It is always a pleasure for Our Technological Online Portal to discuss several interesting things with people that can provide not only useful information, but experience and opinion. Undoubtedly, Darren Beckley, Sales Manager of ETC is one of them because he knows well the Lighting Technology and the Media & Entertainment Industry. Our interlocutor politely answered our questions and referred to the Color Science and to ETC Technological Achievements and the Lighting Solutions that now the brand offers with some short and useful examples for our readers.
Text: Andreas Tzanakos
Images: Andreas Tzanakos & ETC Archive
This Interview took place in Audio & Vision’s office (Reseller for ETC products in Hellas & Distributor for High End Systems products in Hellas & Cyprus) in Athens a few weeks ago. From Darren Beckley’s answers there are a lot of technical and artistic details that TV Station & TV-Film Studio Technical Directors, Directors of Photography (DoPs), Gaffers, Lighting Engineer and Lighting Designers want to know in order to consider better their next steps and their new investments. The short discussion we had with him gave us the whole image of a brand new Lighting World. It also revealed what is ETC now and what has to offer to the professionals today and in the near future.
radiotvlink.com: First of all, welcome in Hellas. Please, tell us some details about you. It is always good for our readers to know some basic things about our interlocutor.
Darren Beckley: Thank for having me, I’m Darren Beckley – Sales Manager for Ltd at ETC. I oversee all sales activities for the UK, Ireland, northern and southern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and am based out of ETC’s London office.
“I think light and color have a huge role in storytelling. A production’s quality is greatly affected by the quality of light – viewers don’t always realize this, they just see something that looks better as it affects their subconscious perception of the production. The audience doesn’t walk away and think ‘I loved that because it was well lit’ they just think ‘I loved it, it looked amazing’. One of the things that amazed me when I first saw the X8 system was the fact that it’s an evolution in lighting technology, much like the introduction of high definition in camera/screen technology.”
radiotvlink.com: ETC has a very successful history in theater and entertainment lighting in general. Please, refer to ETC’s most significant milestones to date.
Darren Beckley: There have been many great milestones over the years for ETC. The first, big milestone was the introduction of the Source Four, which remains the most popular lighting fixture in the industry. It was a game changer and miles ahead of the competition in terms of quality and features. The Source Four was an incredible achievement and the newer versions and additions to the range today remain just as popular.
Currently, the launch of our fos/4 range of products has really boosted our position in the Film and TV market which we see go from strength to strength. Developing our architectural lighting and stage machinery offering with the latest technology has also led these markets to become fast growing areas of our business.
And speaking of the latest technology, ETC is always innovating and introducing new products which are milestones too. Having just launched the Eos Apex console, we’re looking forward to showcasing the powerful, brand-new features of this next generation of ETC’s flagship controls line.
More milestones from ETC’s history can be found on our website here: https://www.etcconnect.com/About/About-ETC/History.aspx
“Sure, our fos/4 range of products have been great for the Film and TV market. ETC’s fos/4 Panels and fos/4 Fresnels have been popular in this market for their superior color rendering, easy adaptability, large number of accessories, and high quality of light. The fos/4 range is available in both a tunable white light Daylight HDR array and a full color Lustr X8 array with both including Deep Red. ”
radiotvlink.com: The creative people (DPs, Gaffers, Electrician Engineers and many more) in the Screen Industries (TV, Video, Film etc.) are talking about the Color Science. So what’s the relation between Color Science & ETC? And what’s ETC doing for servicing the Color Science? Can you also mention some meaningful details about Blood Red? Can you also mention some examples for our readers?
Darren Beckley: ETC has put decades of research into the science of color and how we get the best quality of light in our products. We have the Advance Research Group (ARG) at ETC - a dedicated team of scientists, researchers and engineers who work together and look at the science of the industry, research programs and what the best solutions are in the form of innovative technology.
One example of their research includes the introduction of the 8-color mix in our products. The Lustr X8 Color System sets a new standard in LED lighting quality with the addition of Deep Red LEDs. Deep Red LEDs give us lighting in a part of the spectrum that’s never previously been used with wavelengths of 660 nanometers. Previous red emitters worked at 635 nanometers and now that we’ve added Deep Red, the additional 25 nanometers might not sound like a lot, but it makes a big difference as it is right at the other end of the spectrum. The benefits of this are shown in the way the fixtures render skin tones, costumes, sets and scenery. We also don’t just use Deep Red in red light, we use it in all sorts of different colors to improve the way the fixtures render light.
Find out more here: https://www.etcconnect.com/Products/Lighting-Fixtures/Source-Four-LED-Series-3/Features.aspx
radiotvlink.com: What about the Lighting for the Television, Video and Film sectors? Panels are so much in fashion in studio and/or on-location. And Fresnel Lighting Fixtures are there too. So can you remind to our readers which are the ETC products ranges for the Screen Industries (please refer briefly in series, models and their key features and benefits).
