The production pros at Hive Lighting are definitely not first timers when it comes to lighting things up (illuminating shows and films such as “Think Like a Man” and Nickelodeon’s “Victorious”) although it will be their first time lighting up the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. The professionals at Hive Lighting have always been fans of Sundance and are great supporters of independent filmmakers. With a number of friends involved in the festival, it was only a matter of time before they would become a part of it. Lighting up interview booths at the Sundance Film Festival might be one of their main reason for attending this year, but it’s not stopping them from enjoying one of the most prestigious festivals and filmmakers from around the world.
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about the company and how you became involved in lighting the Sundance Film Festival’s interview booths? Is this the first year Hive is partnering up with such a prestigious fest?
A: Hive Lighting Inc. designs and manufactures plasma lighting for film, television and photography here in Los Angeles California. We have a full product line of traditional lighting fixtures like pars, fresnels and maxis that are twice as bright as the equivalent wattage HMI. All Hive’s lights are full spectrum, flicker free, 10,000hr bulb life and made in America. At Hive our background is in film production and we are always looking for ways to support filmmakers, it is why we started the company, so it seemed pretty logical to us to get involved with the Sundance Festival when the opportunity arose. This the first year Hive is partnering with Sundance , we have been big fans of Sundance and supporters of independent filmmakers for a long time so it ended up being a pretty organic process. We had a number of friends involved in the festival and asked if there was a way we could help. We were of course thrilled when they came back to us with the request to use our lights for their interview booths. It is a real honor for us to be able to light the very filmmakers who use our products.
Q: Can you share with us a little bit more about the afternoon reception and what attendees can expect? What time and day is it taking place?
A: So the reception is actually an invitation only event because of limited space, but if your readers are interested in attending they can email us at info@hivelighting.com and if space is available we love talking about our lights with anyone who will listen, and giving them some food and drink for their trouble.
Q: What are you most excited to see at the festival, besides your lights on display?
A: Well as fans of the American Independent film (we like to think of Hive that way) I am always excited about the US Dramatic and US Doc lineup, it is a great place to see the new up and coming voices in American film making Also there is nothing better than walking up and down Main Street the opening weekend and bumping into filmmakers and friends from all over the world, it is an amazing atmosphere.
Q: What tips/tricks can you share with our readers on lighting techniques?
A: You can always make a hard light soft, but you can’t make a soft light hard. Often people know they want a soft wrapping look so they start with a soft source, but then find themselves stuck on set when, invariable something unexpected takes place. If I’m trapped on a desert island with only one light to make a movie I wanted the hardest, punchiest light I can get then I can always cut, shape, bounce or diffuse my way to the look I want, but I can’t do it the other way around. (Oh and always use Hive lights… am I allowed to say that?)
Q: What additional plans do you have for Hive while at Sundance 2013?
A: We are just thrilled to be there to support the festival, the filmmakers, and the films in any way we can, we are there as fans first. After that we are really just looking forward to talking with all the talented Cinematographers, Directors, etc. both showing and attending the festival about their upcoming projects and see if we can support them in the next steps in their careers.
Q: Are there any production/industry trends you see coming up in 2013?
A: Well the good news is that I think 2013 is going to be year of real growth in productions more work being made and even more places for it to be seen. The bad news is that I’m afraid that while there is more work it is still going to be another year where creative people are going to be asked to do more with less. The good news is that as technology on both the lighting and camera side keeps advancing there are a lot more resources to help with that. At Hive part of why we are supporting Sundance is our commitment to helping filmmakers save money and time without sacrificing the quality of their product, really that is what we believe plasma lighting is all about.
Q: Anything else you would like to add?
A: Well if you are going to be at the festival on opening weekend and you want to know more about the lights please visit the website and send us an email, meeting new people at Sundance is half the fun! Otherwise we are in downtown Los Angeles come by for a demo of our lights anytime.
images courtesy of Hive Lighting & Google
