For MACCAM, based in Los Angeles, California, catering specifically to gaffers, COVID-19 has been a roller coaster. In March, we had to scale down because we didn't know what the future would hold, says Michael McDonald, Maccam's President. But thankfully in June, commercials started to pick up for us, and by Q4, business was back to its pre-COVID numbers; 2021 is shaping up to be even better.
Orbiter at On Our Way indie film set. DP Alex Salahi
The latest ARRI fixture, Orbiter, drove demand for lights at the end of 2020. Everyone was chomping at the bit, says McDonald. My customers absolutely love the color science and the technology that a small matrix of LEDs opens up; it offers so many optic solutions. He continues, we'd love to see smaller and bigger optics sizes adding that his customers are especially looking forward to more accessories like the Projection optics.
Even though the demand for LED sources is booming, HMI and Tungsten-especially the larger units, like ARRI's M40 and T12, remain essential. HMIs and large Tungsten won't go away any time soon, assures McDonald.
The gaffers his company supports, all of whom are involved in top studio projects, are looking for versatile fixtures that can replace two or more units from their trucks as they scale to five tons and sprinters. If you can get a fixture like the Orbiter that can lower your footprint, that's ergonomic. When asked what trends he might see for 2021, McDonald comments, The biggest trends for new fixtures coming to the market are harder light and more optics-and our customers are delighted. New fun and creative projects will be coming soon!
At Pacific Backlot, a subsidiary of Vancouver Film Studios, General Manager Derek Hall reports his company serves the many clients that come through the studios' 12 stages, facilitating lighting and grip needs. Last March, when COVID-19 hit, production came to a halt at
Vancouver Film Studios and Pacific Backlot. During that period, we used the time to improve the facilities, Hall remembers. In October, productions came roaring back. We're a 40-show town, he says, referring to Vancouver. He continues: In October, 60 productions started up. We had more work the last three months of the year than we've ever had. With the number of simultaneous productions, the demand for lights was quite high. I brought in gear from other places to help facilitate the needs of our customers. Hall also notes changes in the lighting world: The demand for LEDs is growing year by year. It's not a trend anymore-it's becoming the norm.
At Pacific Backlot, Hall reports that they have purchased ARRI LED and Tungsten fixtures over the years to meet the lighting needs on Vancouver Film Studios' stages. This year, we diversified, he says. We want to be able to serve our customers off the lot, when they go on location. To do that, we additionally purchased a lot of HMIs last year and this year and we'll be purchasing more. Another fixture that will go out on location is the ARRI Orbiter. It's a versatile light, says Hall. One of the main features we all want is the Leko adapter. With that, we see it as an LED joker light.
ARRI HMIs at Pacific Backlot
With the growing popularity of LEDs, Hall sees Tungsten lights as dying dinosaurs. Three years ago, they were a no-brainer, he says. That's changed. But Tungsten will always be needed, especially the bigger fixtures-just not in the same quantities.
Today, all 12 operating stages at Vancouver Film Studios are full of productions from Apple, Warner Bros., and Freeform Disney. Hall predicts that productions will continue to follow COVID-19 safety protocols. But it isn't a big hassle anymore, he says. There was a learning curve and the productions have it dialed in now. It's not going to stop anything in Vancouver.
Social distance video production setup in an office building
According to General Manager Michel Suissa, The Studio at B&H largely serves institutional, non-traditional productions, from a wide range of sectors. Everyone is bringing production inhouse, from internal communications to training the sales force, he comments. Non-traditional spaces are being turned into studios, like transforming a conference room into an insert stage. With regard to lighting, anything that enables remote control is big. We've seen new markets emerge in ways we haven't seen in the past because the opportunity and the need were presented to these communities due to the pandemic.
Production Sales Engineer Danielo Garcia reports that at the beginning of 2020, some projects went cold, but B&H was able to continue to work remotely: After the first dip, dormant projects came back on and new projects we weren't expecting came online. We needed more equipment and more locations to make things happen, and that drove a boom in lighting. Suissa reveals that virtual production has been a new development in the industry-and it calls for LED lighting. It's a good alternative to green screen and it means that lighting on set becomes more sophisticated, he says. It's been driving a renewed request for lighting in general.
Lighting design for multi-location livestream with remote lighting control via Cine Miranda, lighting rental provided by Kinetic Lighting. Photo credit: Lighting Designer Andrew Schmedake
In terms of trends in lighting, both Suissa and Garcia say that LED is the flavor. That's where everyone wants to go, says Garcia. There's still going to be a need for HMI, but people are gravitating to the ARRI SkyPanel and Orbiter. Suissa says that customer feedback on the Orbiter is slowly coming to us-It's still relatively new, he adds. Lots of people are still figuring out what applications it's best for. It&
Europe Stories
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...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
Company launch with stereo-imaging tool
Panoramic is the debut release from Panorama Labs, a new company formed by mastering engineer Nicholas Di Lorenzo. C...
18/08/2026
Control software now available for older interfaces
Focusrite have just announced the launch of an update that extends Control 2 software support their Scar...
18/08/2026
Tuesday 18 August 2026
Sky Sports and The Fast and the Curious announce new partnership
Sky Sports and The Fast and the Curious have announced a new long-term...
18/08/2026
Wuppertal August 18, 2026
Riedel Brings Professional Live Production Into the Classrooms of ECURiedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan Universi...