Darren Beckley: Sure, as mentioned earlier our fos/4 range of products have been great for the Film and TV market. ETC’s fos/4 Panels and fos/4 Fresnels have been popular in this market for their superior color rendering, easy adaptability, large number of accessories, and high quality of light. The fos/4 range is available in both a tunable white light Daylight HDR array and a full color Lustr X8 array with both including Deep Red. You can find out more at https://studio.etcconnect.com.
These products match perfectly to our Source Four LED Series 3 fixtures as they all use the exact same calibrated color space. This means that you can also mix and match the fixtures on set knowing that they will all perform to the same high standard.
radiotvlink.com: In your opinion, what are the Light and the Color role in Storytelling? Will you be so kind to mention some examples from TV, Video and Film applications (with the use of ETC products)?
Darren Beckley: I think light and color have a huge role in storytelling. A production’s quality is greatly affected by the quality of light – viewers don’t always realize this, they just see something that looks better as it affects their subconscious perception of the production. The audience doesn’t walk away and think ‘I loved that because it was well lit’ they just think ‘I loved it, it looked amazing’. One of the things that amazed me when I first saw the X8 system was the fact that it’s an evolution in lighting technology, much like the introduction of high definition in camera/screen technology.
A couple of examples of recent film applications include the new ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ movie where we had Hog 4 lighting control, SolaHyBeam 3000, several SolaFrame fixtures and more on set. Lighting effects and color were used throughout for scenes in the film and the fixtures were described as having the ‘perfect white light beam to use on camera’. We also worked on the film ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’ which included both ETC control and High End fixtures - Eos Ti consoles, a Gio @5, and more Sola series fixtures. The fixtures and consoles were described as ‘instrumental to creating an amazing look for the film’ and telling the story.’
You can read more about these installations at the links below:
• https://www.etcconnect.com/About/News/Scott-Barnes-Drives-Hog-4-Rig-and-SolaHyBeam-3000s-For-Spider-Man--No-Way-Home.aspx
• https://plsn.com/newsroom/all-news/gaffer-mike-bauman-on-lighting-joel-coens-the-tragedy-of-macbeth
radiotvlink.com: Source four is a legendary range for ETC and the standard for the Entertainment Industry. Can you explain why? Can you remind us what the benefits of this range are?
Darren Beckley: When Source Four was officially launched in 1992, it was a fixture that made a huge leap in the quality of fixtures around that time and quickly became the industry favorite. The fixture was already energy saving, it could produce the same output as a 1,000-watt fixture, using just a 575-watt lamp – it was brighter and had more features than our rivals back then, which quickly led to the fixture being the most popular in the market. Today with more and more additions to the product family such as the Source 4WRD retrofit, the Source Four range remains just as popular and continues to offer advanced LED technology, more features, and now the 8 color LED engine in the latest Source Four LED Series 3. The Series 3 is the third generation of the color mixing LED fixture and delivers incredible brightness, impressive color mixing, and wireless DMX/RDM features. It is also important to note that Series 3 is still the most efficient fixture on the market
“One of the best outcomes from the acquisition of High End Systems was the new partners that it introduced to our wider business. High End Systems already had a network around the world of great dealers that could really benefit from the ETC portfolio as well as High End Systems, and Audio & Vision is one of those partners. It’s been a real success to work with Audio & Vision as they’ve also bought the ETC portfolio of products into their operation and promoted it in Greece. We’re looking forward to continued growth from Audio & Vision and a long and successful partnership.”
radiotvlink.com: Networking and Control of the Lighting Fixtures in TV and Film Studios is always a main issue. What’s the role of the Ethernet (ACN & streaming ACN / sACN) in modern Studios and Lighting equipment and why ETC chose to use it? What are the network & control solutions that ETC provides to the Media & Entertainment Industry?
Darren Beckley: Ethernet and the associated protocols allow for much greater flexibility in studio control system layouts. The ability to place a console on the network in any location and take control of multiple studios or individual segments of a rig without any hardware reconfiguration is a great asset to any modern facility. As our lighting rigs grow ever larger and require higher control channel counts, it is important to distribute that data in the most efficient way, DMX over Ethernet protocols provide that option. A networked system also allows for seamless backup takeover in the event of a failure in critical live to air productions.
At ETC we provide a multitude of network solutions from consoles, architectural controllers and DMX gateways through to a wide range of interface devices such as MIDI and SMPTE gateways, Analog IO interfaces and more. Network management and services are also provided through our Concert software and Net3 Conductor hardware.
radiotvlink.com: What about ETC’s lighting control systems? What are the hardware and software solutions that ETC provides to all the professionals? And what’s your opinion about High End Systems consoles? What’s the result after the brand’s entrance in the ETC family?
