When international cinematographer Jamie Ramsay was brought on to lens independent feature film Goodrich, he faced a unique lighting challenge. Shot on location in Los Angeles, the contemporary story of a father unexpectedly dropped into single parenthood, heavily features a mid-century modern house brimming with glass and sharp architectural lines. Ramsay choose Astera lights to balance the needs of this tricky location while adhering to the strict lighting standards of the film's A-listers, Michael Keaton and Mila Kunis.
Goodrich is the melancholic journey of self-discovery and forgiveness centered around the nuances of a father-daughter relationship, describes Ramsay. Art dealer Andy Goodrich (Michael Keaton) reaches out to his 36-year-old daughter Grace (Mila Kunis) for help with her nine-year old half siblings, while he grapples with his second wife's trip to a rehab program and the impending failure of his art gallery. Collaborating closely with director/writer Hallie Meyers Shyre, Ramsay set out to align the film's visual tone with its emotional core.
Inspired by the architecture of the Los Angeles filming locations, the cinematographer sought ways to incorporate geometric light and shadow. One of the chief locations in the film is Michael Keaton's house a beautiful mid-century modern structure built by a Japanese architect. An incredible feat of design, the location was rich with angular surfaces that invited ever-changing daylight and reflective glass surfaces which might easily catch stands or equipment. Because Michael's character is an artist in his own right, I wanted the way light interacted with the house's glass facades and hard angles to become part of the storytelling.
Working with gaffer Alex Gaynor, the cinematographer designed a plan to make liberal use of Astera Titan and Helios Tubes. Comprised of 8 pixels which can be individually colored, flashed and programmed from the Astera App, the Titan Tube (40.7 x 1.7 /1035mm x 43mm) and smaller Helios Tube (21.7 x 1.7 /550mm x 43mm) are highly controllable and versatile LEDs.
We rigged two-foot and four-foot Astera Tubes hidden across the many little pockets, angles and corners of the home, the cinematographer describes. They are battery-powered, and we could control everything remotely. It saved us so much time. The compact size, wireless functionality, and versatile mounting options of the Titan and Helios Tubes allowed Ramsay and his team to discreetly illuminate scenes without intruding on the performers' space or catching reflections off the glass surfaces.
Cast at the level of Michael and Mila need enough time to do what they do. Which meant we needed to be resourceful with our time setting the scene. With a tight production schedule, Astera fixtures became indispensable for creating beautiful aesthetic lighting while navigating the logistical challenges of the shoot. With our small LED package, we could create the mood that I wanted as a cinematographer without infringing on cast with the equipment footprint.
This setup was especially critical for night scenes, where subtle, controlled lighting was necessary to maintain the film's intimate tone. One pivotal moment in Goodrich features Mila Kunis quietly reflecting on photographs of her father's new family. It's bittersweet as the oldest daughter, she has kind of lost her dad to these two younger kids. Ramsay used Helios Tubes to create a gentle firelight effect, with additional hidden units providing soft cosmetic fill and subtle backlight.
The scene, rich with unspoken emotion, relies on the delicate lighting to enhance the narrative without overwhelming the performance. The small footprint of the Astera fixtures let us build the mood without crowding the space, Ramsay recalled. It gave the actors freedom to move naturally, which supported the authenticity of their performances.
The cinematographer also made use of LunaBulbs, the lightbulb lookalike LED from Astera, which screws directly into an AC-wired bulb socket for fully controllable, flicker-free lighting. With its covert shape, the crew placed LunaBulbs as on set practical fixtures, even replacing dozens of bulbs in decorative table centerpieces to illuminate a restaurant scene.
Key to executing this lighting strategy was Ramsay's partnership with gaffer Alex Gaynor. Together, they developed a dynamic workflow, pre-rigging scenes and adjusting placements on the fly as blocking evolved. The adaptability of the Astera fixtures, combined with their quick setup time, kept the production moving smoothly despite a tight six-week schedule. The technology worked in tandem with the creative process, Ramsay said. With the AsteraApp, we could tweak color temperature, brightness, and intensity in seconds. That flexibility was invaluable.
For Ramsay, Goodrich is a testament to the power of modern lighting technology in crafting compelling visual narratives. By integrating Astera Tubes into his toolkit, he achieved a level of agility and precision that allowed the film's emotional beats to shine through. I believe that every space and every moment exists naturally in a perfect way. So, the way that I like to light is to find that hyperreal natural moment and try to propagate that expression.
The right tools can make all the difference. Astera lights helped us tell this story in a way that felt honest, intimate, and visually striking. In Goodrich, light wasn't just a technical necessity; it was an active participant in the storytelling, shaping the atmosphere and supporting the performances. And for Ramsay, that fusion of artistry and innovation is exactly what filmmaking is all about.
Goodrich is available to watch now on MAX.
For more about Astera : astera-led.com
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
08/05/2026
For the second straight year, Miri Technologies Inc. has been honored with a pair of coveted awards at the broadcast, media and entertainment industry's pre...
08/05/2026
Nine Alumni Nominated for Tony Awards More than 20 alumni contributed to this year's Tony-nominated productions.
