Hey there, Jake with B&H.
Today we’re testing out the new multi-color light from Luxli, the ‘Timpani’, which
I’m being lit with right now.
We’re going to be covering some of the main features and showing you a bunch of cool ways
to use a light like this creatively.
For years the only way to get colored light on an existing fixture was to use gels.
Now that’s very costly because you need a lot of gels in your arsenal to really dial
in the exact look and saturation you want.
However, with a light like the Timpani, pretty much any color you can imagine is right at
your fingertips.
So, the goal today is to create scenes that really show off the different features and
modes of the light.
We’ll be looking at the CCT Mode, the RGB Mode, the Gel Mode, the Special FX Mode, not
to mention a few surprises along the way.
So, without further ado…action!
No…you, you say action.
That’s my fault……..action.
In CCT Mode, the light can be adjusted from 2800K all the way up to 10,000K. I sat down
for a quick interview while being lit with a soft 3000K key and a hard 6700K hair light.
We wanted a splash of color in the background, so we put our Timpani into RGB Mode and picked
out a hue of 360% and set it to 100% saturation.
I looked reallllly good.
So, while I was getting interviewed my friend Shiree was getting herself made up to meet
me at a party.
We used Gel Mode to dial in a few preset colors to create a fun party vibe.
Two Timpani’s were set up using a Magenta tone and a Teal tone to set the mood.
So, after crushing my interview I went out to the party to meet-up with Shiree.
Now this scene was easy to put together with a few Timpani’s and a little help from their
band mate, the Viola light.
Two of the Timpani’s were set into the Special FX Mode – ‘Strobe’ while the third was
used in RGB Mode to provide a constant color in the background.
A foreground light, also in RGB Mode, illuminated our dancers.
A little haze in the room to set the mood never hurts either.
So, once I bounced from the party, Shiree got herself into a little hot water.
Luckily the Timpani’s were there to set the mood.
While Shiree was hiding under the stairs we set a strong moonlight in Gel Mode on a far-side
Timpani key light to gently fill in the shadows with some color.
We also used a Viola as a colorful catch light.
We then added one more Timpani to provide a little lighting in the SFX Mode and our
scene was complete.
Watch out, Shiree! Watch out!
After a rough morning, I made my way to a commercial shoot for some headphones and danced my way
through the morning.
The director wanted colorful backgrounds and yours truly silhouetted, but we only had a
white seamless.
We set up two Timpani’s to evenly light our white background.
Both lights were set to varying colors in Gel Mode for quick results.
We even mixed and matched a few gels together and the commercial was a resounding success.
After a long day I went home and took a nap, but my cameraman took the Timpani’s home
with him to try out a couple of fun and unique setups.
This setup was extremely easy and fun to create.
With a few props and a Timpani set to ‘Candle’ in SFX Mode we were able to create a soft
flickering light in a breeze while our mystery writer penned a letter.
The intensity was only set to 10% to give the desired glow.
The SFX Mode on the Timpani provides all kinds of turn-key options for when you need a specific
effect.
With a single Timpani set to Lightning Mode and some sound effects a convincing thunderstorm
can be set up in just a few minutes.
We set the CCT to 8000K and an interval of 5 seconds for the desired effect.
Some of the other effects include Fireworks, Emergency Siren lights and even a CCT Chase
mode that can automatically shift the light from one temperature to another.
In the past, many of these effects had to be created manually or with the assistance
of effects boxes.
The Timpani eliminates the need to waste time and resources on getting the shot you need.
Another subtle, yet extremely useful feature of the Timpani is its ability to color match
another fixture with + or – green.
If you happen to be shooting an interview under lights that skew slightly green or magenta,
the Timpani can be dialed to match.
Having this flexibility to match other fixtures will help you avoid unwanted tints and make
post go a lot smoother.
In a pinch, the Timpani’s could also be used to create a key-able surface.
We tested this out by hitting a white wall with two Timpani’s in Gel Mode set to ‘Chroma
Green’.
After tweaking the brightness and flagging the spill off our subject we were able to
make a clean key.
Some other key features of the Timpani lights is the fact that you can control the light
via Bluetooth from your mobile device.
This allows you to set a light and walk away without losing control to make quick changes.
The light has a v-mount battery plate on the back as well, so it can be fitted with a battery
keeping your set cable free.
There is an LCD display on the back with simple controls.
There is even DMX support for chaining your lights together.
There are no limits to the amount of ways you can use a multi-color light like the Timpani
in your productions.
So, get out there and be creative…be a winner.
This is Jake with B&H.
Just keep shooting guys.