18/08/2026
Apple today announced changes to its business terms for apps in the European Uni...
18/08/2026
THE HEALY RAES: BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS AIRS WEDNESDAY AUGUST 19 ON RT ONE AT 9:35PM
A new documentary The Healy-Raes: Blood, Sweat & Tears airs on RT One and ...
18/08/2026
Stunning Irish performances at European Athletics and Swimming Championships rea...
18/08/2026
The two-part series begins Sunday 23 August at 6.30pm on RT One and RT Player
...
17/08/2026
New MIDI processor & macro controller revealed
SHIK have announced that they have opened pre-orders for the S32, a standalone MIDI processor and macro contr...
17/08/2026
Cover extended on innovative motorised pot system
Melbourne Instruments have just revealed that the innovative motorised pot system used in their synths and...
17/08/2026
Latest firmware version now available
1010music have just released a free firmware update that brings some nice new features to their renowned Bluebox digit...
17/08/2026
Rohde & Schwarz showcases integrated defense and test solutions at DALO Industry...
17/08/2026
Calrec's ImPulseV Virtualised Audio Mixing Engine joins NEP Platform, the industry's largest ecosystem of trusted production software, bringing scalable...
17/08/2026
Visitors to IBC 2026 will see how FilmLight is reshaping the modern post pipelin...
17/08/2026
Visitors to Stand 1.C41 can explore innovations in areas such as addressable advertising, hybrid distribution, managed services and operational simplification.
...
16/08/2026
Virtual drummer joins line-up
The latest release from Gospel Musicians adds a virtual drummer to the company's line-up, combining a pair of meticulously...
15/08/2026
In-ear monitoring line-up gains new universal models
In-ear monitoring experts JH Audio have just announced a significant expansion of their Universal-Fit r...
14/08/2026
Latest instalment delivers disco-inspired grooves
The latest addition to UJAM's virtual drum line-up has been designed with contemporary pop, disco, dan...
14/08/2026
Elite range gains giant 24-inch powered sub
The latest expansion of Yorkville's Elite range introduces what the company say is the world's first act...
14/08/2026
Friday 14 August 2026
Breaking news! Sky releases trailer for The Paper, return...
14/08/2026
It's been one year since our client, Cotswolds Designer Outlet, opened its doors and we've loved seeing the scheme come to life. Together, we've hel...
13/08/2026
Company preview bio-interactive' synthesizer
VAEMI have announced the upcoming launch of a new standalone bio-interactive' generative synthesizer....
13/08/2026
Plug-in host gains new Slot Scenes feature
Ravine DSP have recently updated their innovative plug-in host, kitting it out with a new feature that brings yet...
13/08/2026
New U and U&W Documentary Features Kathleen Richards, One of the Last Surviving Witnesses to Fred and Rose West
Kathleen is Reunited with Childhood Friend and ...
13/08/2026
Thursday 13 August 2026
Official trailer released for the return of Tea with Ju...
13/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
13/08/2026
Wenvoe serves over 1 million people across South Wales
13 August 2026, Winchester, UK - Vale of Glamorgan MP, Kanishka Narayan, has praised the engineering exp...
13/08/2026
RT 's Miriam O'Callaghan welcomed a range of specially invited guests to the National Concert Hall last week for a unique event to mark a new season wit...
13/08/2026
August 13 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Seattle Seahawks Become First Team to Bring Dolby O...
12/08/2026
Enhanced DAW & plug-in control for the UC1, UF8 and UF1
The software that powers SSL's range of control surfaces has just received a major update that d...
12/08/2026
In-line preamp features one-knob EQ
In addition to their range of in-line preamps, Triton Audio recently managed to squeeze a compressor into an enclosure t...
12/08/2026
Captures system audio with or without a DAW
Depending on your setup, capturing system audio in a DAW can be a tedious process, so much so that Arvital Audio...
12/08/2026
Comscore Reports Second Quarter 2026 ResultsRESTON, Va., August 12, 2026 Comscore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR), a trusted partner for planning, transacting and evalu...
12/08/2026
NEW BOOKSHOP OPENING IN LONDON THAT OFFERS NEW IDENTITIES, NOT BOOKS, WITH FREE ...
12/08/2026
Brand-new trailer unveiled as Sky announces SNL UK ticket ballot will open on 14...
12/08/2026
Wednesday 12 August 2026
Sky Sports agrees deal to show Laver Cup from London's O2
Sky Sports has agreed a deal with Trident8 to show all three days of th...
12/08/2026
Wednesday 12 August 2026
Pre-order the new Google Pixel 11 range from today and...
11/08/2026
Free library captures pro classical string section
There's no shortage of freebies in The Crow Hill Company's line-up, with their Vaults series offe...
11/08/2026
Percussion instrument introduces all-new engine
Emergence Audio have just introduced an instrument that brings together a vast collection of percussive anal...
11/08/2026
Introduces new all-in-one Spatial Panner tool
Boris FX have recently announced the latest major update for their mastering and broadcast-focused DAW softwar...
For MACCAM, based in Los Angeles, California, catering specifically to gaffers, COVID-19 has been a roller coaster. In March, we had to scale down because we didn't know what the future would hold, says Michael McDonald, Maccam's President. But thankfully in June, commercials started to pick up for us, and by Q4, business was back to its pre-COVID numbers; 2021 is shaping up to be even better. 
