
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
13/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/08/2026
IBC today announced that its most prestigious honour, the International Honour for Excellence (IHFE), will be presented to Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), ...
13/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced its participation in the IBC2026 Accelerator Media Innovation Pro...
13/08/2026
dzjinius, the all-in-one production management platform for the media and entertainment industry, will showcase its new application, dzjinius on-set , at IBC20...
13/08/2026
Broadcasting Center Europe (BCE), a leading European provider of media services, system integration and product development, will demonstrate an end-to-end sove...
13/08/2026
Clear-Com is returning to IBC 2026, taking place September 11-14 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. At Stand 10.D29, Clear-Com will spotlight the award-winning FreeSpe...
13/08/2026
Test & measurement innovator, Leader Electronics of Europe, will showcase its comprehensive portfolio of Leader, PHABRIX and LeaderPhabrix test and measurement ...
13/08/2026
KRK Brings Advanced Wireless Control to Professional Monitoring With New V Serie...
13/08/2026
Anthony Noack Captures Artist's Journey in Estonia with Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton August 12, 2026
0 Comments
Solo filmmaker documents concept...
13/08/2026
ARRI Image Science makes its mobile debut in the HONOR Robot Phone
Brie Clayton August 12, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image displays the HONOR Robot Phone, ...
13/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/08/2026
Suitest's Test Automation Platform Simplifies Video Quality Assurance, Monitoring, and Device Certification Across the OTT Ecosystem
At IBC2026, Suitest, a...
13/08/2026
Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software-defined television technology, will have its key software solutions ready to demonstrate at SET Expo 2026 (18 20...
13/08/2026
Scripps Research has established the Peter K. Vogt Endowed Chair, a new faculty ...
13/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-A vaccine's molecular structure plays a key role in determining how the immune system responds and prepares to protect the body from future exp...
13/08/2026
GeForce NOW is giving cloud gaming an extra-credit upgrade just in time for back-to-school season.
The native Linux app for GeForce NOW is officially out of be...
12/08/2026
Traditional live sports production has focused on creating the best possible pro...
12/08/2026
FOR-A will showcase a range of broadcast and production products at IBC2026 (Stand 2.B53, Amsterdam RAI, September 11-14), including software-based switching, A...
12/08/2026
The Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and EBU will host live demonstrations of NMOS BCP-008 Minimum Status Reporting at IBC2026 (September 11-14) on th...
12/08/2026
Dalet has announced Dalet Solution Suites, a portfolio of cloud-native solutions...
12/08/2026
Net Insight has announced that DMC Production Norway has selected its Open Live ...
12/08/2026
Zixi has appointed Alyson Stewart as Senior Director of Sales. Stewart will be responsible for direct sales and partnerships, with a focus on broadcasters, medi...
12/08/2026
LiveU's LU900Q intelligent production unit was deployed as part of the host broadcast operation for the Games in Glasgow (July 23-August 2, 2026). Host broa...
12/08/2026
Disney , ESPN, and Formula E have announced a multi-year deal bringing all Formula E races to Disney and ESPN in the U.S. and to Disney in most international...
12/08/2026
PSSI has launched X-LIVE, a managed service offering dedicated engineering resources and Appear encoding infrastructure for live event signal processing and tra...
12/08/2026
The inaugural MoonPay X Games League Summer Season reached 18.3 million unique live viewers across three stops on ABC and ESPN, a 78.5% increase compared to the...
12/08/2026
BBright will showcase an expanded IP-Gateway at IBC2026, adding support for all RIST profiles to its existing support for MPEG Transport Stream over IP with SMP...
12/08/2026
BBright will demonstrate EBU OGraf animated graphics support in its software-bas...
12/08/2026
Interra Systems will demonstrate its ORION, BATON, BATON Captions, and VEGA solutions at SET Expo 2026 (August 17-20, Distrito Anhembi, S o Paulo) at partner Li...
12/08/2026
DPA Microphones has appointed Raul Contreras as West Coast Regional Sales Manager. In the role, Contreras will oversee sales and customer relationships througho...
12/08/2026
Live spectacles ranging from the Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup to the Oscars and...
12/08/2026
Writer-Director Andrius Bla evi ius and crew attend the premiere of How to Divorce During the War at The Ray Theatre on January 26, 2026, in Park City, UT. (P...
12/08/2026
Nielsen is cementing Digital Ad Intel as the new go-to currency for digital ad intelligence in Brazil-now with streaming monitoring in the mix.
S o Paulo, Augu...
12/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/08/2026
As Matrox Video celebrates 50 years of trusted innovation, the company will showcase its portfolio of interoperable IP technologies and software-defined innovat...
12/08/2026
SMPTE, the home of media professionals, technologists and engineers, today announced a program of expert-led sessions, professional workshops and networking eve...
12/08/2026
Berklee Announces Full Details for Inaugural Block Party, a Music Festival Next ...
12/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/08/2026
Matthews Studio Equipment introduces T-Go Mounting Solutions extreme camera rigging systems, engineered for the most demanding environments in motion picture pr...
12/08/2026
Anton/Bauer, a Videndum brand and the industry leader in mobile power solutions for broadcast and cinematic production, announces that the EDEN Mobile Power Sta...
12/08/2026
TAG Video Systems, the global leader in software-based IP monitoring and multiviewer solutions, today announced a memory usage optimization that lowers the tota...