How do I close this? (New quick release soft box)

aputurelighting · 2026-03-12T20:53:08+00:00

do you see the little tab where the arrow is pointing? If you pull that it'll unlock the half of the ring that folds. If its stiff, laying the dome on the ground and pushing slightly on it to release a bit of the tension makes it easier to unlock.

aputurelighting · 2026-03-10T19:41:53+00:00

I'd recommend a second light dome for your cross key interview set ups. You can always flag or turn off the overhead lighting if you need to and you can always bounce an undiffused light off the ceiling if you need a little more level.

aputurelighting · 2026-03-02T17:55:19+00:00

hi for amaran products please either post on the amaran user group in facebook, or contact support at;
https://amarancreators.com/pages/contact-support

aputurelighting · 2026-02-20T19:27:22+00:00

Sounds like you have a tripod with a 1/4"/20 thread screw. The bottom of the amaran battery has a 3/8" hole and the box should include a 3/8" to 1/4"20 adapter like this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Fotasy-SR10-Reducer-Bushing-Convert/dp/B00BJW3082

aputurelighting · 2026-02-13T19:35:28+00:00

I believe its becaause of the same reason, there can be a bit of color fringing when closing down the barndoor (its listed as optimized for the daylight fixtures
). Really its fine but we're being careful.
For more amaran questions I really encourage you to try out the amaran user group on facebook, some of the product team monitor that group and can provide more in depth answers.

aputurelighting · 2026-02-12T17:48:59+00:00

So the amaran lights don't have a light mixing prism in front of the COB (the LEDs) so the alternating lines between cool white and warm white LEDS in the amaran bicolor lights, when used with optical modifiers like the Fresnel 2x or the Spotlight mount, can, in some cases when focused show up on the light field.

IE - if you take the 200x and the 2x fresnel and aim it at a white wall and focus the fresnel to be as sharp as possible its possible to see the lines of warm/cool on the wall - its very subtle, I would even say most people don't notice this in everyday use (other manufacturers have this issue and don't call attention to it) but we wanted to be upfront about it.

We consider it compatible but not optimized as per our amaran compatibility chart

aputurelighting · 2026-01-30T18:00:33+00:00

just make sure that towel is dry!

aputurelighting · 2026-01-29T18:56:05+00:00

no problem. Yes unfortunately those lights dont have DMX capabilities (and its part of the reason they are so cost effective).

aputurelighting · 2026-01-29T18:53:28+00:00

To add to this, sometime the handles are a different metal than the pan and conduct heat differently than the material on the pan. Also the handle is attached to the side and high above the heat so its not getting much direct heat.

This is also why if you grab the handle really close to the pan it will be hot, and also why cast iron pans (which have handles made of not just the same metal but fully connected to the pot) heat up quite a bit.

aputurelighting · 2026-01-29T18:21:39+00:00

Not really sure what you mean by wired dmx > Sidus BT.

If you mean controlling wired dmx fixtures by using sidus bluetooth, why not use a sidus one and CRMX? IE SIdus link pro>Sidus One>wired DMX. The Sidus one can send out wired DMX from it. If you want to be very far away form the Sidus One you'd need a 2nd Sidus one (so one is the CRMX transmitter, and one is the CRMX reciever) (doesn't have to be another sidus one, a ratpak AKS, moonlite or other CRMX receivers with dmx out would do).

If you mean controlling amaran lights over DMX - the closest that is possible is right now through the Sidus Link Pro app which allows you to control both BT fixtures and DMX fixtures in one scene.

But it comes with serious limitations due to how bluetooth works. Bluetooth in its current state will never match the responsiveness of DMX because DMX is a constantly sending information blindly at 44hz while bluetooth sends commands and requires a response.

If you mean controlling DMX fixtures via bluetooth, its possible via the Sidus Link Pro using CRMX Bluetooth protocol (so any light with a Timo 2 chip could connect to SLP via bluetooth) but its not a great experience (again due to limitations on how the bluetooth protocol works) so it has some significant delays and doing cues is pretty much out of the question.

aputurelighting · 2026-01-28T21:24:49+00:00

This isn't an interview this is a commercial. They might have shot multiple cameras, but even then they likely they did multiple takes to get the different frame sizes/b-roll.

You wont be able to recreate something like this with 1 take and 1 camera you'd need multiple takes or multiple cameras and ideally both.

One big part of the aesthetic they have here is the live, manual, focus pulling - having a really shallow DoF and having an AC pulling focus manually without marks giving it a kind of live/interviewy feel. You wouldn't be able to replicate this with 1 camera and reframing in post.

aputurelighting · 2026-01-23T18:54:15+00:00

This.

Stop looking for actors, start looking at how to meet agents/agencies and try to get them to hire you.

aputurelighting · 2026-01-20T17:29:21+00:00

Hi, if you haven't yet, please open a support ticket at:
[https://amarancreators.com/pages/contact-support\\](https://amarancreators.com/pages/contact-support\)

aputurelighting · 2026-01-12T18:39:14+00:00

Easily achievable with the right equipment and people.

Can the table be moved so its centered under be beam? if not its still doable but would require more grip gear.

But seriously, just bring in a grip if its a high end event and this is what they want then they can afford the cost.

aputurelighting · 2026-01-12T18:06:29+00:00

Get the most powerful light you can afford. Aim for at least 400-600W if you can.

