
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert Ober was brought on to help light the spot. A large kitchen set was erected on stage, giving Ober and cinematographer Aril Wretblad FSF plenty of flexibility to completely design the lighting environment. A long time-user of DoPchoice, Ober relied on Snapbags and Snapgrids to control the spill and directionality of dozens of fixtures deployed to create the bustling vibrance of a busy kitchen in full swing.
In addition to being a global leader in tire manufacturing, France-based Michelin is also behind not just how we travel but why. The iconic Michelin Guide, first introduced in 1900 to promote tourism, has evolved into a prestigious catalogue of restaurants and hotels worldwide. A new campaign from BETC France highlights Michelin's role in rating global accommodations as well as dining excellence. Sleepless in the Kitchen features a tourist bizarrely trying to rest amid the throng of a clanging, bustling, hurried kitchen. The man and his oddly placed bed are subjected to loud noises, frozen fish, mislaid potatoes, and flaming stovetops. In the words of
the smartly dressed narrator: If you're looking for a good place to sleep, we strongly advise against a Michelin-Star kitchen.
The open-floor large kitchen set was designed to accommodate a Technocrane and 360 camera movements. A key challenge was how to avoid placing stands in the set, the gaffer explains. Aril Wretblad had a clear vision for the lighting: a blend of soft light and focused hard downlight spots. All practical lights had to be dimmable with adjustable color temperatures to create optimal contrast in the final visuals. Ober chose a kit heavy on Luna Bulbs, Titan Tubes, and Helios Tubes from Astera that could be easily maneuvered or disguised as practicals. The lights were controlled by Gaffers Control via wireless DMX and Ober paired the fixtures with DoPchoice Snapbags and Snapgrids.
At the center of the dynamically choreographed kitchen sits the bed, which needed to blend into its environment no matter how absurd the premise. For the toplight, I proposed Vortex8 lights with Snapbags, which created soft backlight for areas like the bed and kitchen transitions, describes Ober . To get even background illumination, we installed SpaceX luminaires with Snapbag Octa 3s at 45 angles above the kitchen walls. Then to brighten up the bed set and extend the light coming from the bedside lamp, we used a DoPchoice Lantern L in combination with a toplight Vortex8 with Snapbag and Snapgrid mounted on a Menace Max Arm. For wide shots, a fill light setup included an 8'x8' frame with a full grid, Snapgrid (50 ), and two Vortex8 lights. The result is a super realistic kitchen set, bed and all.
When lighting the talent close-ups, Aril requested exceptionally soft but somewhat compact and moveable lighting. I recommended the Airglow 2 1 booklight combined with a Vortex8. Just the thing for a busy set, the inflatable Airglow creates booklight-style soft lighting by bouncing the Vortex' output off the softbox's backwall with a much smaller, more mobile footprint than traditional multi-stand setups. Testing during prelight, it proved to be exactly the right tool for the job.
It's nearly impossible to talk about sleeping in a Michelin kitchen without also showcasing the food. Two Michelin-starred chefs were flown in for the spot which features close-ups of their fresh ingredients and final mouthwatering delicacies. Their expertise brought an added layer of depth and authenticity to the project, elevating the final result, reminisces the gaffer. Sleepless in the Kitchen from BETC Paris and production company GeneralPop, directed by Danny Sangra, with production services from Slovenian-based Studio Arkadena premiered this fall, the focal point of the Michelin Hotel Guide campaign. With the perfect lighting, Sleepless delivers a charmingly wry humor ready to pique anyone's interest in the Michelin Guide offerings.
Sleepless in the Kitchen is available to watch online at: https://youtu.be/miW2ISYIfJ8
More about the Michelin Hotel Guide: https://guide.michelin.com/gb/en/about-hotels
North America Stories
15/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/10/2026
Macroblocking, frozen frames, a missing ad marker that costs a sponsor its spot. A caption that lands two seconds after the line is spoken. These are the moment...