May 7, 2026
By
Tori Donahue
Boston Co...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Liberty University on why broadcast technology isn't just a technical invest...
08/05/2026
COW Jobs: UGC, On-Camera Video Content
Brie Clayton May 7, 2026
0 Comments
UGC, On-Camera Video Content
April 17, 2026Documentary Editor - US,......
07/05/2026
Journalists reporting on Sudan are working in one of the most complex and fast-m...
07/05/2026
Multi-year partnership positions Victory+ as a free home for Dallas Cowboys orig...
07/05/2026
From sideline reporting to directing and producing, the talented sophomore is building a well-rounded foundation for a career in live sports production
In the ...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital has received two Future Best of Show awards at NAB Show 2026. The COBALT blueCORE platform was recognized by TV Tech, and the COBALT PACIFIC ULL-...
07/05/2026
ESPN analyst Mina Kimes will host the televised semifinals and finals of the 202...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI, the global film streaming platform, has selected Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner. Bitmovin's encoding infrastru...
07/05/2026
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and the U.S. Soccer Federation have announced...
07/05/2026
Angel City Football Club (ACFC) and Victory have announced a regional broadcast partnership bringing live match coverage to fans across the greater Los Angeles...
07/05/2026
Spiideo has announced the launch of AI Highlights inside Spiideo Play, its automated sports production platform. AI Highlights combines video, event data, audio...
07/05/2026
Leostream Corporation has announced a unified remote access ecosystem for high-p...
07/05/2026
The Atlanta Dream has partnered with Victory to stream all locally broadcast Dream games for free, expanding the team's digital distribution strategy and g...
07/05/2026
Riedel Communications has announced the appointment of Marc Engroff as Chief Fin...
07/05/2026
SES and ARD, Germany's largest public broadcasting network, have announced a long-term extension of their satellite distribution partnership through 2039. U...
07/05/2026
UpLight Technologies delivers a flexible video and lighting system for a new televised sportLaunching the Pro Cheer League required more than creating a compell...
07/05/2026
Full Day Productions and GSE Worldwide have announced Spikes Under the Lights, a...
07/05/2026
Seit dem Start im Jahr 2023 hat DJ (Beta) das personalisierte H rerlebnis von 94...
07/05/2026
Da quando stata presentata nel 2023, DJ (beta) ha aiutato a definire un'esperienza d'ascolto pi personalizzata per 94 milioni di utenti Spotify Premi...
07/05/2026
Since launching in 2023, DJ (beta) has helped shape a more personalized listenin...
07/05/2026
Desde o lan amento em 2023, o DJ (beta) j ajudou a deixar a experi ncia de ouvi...
07/05/2026
From our earliest days, Spotify has been built on a simple principle: Great audio should be easy to reach. It's what's driven us to expand from music to...
07/05/2026
Asian and Pacific Islander artists continue to shape the global soundscape, pushing creative boundaries and connecting with fans worldwide. This Asian & Pacific...
07/05/2026
Company announce long-requested choir instrument
In the latest expansion of their Symphonic Elements series, UJAM have introduced an all-new vocal instrumen...
07/05/2026
Modular-inspired sound generation with digital control
Buchla have introduced Ziggy, a new compact synthesizer built around the company's complex oscill...
07/05/2026
Combines analogue voices with digital synthesis and sequencing
Polyend have announced Drums, a new hybrid analogue and digital drum machine that combines sy...
07/05/2026
Control surface now officially supports four DAWs
When Nektar launched the Panorama CS12 control surface, it worked exclusively with Apple's Logic Pro, ...
07/05/2026
In the first quarter 2026, SGL Carbon generated consolidated sales of 184.5 million, which was 49.8 million, or 21.3%, lower than in the prior year (Q1 2025: ...
07/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Greenerwave achieve precise and fast ESA antenna characteriz...
07/05/2026
Two multi-role L3Harris products - the Red Wolf launched effects vehicle and SK...
07/05/2026
L3Harris will be developing key features of a secure and resilient digital infra...
07/05/2026
Alysa Liu and Shohei Ohtani Help Drive Viewership as 91 of the Top 100 Broadcast...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital Wins Two Future Best of Show Awards at 2026 NAB Show
Manufacturer Recognized by TV Tech and TVBEurope for Innovation in signal processing
Cobal...
07/05/2026
Software and hardware platforms, AI power and user-friendliness on show...
07/05/2026
Intinor will demonstrate its latest technical enhancements for the Direkt series at BroadcastAsia 2026. With a continued focus on reliable contribution and remo...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI has chosen Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner, replacing MUBI's legacy on premises encoding setup to improve scalab...
07/05/2026
Meet Graduates from Berklees Class of 2026 Members of this years graduating class reflect on their proudest moments at Berklee and look ahead to whats next.
...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
When international cinematographer Jamie Ramsay was brought on to lens independent feature film Goodrich, he faced a unique lighting challenge. Shot on location in Los Angeles, the contemporary story of a father unexpectedly dropped into single parenthood, heavily features a mid-century modern house brimming with glass and sharp architectural lines. Ramsay choose Astera lights to balance the needs of this tricky location while adhering to the strict lighting standards of the film's A-listers, Michael Keaton and Mila Kunis.
