
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 ...
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...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
12/06/2026
YES Network and The Gotham Sports App will air seven Athletes Unlimited Softball...
12/06/2026
The United Football League will host its FAST Innovation Suite at the 2026 United Bowl presented by Credit One Bank on Saturday, June 13 at 3:00 p.m. ET at Audi...
12/06/2026
PTZOptics and LayerJot will present live demonstrations at InfoComm 2026 showing how natural-language AI prompting, robotic camera control, and on-device comput...
12/06/2026
MultiDyne Video and Fiber Optic Systems will exhibit at InfoComm 2026, featuring...
12/06/2026
Ateme has announced that Eurovision Services is using Ateme's software-based frame-rate conversion technology for international live event workflows. The de...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin and Simplestream have announced a partnership with Xperi to simplify the launch of OTT streaming services on TiVo OS smart TVs and devices. The collabo...
12/06/2026
Net Insight has announced that a multinational technology company is deploying a...
12/06/2026
MLB Players Inc., the business arm of the MLB Players Association, has announced a partnership with Athletes First to develop and sell brand partnerships across...
12/06/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D) and VuWall have announced the CommandKeyboard-Advanc...
12/06/2026
Comcast Smart Solutions announces a new smart technology deployment with Major L...
12/06/2026
Elevation Worship completed the initial leg of its Elevation Nights 2026 tour ...
12/06/2026
AJA Video Systems has announced KONA IP25 support for Colorfront Transkoder and ...
12/06/2026
Audinate Group Limited (ASX: AD8) will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth C7321, Ce...
12/06/2026
Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould has announced the appointment of Scott Adametz as Chief Technology Officer. The Pac-12 describes the hire as the first CTO appo...
12/06/2026
Grass Valley has announced AMPP Edge Live, a production system combining Grass Valley hardware, NVIDIA Blackwell GPU acceleration, and AMPP OS in a single platf...
12/06/2026
At one time a trailblazer with the launch of the Longhorn Network, the Universit...
12/06/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
12/06/2026
Chyron has announced PAINT 10.4, an update to its illustrated replay and sports ...
12/06/2026
SVP, Production Mark Gross: With the new schedule, with not having every Sunday night, it's given us an opportunity to take a step back and reimagine what ...
12/06/2026
For Televisa Technical Engineering Manager Roberto N nez Ibarra and the small team of 12 technicians and two production personnel at the IBC things are already ...
12/06/2026
Simple Steps to Better Acoustics - Taming The Small Room
Most of us mix in spare rooms and small spaces, where the acoustics fight us at every turn. At Gear...
12/06/2026
Latest addition expands vintage-inspired effects palette
Meris' Ottobit pedal range draws its inspiration from vintage gaming consoles, and the latest a...
12/06/2026
Soundbox-based chamber strings series expanded
Sonora Cinematic have just announced the launch of the second instalment in their Soundbox-based chamber stri...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
AJA Announces KONA IP25 Integration with Colorfront Software
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Collaboration enables uncompressed SMPTE ST 2110 I/O ...
12/06/2026
URSA Cine 12K LF Used to Create Visuals for STUTS' K-Arena Concert
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Organic visuals projected on a giant scre...
12/06/2026
MTI FILM Acquires Mango New Edit, Expanding its Global Post-Production Services ...
12/06/2026
AI Point Tracking Speeds Up Complex VFX Tracks in Mocha Pro
Jessie Electa Petrov June 12, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic point trac...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin, a provider of video streaming solutions, has partnered with Simplestream, a provider of OTT and broadcast solutions, and technology provider Xperi, to...
12/06/2026
Leostream Corporation, creator of the world-leading Leostream Remote Desktop Access Platform, today announced Jigsaw24, a leading B2B IT solutions provider wit...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
How Aussie indie games and screen are levelling up with IP 11 June 2026
Ari Harrison, Pro Jank Footy
Head of Games Joey Egger and Ari Harrison of Umbrella sha...
12/06/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils First-Look Images from Villaflor, Santiago Mitre's New Film
Entertainment
12 June 2026
GlobalArgentina
Link copied to ...
12/06/2026
Back to All News
Cross the Boundaries of the Real World into the Spirit Realm i...
12/06/2026
With John Daro, DI Colourist at Warner Bros. Water Tower Color Tuesday 23 June, 10am-1pm or 3-6pm
Restar Corporation
Tokyo
Register here
John Daro is the ...
12/06/2026
Meet The Grumpy Onion Ireland's newest online sensation, all he wants is to ...
12/06/2026
RT stays Up All Night with brand new daily 2026 FIFA World Cup Vodcast
Adding to the fun around 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament, RT has launched a brand new d...
12/06/2026
A fentanyl countermeasure that adapts to combat future black-market drugs Scripps Research scientists developed a vaccine that teaches the immune system to rapi...
11/06/2026
The immense size of the tourney and its Atlantic-spanning operation also disting...
11/06/2026
Nielsen has released a new soccer fandom consumer research report, The Fans Behind The Game: FIFA World Cup 2026 Edition, examining the soccer audience in the...