15/10/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that DATALAND, the world's first Museum of AI Arts, has deployed a Riedel Bolero Standalone wireless intercom system t...
15/10/2026
Mediagenix, a global leader in smart content solutions to profitably connect the right content to the right audience, unveiled its vision for AI Context-Aware S...
15/10/2026
Desktop and Rackmount Thunderbolt 5 Expansion Systems Support are All Avid Qualified and Support Three Full-Size PCIe
What's New:
Sonnet Technologies tod...
15/10/2026
Sony Electronics Introduces the ECM-W5 Wireless Microphone with High-Resolution ...
15/10/2026
Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software solutions for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects and visualization, today ann...
15/10/2026
Evergent, a leader in monetization and subscriber lifecycle management for communication service providers, today announced it has achieved Gold status in TM Fo...
15/10/2026
Berklee Asia Rising Brings Asian and Asian American Music to Signature Series The November 3 concert spotlights student creators and a growing program connect...
15/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/10/2026
Pliant Technologies is highlighting its new CrewCom Flex at NAB New York 2026 (Booth 645). CrewCom Flex is the world's first frameless matrix intercom syste...
15/10/2026
NVIDIA today released Nemotron 3.5 Super VL, an open 120-billion-parameter model...
15/10/2026
Much of today's scientific progress begins with computation.
But turning a...
15/10/2026
Dial in the next gaming session this GFN Thursday. New NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 controls give GeForce NOW members more choice over how supported games look and perform i...
14/10/2026
The Silicon Valley Video Summit (SVVS), the premier gathering for the region'...
14/10/2026
Hosted at Warner Bros. Discovery's Techwood Studios, the event explored the ...
14/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/10/2026
SMPTE, the home for media professionals, technologists and engineers, is expanding its presence in Africa through a series of industry events in South Africa th...
14/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/10/2026
HuskerVision, the video production and multimedia operation for University of Nebraska Athletics, has deployed Grass Valley K-Frame production switchers and LDX...
14/10/2026
Eden Project, the UK-based visitor attraction, social enterprise and educational charity, is using the LiveU EcoSystem to produce and deliver its new Eden Proje...
14/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/10/2026
IPC Announces Plans to Showcase its One Connect Intercom Platform at
NAB New York 2026
Visit IPC as a Featured Vendor in the Dale Pro Audio Booth
IPC, a le...
14/10/2026
3D Artists Design Cars for GTA VI in a No-AI Rendering Challenge
Brie Clayton October 13, 2026
0 Comments
3DModels.org has opened its annual Car Rende...
14/10/2026
RE:Vision Effects Announces ARRI Film Lab 1.5 Release
Brie Clayton October 13, 2026
0 Comments
ARRI Film Lab 1.5 adds many user requested features inc...
14/10/2026
MTI FILM DRS Nova V7.0 Major Release Now Available
Brie Clayton October 13, 2026
0 Comments
A step forward in digital film restoration
DRS Nova V7.0 ...
14/10/2026
The Nordic countries have become the European leader in unicorn startup density,...
13/10/2026
#GALSNGEAR has released Season 3 of its Tequity Talk podcast, with new episodes dropping every Tuesday through December 15. Hosted and executive produced by #GA...
13/10/2026
Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) has appointed Joe Setley as Senior Vice President...
13/10/2026
Zixi and TAG Video Systems have announced an extended integration enabling the Z...
13/10/2026
LTN has announced an integration between LTN Schedule Playout and Sony's Ci Media Cloud platform, connecting cloud-based media management with linear playou...
13/10/2026
Infront has established a new management structure for Infront Productions. Amikam Kranz, Senior Vice President Media, Betting, Technology and Production, assum...
13/10/2026
Just Women's Sports (JWS) has announced three developments: the acquisition ...
13/10/2026
Cinematographer Philip Lozano AFC used the Sony Rialto Mini (VENICE Extension Sy...
13/10/2026
In a fundamental change, one expensive act of content creation could become many...
13/10/2026
The annual event will explore streaming, personalization, partnering with indepe...