Today we had an opportunity to take one of the new Arri SkyPanels out of the studio and test it out in the Taste! Café in Georgia-Pacific Center. It was a pretty simple marketing video for a new product and we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to test one out in the field. First off, how to turn it on....
The SkyPanel controller on the back, it's essentially a computer controlled light.
DP Tim Glover and I laughed as we spent about 10 minutes figuring out how to power up the unit and then get actual light from it. Over 50 years combined experience trying to turn on a light! The SkyPanel Controller is basically a computer controlling the light. First you turn on the main power and then you operate the controls to actually get the light to do what you want it to do. We got the main power on quickly, but then stumbled a bit while we figured out how to get actual light and then control that light. Once we figured that out, it was a breeze.
DP Tim Glover filming. The Arri SkyPanel to the left.
The light is so flat and perfect across the entire unit it was an absolute dream to work with. Instead of a whole pack of lights we just brought two, the SkyPanel and one other LED light. Made for a quick and simple shoot. The SkyPanels are expensive, but from what I've seen so far, very worth it.