Gaffer Tom Van den Abbeele (D j Vu Alles is Voorbestemd, Renaissances, L'Op ra) is based in Belgium where he doubles as owner of Watts RENTAL. Twenty-five years of experience in the film, television and commercial industry has given Van den Abbeele a gaffer-first, problem-solving approach to stocking and running Watts. Over the years, as his company grew from a single truck to a warehouse and fleet of 14, he has embraced technology to help build a customer base of lighting professionals who trust Watts will prepare them for anything on set. When it comes to saving the day, nothing beats his two favorites from Matthews Studio Equipment: the stalwart MAX Menace Arm and Air Climber
In 2002, Van den Abbeele purchased his first truck, thinking it would just act as a personal kit. By 2007, Van den Abbeele and his gear were in such demand, he decided to buy a second truck. From then on, it was off to the races, and he was adding another 1-2 trucks each year.
His introduction to Matthews came via the C-Stand. Van den Abbeele says, In Europe Matthews is not the main grip company used. However, when I first got ahold of some Matthews C-Stands I realized they're much more convenient than other stands; you can even open them up with one arm. He adopted the C-Stand, eventually amassing a stock of over 500. After that Matthews started sending us their catalog. I started futzing around in the catalog and that's when I saw the Mini MAX Menace. I fell in love with it immediately. Its small footprint, easy maneuverability, and ability to boom an arm at a perpendicular angle was the perfect answer to current lighting trends. That was back in the days when we still used a lot of Kino Flo, Tungsten Lanterns usually rigged above a desk or as a top/backlight. The Mini MAX worked really well for that. Watts began equipping a Mini MAX on each of its trucks and vans.
One of the first TV shows Van den Abbeele used the MAX Menace on was a Flemish police procedural, Salamander. He describes, I was working with DoP Lou Berghmans, SBC. He always wants a big punch of soft light coming from one way. He likes to be able to adjust his main Key light fast in order to capture huge Dolly tracking shots. The MAX Menace, able to be adjusted and moved unobtrusively by a single crew person, was like the answer to a prayer. A big part of the show took place in an historic European town, filled with sensitive locations where the MAX's ability to boom a light in without additional rigging frequently made the day. From then on, every show I did with Berghmans we brought two MAX Menaces with us.
During one scene in a hotel room, Director David Horegue came up with a complicated shot using a Dolly Track with a Jib Arm and Ronin 2 attached. We would follow our main actress from the moment she closes the hotel room door to the bed, where she has a semi-panic attack before relaxing herself by putting on headphones and we end up in a top shot. Basically, we saw the whole room. Since rigging to the ceiling was out, the MAX Menace Arm was the only way to place and maneuver the Aladdin Fabric Lite 350 that acted as the key. We made a 6m boom and stood the MAX against the wall to keep it out of shot.
Later on the in the show, a huge rainstorm prevented the pre-rig for a house set. The rain the dirt road leading to location partially inaccessible and it was impossible to get a cherry picker in for the 12KW Maxi Brute needed to create sunlight. Abbeele had to think fast. I convinced the DP to give us 20 minutes. We brought the MAX Menace Arm to the second floor. We cleared a bedroom and attached the light to the Arm and boomed it down a floor. All this in less than 20 minutes with a crew of three. For the gaffer, having a pinch hitter like the MAX Menace was a no brainer.
Watts' relationship with Matthews Studio Equipment further developed at one fateful BSC Expo, when Van den Abbeele laid eyes on a game changing piece of equipment: the Air Climber. Easily transported in a standard grip truck, the pneumatic powered Air Climber enables lighting in hard-to-reach locations like rooftops, penthouses, and courtyards with narrow access points. It's super easy to explain why you need it: if the light needs to be placed higher than six meters, there's only one stand that reaches as high as 7.5 meters, and that's an Air Climber, explains the gaffer. Van den Abbeele worked with Matthews CEO, Tyler Philips, to acquire MSE's tallest stand.
He was quick to put the Air Climber to use when he was hired to gaff a very special project for his home nation: a televised interview with the Belgium Queen Mathilde celebrating her 50th birthday. The first time the Belgium Royal Palace was ever opened to a film crew, there were serious restrictions on the film crew's footprint.
We only got the Queen for half an hour, explained Van den Abbeele, and we needed to do two moves in that time. He decided to take advantage of the building's large windows, placing two FilmGear Power Beam Tungsten 12kW lights on Air Climbers in the front yard of the Royal Palace. A cherry picker or scissor lift would have been out of the question. We carried the Air Climbers up four stairs and then down another four stairs to position them. There was another door closer to the front gate we wanted to use, but apparently only the king is permitted to open it, he describes. It was the only way to light the scene. Each Air Climber was equipped with a Litemover universal remote head, allowing the fixtures to be easily adjusted by a lighting technician at ground level.
Van den Abbeele's personal experience searching for the best solutions on set forms the foundation of Watts' RENTAL business principles. We have a different philosophy from a typical rental house which may not invest in new or uncommon equipme
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
22/07/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Proven managed IP solution helps broadcasters confidently navigate the future of broadcast distribution
LTN announces it has completed successful satellite-to-...
22/07/2026
Today, Chaos announced V-Ray 7, update 4, eliminating the need for asset conversions and tool switching, which slow down media and entertainment pipelines. Arti...
