bright output of the MAXI meant we only needed to run it at 60%, and, once we added on the DOP Choice SnapBag soft box, it lit up the machine very beautifully.
Another huge benefit was that, by using the WDMX Driver accessory, we were able to control the light via WiFi. Because the light was up so high, we appreciated how simple it was to adjust the brightness and color temperature from our iPad – it, literally, put control of the overhead light at our fingertips!
Another great thing about the DMG Lumière lights is that we were able to power them all using 230WH V-Lock batteries. We had to shoot overnight because the hall had incoming daylight, and we were nearly able to shoot the whole night on one set of batteries.
IMAGE4YOU's final Komatsu teaser video highlighting the features and benefits of the new PW148-11 excavator
We primarily shot this video on the Sony FS-7 S35 camera in 4K with a Zeiss 21-100 Cinezoom lens, combined with a Sony A7SII to shoot in narrow spaces. We also used a Prosup Tango roller and a Ronin MX for camera movement.
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Video and photos: IMAGE4YOU