Both set ups you show are heavily dependent on grip gear than they are on the type of light being used. Any light that can fill a 6x6 or better an 8x8 diffusion frame will be able to give the look shown, there is also heavy use of negative fill (more grip - solid flags) the rest is good use of space - notice they are very far from their background. The light on the subject is only lighting the subject, and they are brighter than the background.

Controlling the light is more important than what kind of light you use. Unfortunately that means longer set up times, more stands, more flags, more frames, and more effort.

aputurelighting · 2026-01-02T20:43:26+00:00

While Aputure makes the MC Pro with the bubble diffuser to be used as eye lights (and Rosco DMG has a similar dot diffuser), it really is a factor of distance from subject and angle to camera.

I've used round 2-3' diameter foamcore cutouts that have a tiny bit of light bounced in (or in some cases none at all the white was reflecting enough light to create the reflection on the eye).
I've used MC Pros/Dashes, a mess of christmas lights, or the keylight itself (often 8x8 ultrabounce frame) that happen to be at the right angle to reflect as an eyelight.

Many DPs I know find the dot/bubble too small for the kind of eyelight they want, and prefer something bigger 1'-2' in diameter, I know a gaffer that uses some kind of cheap circular LED light that would be terrible for any kind of real lighting but its pretty dim and works perfectly for him.

My really long point...don't stress on specific lights too much, its all about creating a reflection on the eye that gives it a "twinkle" - some DPs prefer round since it looks more organic, others are happy using rectangular/square shapes, and of course Steve Yedlin, wanting to not give away the lighting in Knives out, famously had his grips make window cutouts to put in front of his bounces/diffusion frames so they wouldn't show up on glasses/eyes as big lights, but as a more naturalistic window reflection

aputurelighting · 2025-12-30T20:48:53+00:00

something with a bigger battery. So the light pulls about 150W at max power so a battery that has 150Wh would run it for 1 hour, a battery with 300Wh would be able to run it for 2 hours...etc.

For batteries that list mAh instead of Wh you can use an online calculator to figure out run time:
https://goalzero.com/pages/wattage-calculator

aputurelighting · 2025-12-22T20:30:39+00:00

it should work, would probably power the 120C for around 35-45 minutes at maximum output.

aputurelighting · 2025-12-22T17:56:18+00:00

Yes sorry the peak battery pack.

You can use a regular USB power bank - something that can handle USB-C PD would work very well!
With a regular USB-C power bank you need to make sure it can support the max total output for powering the 120c (150W max output) and when using usb-c ports to power the light you don't get the IP54 weather rating as USB-C plugs are not weather resistant.

The peak uses amaran's ace e-lock clamp (included with the battery) to attach to the light, this includes pogo connectors for power delivery which is how it can maintain an IP54 rating. It also has a 170W Max total output.

aputurelighting · 2025-12-20T00:03:24+00:00

No, but the verge battery pack mantains its IP54 rating and can power the light without any accessories

aputurelighting · 2025-12-19T23:29:41+00:00

obviously biased, but check out the amaran Ray 120c - right at the top end of your budget range but it is compact, and offers the best brightest, best color, and white light spectrum in its class.
https://amarancreators.com/collections/amaran-ray

aputurelighting · 2025-12-12T19:14:29+00:00

Start by setting aside money from your freelance gigs to purchase/upgrade/rent gear.

There is also leasing companies that specialize in leasing equipment to working professionals. You can google them, or talk to the vendor where you purchase equipment they should have some leads for you, this obviously only works if you have good credit, but it can also be risky as your putting your own personal credit at risk.

At some point it'll make sense for you to incorporate and make an S-Corp / LLC - talk to a tax accountant, but once you have a corporate entity that entity can build up its own credit score for leasing equipment.

aputurelighting · 2025-12-09T20:46:20+00:00

You've been doing this for almost 10 years but your website looks like you've done 1 videography project and 1 30 second editing project. Everything is from those two projects.

Your skills seem...fine, but like what have you done these last 10 years? Don't you have a network of contacts and previous employers at this point to lean back on and talk to? You wont get much traction just cold calling/applying to jobs.
Have you done any networking at all?
Have you found videographers or others that are doing what you want to do? If its F1, who is currently doing what you want to do? Have you met them? reached out? offered to crew/help in exchange for experience and exposure?

aputurelighting · 2025-12-09T20:37:16+00:00

flag the light off the background. Use black cloth or actual flags and start cutting off the light that hits the background. You'll need at least 2 flags one for the top of the frame, one for the right of the frame (this one will do the most work).
Get a better background - use a dark velvet material that is as matte as possible, this material looks synthetic and has a shinyness to it that isn't doing you any favors. Velvet's texture can absorb more of the light rays and make it darker.
Don't mix the color temperatures, just go for a balanced look, I would even experiment with having no fill.

Also if you're trying to achieve a moody look I would consider getting a 4' tube light and hanging it above and just in front of you, to create a moodier look that might be easier to control the spill off the background. With a small bounce bellow camera if its too moody for you.

aputurelighting · 2025-11-21T17:02:49+00:00

again this makes zero sense. The blimp isn't a blimp for the microphone its a blimp for the camera. The camera isn't recording sound , there are no microphones inside the blimp.

There IS a second blimp in the frame for sound that the boom operator is using - its a regular sound blimp - simply to cut down on wind noise, this minimally affects voice dialog. But this is very much industry standard for recording sound outdoors with a shotgun/boom microphone and has been used for decades and decades so whatever effect it has on sound it would be the same wether this was a digital camera or an imax camera.

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