Litepanels Go Thru Fire and Smoke for Wiegand on Chicago Fire
Van Nuys, California, September 23, 2013 Most of the fire seen in the hit series Chicago Fire is real, if only occasionally supplemented by added flames in post VFX. To capture the intensity of this high action drama, cinematographer Lisa Wiegand relies on Litepanels Bi-Color 1x1s color adjustment capability and the durable MiniPlus, which she lovingly refers to as bricks .
Chicago Fire is a one-hour drama that follows the lives of the heroic firefighters and paramedics in Chicago's Firehouse 51, she explains. We use an active handheld camera to follow our characters through their lives and into dangerous rescues. We also employ a lot of wide-angle lens shots to expand the backgrounds and ensure that Chicago is constantly identifiable. Wiegand and team are out on location six of eight shooting days. They don't use cover sets, but shoot through bad weather.
Obviously, we shoot a lot of FIRE, she says. Fire creates many specific challenges. We need to expose for very bright flames, while still being able to dig out details in the shadows. Because of the intense levels of smoke we deal with, we are often shooting in the fire with a handheld ARRI Alexa camera and Angenieux Optimo zooms very close to the actors so we can see their faces. When our actors are in the fiery interiors, they wear facemask-breathing apparatuses. Because we need to recognize their faces, and it is difficult to get light through all the smoke involved, we use handheld Litepanels 1x1s close to the actors to get light in their eyes.
My gaffer, Tony Lullo, will walk with camera operator, Reza Tabrizi, and hold a light aimed right at the actors' eyes to make sure we can see the faces through any challenging circumstance that arises in fighting the fires, she explains.
Wiegand says she uses Litepanels in almost every shot: the MiniPlus as handheld eyelight that follows the handheld camera. And the Bi-Color 1 1 panels for key lighting actors' faces. What I love about the Litepanels is that they are battery operated, dimmable and super quick to set up, she says. Also, I really love that the Bi-colors are so versatile in terms of color temperature. I enjoy shooting and lighting at non-standard Kelvin temperatures. If I want a key or fill to be at 3800K or 4300K, it's easily dialed into the lighting unit and we don't need gels to make compensations.
Chicago Fire wouldn't look the same if Litepanels didn't exist, she says adamantly. I've tried other small LED lights and they don't give me the same punch (intensity) and quality of light that the Litepanels provide. The Litepanels are small and fit into tight places. Since we are constantly shooting in real locations, there are often challenges of mounting lights into restrictive places. Litepanels are the perfect tool for them. They are also perfect for hand-holding on the run, or for rigging in areas that can't support a heavy light. I honestly think that at least 70% of the shots in any of our episodes have employed at least one Litepanels.
For more information on products from Litepanels, part of Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group company, contact Litepanels, Inc., 16152 Saticoy Street, Van Nuys, CA 91406, Email: info@litepanels.com www.litepanels.com
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Litepanels Go Thru Fire and Smoke for Wiegand on Chicago Fire 