22/07/2026
An AI playground for the Project Indigo camera app
Marc Levoy July 22, 2026
0 Comments
At left is the user interface of our Playground, running on an ...
22/07/2026
Custom Consoles announces the completion of a large technical furniture project for Radio T l vision Suisse (RTS) at the networks recently inaugurated productio...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Culver City, CA, July 21, 2026 3D streaming infrastructure provider Miris today announced glTF intake, including the binary .glb form, to its spatial streamin...
22/07/2026
Documentary Lo Invisible Captured with Blackmagic PYXIS 6K
Brie Clayton July 21, 2026
0 Comments
Camera's versatile design allowed filmmakers to c...
22/07/2026
AAF Bridge converts AAF and XML Timelines to Ableton Live - and back
Jerome Gardier July 21, 2026
0 Comments
A two-way converter for macOS and Windows...
22/07/2026
From Class to Concert: Explore a Student-Led Production of David Bowies Work Thr...
22/07/2026
Audio at Parity: Comscore Launches Transcript-Level Targeting and Measurement wi...
22/07/2026
Arvato Systems and Lobster Enter into a Partnership and Combine the Integration Platform and Managed Services
Flexible integration solutions for cloud, hybrid...
22/07/2026
RT REPORTS NET SURPLUS OF 22.5 MILLION IN 2025...
22/07/2026
In the Opinion of the Censor airs Monday 27 July at 9.35pm on RT One and RT Player
In the Opinion of the Censor looks at how films for theatrical release wer...
22/07/2026
Before a healthcare robot can be useful in the real world, it has to learn how the physical world pushes back. Anatomy varies. Instruments bend, press, slip and...
21/07/2026
New research involving a cross-section of Mongolias independent media landscape finds enthusiasm for AI as a tool to improve efficiency, sustainability and resi...
21/07/2026
With winners Spain having already paraded the World Cup trophy through Madrid in front of millions of fans and the dust now settling on an epic tournament of th...
21/07/2026
In a time of disarray in regional sports broadcasting, the league will provide c...
21/07/2026
When NEP designed one of its largest recurring mobile production unit fleets for PGA TOUR
coverage, the leading media services provider faced a familiar challe...
21/07/2026
High-end analogue channel strip boasts plug-in recall
Originally revealed as a prototype back at NAMM 2024, the Channex Studio channel strip represented a b...
21/07/2026
Relies on same DSP as plug-in range
Musik Hack's line-up has been influenced heavily by founder Stan Greene's work as a mixing engineer, and their M...
21/07/2026
Official collaboration with boutique builder Dirty Boy Pedals
Warm Audio have just announced the launch of a new guitar pedal range created in collaboration...
21/07/2026
SBS scores biggest ever FIFA World Cup Reach as Spain triumph in the final
21 July, 2026
Media releases
Spain v Argentina attracted a Total TV reach of al...
21/07/2026
Rohde & Schwarz showcases broad range of EMC test solutions at EMC SIPI 2026 in ...
21/07/2026
Warner Bros. Discovery's unbroken lead is interrupted as sports and live mus...
21/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/07/2026
Across the TV and streaming ecosystem, industry players face mounting pressure to do more with less. They must simplify operations, protect premium content and ...
21/07/2026
Tuxera, a leading prover of quality-assured file systems and networking technologies, is bringing its latest advances in connectivity performance to the media w...
21/07/2026
COW Jobs: Apple Motion Expert for Custom FCP Rigged Graphics Package
Brie Clayton July 21, 2026
0 Comments
HIRING: Apple Motion Expert for Custom FCP ...
21/07/2026
Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software-defined television technology, will use its presence at IBC2026 (stand 7.A01, Amsterdam RAI, 11 14 September) to...
21/07/2026
Calrec will be located in Hall 8, on Stand C47
Beyond bigger
For years, broadcast facilities were built around one assumption: provision for the biggest pro...
21/07/2026
Pebble, the leading automation, content management and integrated channel specialist, will discuss its future-facing developments for the new generation of medi...
21/07/2026
nxtedition returns to IBC2026 with its consolidated production platform, showing how scripting, editing, graphics, AI-assisted tools and automation can work wit...
21/07/2026
C2PA content signing helps broadcasters, public institutions, and publishers give audiences a verifiable record of where their video content came from and how i...
21/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/07/2026
New capability centralizes collaboration, feedback, security and status tracking within VIDA, providing a structured, auditable approach to master quality contr...
21/07/2026
Lightcraft Launches Exclusive Spark Story Beta for Filmmakers and Creators at SI...
21/07/2026
Indie Road Movie Where in the Hell Shot with Pocket Cinema Camera 4K
Brie Clayton July 20, 2026
0 Comments
Colorist blends vintage film looks to shape...
Gaffer Tom Van den Abbeele (D j Vu Alles is Voorbestemd, Renaissances, L'Op ra) is based in Belgium where he doubles as owner of Watts RENTAL. Twenty-five years of experience in the film, television and commercial industry has given Van den Abbeele a gaffer-first, problem-solving approach to stocking and running Watts. Over the years, as his company grew from a single truck to a warehouse and fleet of 14, he has embraced technology to help build a customer base of lighting professionals who trust Watts will prepare them for anything on set. When it comes to saving the day, nothing beats his two favorites from Matthews Studio Equipment: the stalwart MAX Menace Arm and Air Climber
