
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
12/10/2026
The ESPNU and NFL Network altcasts join the previously announced Super Bowl LXI...
12/10/2026
The approach is based on prevention and making production of illegal streams inc...
12/10/2026
Clear-Com provided production communications infrastructure for Rock in Rio 2026, deployed by Brazilian partner Savana Comunica o. The system connected product...
12/10/2026
Extreme H has extended its global broadcast partnership with DAZN, bringing the ...
12/10/2026
beIN Asia Pacific has announced a new agreement with The All England Lawn Tennis...
12/10/2026
ARRI has released Film Lab 1.5, a major update to its OpenFX plugin for applying...
12/10/2026
DAZN has announced the acquisition of BASKET.TV, a basketball streaming service operating across Latin America. Founded in 2020, BASKET.TV has a presence in Arg...
12/10/2026
Industry leaders discuss the growing role of AI in automating production, enhanc...
12/10/2026
NBC Sports' NBA Showtime will broadcast live from Rockefeller Plaza and Madi...
12/10/2026
By Katie Arthurs
Merata Mita (1942-2010), the legendary M ori filmmaker, godmot...
12/10/2026
Nielsen data reveals traditional television continues to account for 70% of view...
12/10/2026
At Asia's Broadcasting & Infotainment Show (A.B.I.S.) 2026, Interra Systems will showcase its latest innovations in automated QC, media monitoring, captioni...
12/10/2026
Update Strengthens Access Controls, Refines EAS-Net , and Adds SSL-Based CAP Canada Support
Digital Alert Systems, a global leader in emergency communications ...
12/10/2026
As AI factories grow from megawatts to gigawatts, building them takes more than ...
11/10/2026
The quirky league's largest production to date brings two trucks, 20+ cameras to first-ever Banana Bowl at Nationals Park...
10/10/2026
The quirky league's largest production to date brings two trucks, 20+ cameras to first-ever Banana Bowl at Nationals Park...
10/10/2026
By Jessica Herndon
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Fest...
10/10/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Associate Professor Keren Lasker, the Ian Wilson Endowed Chair at S...
09/10/2026
Standalone subscriptions, free games, and team hubs anchor the streamer's local-rights push...
09/10/2026
Christoffer Aaron Chris Ober, a longtime and beloved member of FOX Sports' remote production crews who worked on many of the network's biggest events,...
09/10/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
09/10/2026
USSI Global has appointed Ed McGivern as Chief Revenue Officer, reporting to President and CEO Anthony Morelli.
McGivern brings more than 25 years of executive...
09/10/2026
Riedel Communications has announced the deployment of its Easy5G private 5G platform as the primary transmission system for onboard camera signals in the DTM ra...
09/10/2026
The National Duals Invitational championship match will air on ESPN on Sunday, December 13 at 7:30 p.m. CT from the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 27 prelim...
09/10/2026
Versatile Video Coding is moving closer to mainstream deployment as smartphone manufacturers, semiconductor suppliers, and streaming providers address the hardw...
09/10/2026
PGA Tour golfer Min Woo Lee and Omaha Productions have announced the launch of Lee's official YouTube channel. The first video, filmed at TPC Summerlin, lau...
09/10/2026
ATSC has announced the approval of a Candidate Standard for its Broadcast-to-Everything (B2X) initiative. S44-2-002r6, B2X System Discovery and Signaling, has...
09/10/2026
BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing has announced a partnership with TV Azteca to bring BKB ...
09/10/2026
The SPORTEL Awards 2026 official selection has been announced, with 26 works across seven categories selected from more than 150 entries. Winners will be announ...
09/10/2026
Ateme has announced that RTVE, Spain's public broadcaster, has selected its TITAN Edge platform for satellite contribution on three new transportable produc...
09/10/2026
LiveU has announced that CRD Audiovisuel used the LU900Q intelligent production unit with built-in LiveU IQ (LIQ) connectivity to deliver live content from the ...
09/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/10/2026
COW Jobs: Visual Storyteller - Emeryville, CA
Brie Clayton October 9, 2026
0 Comments
Visual Storyteller
October 7, 2026 COW Jobs: Cinematographer...
09/10/2026
Master 3-Point Lighting in After Effects With an Orbiting Light Rig
Graham Quince October 9, 2026
0 Comments
Ever wondered why your 3D renders in Afte...
09/10/2026
nxtedition will exhibit for the first time at Asias Broadcasting & Infotainment Show (A.B.I.S) in Mumbai, bringing its integrated production platform and latest...
09/10/2026
Today's AI Isn't the Answer
Andy Marken October 8, 2026
0 Comments
Let's say you're telling the truth, and this is all a dream. - Do...
09/10/2026
Ikegami to Introduce New UHK-X700VN Camera at NAB New York, Offering Advanced Cr...
09/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Modern venues have come a long way since the tinny, echoing audio of the mid 20t...
08/10/2026
ESPN's first Super Bowl production will stream in English and Spanish on Disney+, while the ESPN App carries the full slate of game, ManningCast, studio, an...
08/10/2026
From high-school videoboards to War Eagle Productions, the Opelika native is learning how to lead shows and capture big moments
The future of live sports produ...
08/10/2026
The Television Academy and Prime Video have announced a six-year agreement making Prime Video the exclusive global home of the Emmy Awards beginning with the 20...
08/10/2026
Techex will exhibit at NAB Show New York 2026 (Booth 623, Javits Center, October...
08/10/2026
X Games has announced the appointment of Steve Rogers as Chief Operating Officer. Rogers previously served as COO of World Supercross and spent nearly a decade ...
08/10/2026
Fonn Group has appointed Trevor Spielmann as Sales Director for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Spielmann joins from EVS, where he held sales and business de...
08/10/2026
The flagship program will originate from major PG events with a four-camera production, live distribution across PGTV, social platforms
Perfect Game is bringin...
08/10/2026
Innovation rarely happens in a vacuum. More often, it happens at the point of collision: when worlds that have run on separate tracks begin to converge. That is...
08/10/2026
For decades, the production and broadcast services business has run on a familia...