Darren Beckley: ETC has a variety of entertainment lighting control systems which are suitable for any application: Eos, Hog 4, ColorSource. Our Eos range has just welcomed the Eos Apex 5, 10, and 20 range of consoles which are more than just a powerful range of hardware but as with all of our lighting desks have regular software updates as well. In general, we have a variety of products which are suitable for any venue’s needs and those of our dealers, specifiers, and end-users.
Bringing the Hog family of consoles under the ETC umbrella gives us a truly unique position in the marketplace. Eos is well known for its worldwide use in theatres and television studios. Having the Hog family of consoles gives us access to the live events markets and applications where the speed and workflow of Hog is well suited. It also puts us in the unique position of having consoles across different market sectors which all benefit from the patented color control software that Eos family consoles utilize - making it a really powerful desk that offers maximum control to all programmers irrespective of the industry sector they work in.
radiotvlink.com: Architectural Lighting, Building Lighting is another major area, where ETC has good solutions to provide. Can you refer (in brief) to these Building Lighting solutions and to Cruise Ship Lighting Systems as well?
Darren Beckley: ETC has a diverse range of architectural control and lighting solutions. These include our three families of architectural lighting controls: Paradigm, Mosaic, and Echo. ETC’s control solutions can be fully integrated together to create versatile and scalable systems from a single room to an entire theme park. We also have the ArcSystem Navis line of LED luminaires and F-Drive power control, two new product families which together make a comprehensive LED system that is particularly appealing for cruise ships. Their compact and customizable design is both practical and effective for the maritime industry and helps keep costs low for vessels.
“One example of their research includes the introduction of the 8-color mix in our products. The Lustr X8 Color System sets a new standard in LED lighting quality with the addition of Deep Red LEDs. Deep Red LEDs give us lighting in a part of the spectrum that’s never previously been used with wavelengths of 660 nanometers. Previous red emitters worked at 635 nanometers and now that we’ve added Deep Red, the additional 25 nanometers might not sound like a lot, but it makes a big difference as it is right at the other end of the spectrum. The benefits of this are shown in the way the fixtures render skin tones, costumes, sets and scenery. We also don’t just use Deep Red in red light, we use it in all sorts of different colors to improve the way the fixtures render light.”
radiotvlink.com: What are your thoughts about the co-operation between ETC and Audio & Vision here in Hellas? Are you familiar with the Media and Entertainment Industry in Hellas? Please, refer to some successful projects with ETC products in Hellas.
Darren Beckley: One of the best outcomes from the acquisition of High End Systems was the new partners that it introduced to our wider business. High End Systems already had a network around the world of great dealers that could really benefit from the ETC portfolio as well as High End Systems, and Audio & Vision is one of those partners. It’s been a real success to work with Audio & Vision as they’ve also bought the ETC portfolio of products into their operation and promoted it in Greece. We’re looking forward to continued growth from Audio & Vision and a long and successful partnership.
radiotvlink.com: What are ETC initiatives for training and supporting the client?
Darren Beckley: We have various training options available at ETC – both in-person and virtually for our range of products. We have an online demo studio where product experts and specialists from ETC can give tailored, one-to-one demonstrations suited to your individual needs and those of your customers and clients. More information on that can be found on our website.
We also regularly work with a range of well-known freelancers who support our training programs and other events. In the coming months, we’re looking forward to seeing our customers at future ETC events or tradeshows and offering our help in whichever form of training they require.
“Currently, the launch of our fos/4 range of products has really boosted our position in the Film and TV market which we see go from strength to strength. Developing our architectural lighting and stage machinery offering with the latest technology has also led these markets to become fast growing areas of our business.”
radiotvlink.com: What are ETC prospects for the Hellenic and for the Global Industry post Covid-19 era?
Darren Beckley: It’s been very challenging for our industry these past couple of years, but we feel excited about the pandemic recovery and already see signs of businesses growing back. ETC has an exciting portfolio of products lined up and more being worked on which will be released over the coming months and years. Our prospects for the Hellenic and global industry are also positive. We know there are global supply chain issues, however we’re optimistic that we will adapt and manage this challenge along with any others in a post Covid-19 era.
radiotvlink.com: What else the pros of the Media and Entertainment Industry should wait from ETC in the near future concerning new products and/or new additions (via acquisitions) in the ETC Family?
Darren Beckley: Well, ETC is always innovating, and I can’t reveal too much about what’s coming but there are many exciting products in the pipeline. We’ll be expanding our fixtures range even more as well as our other product families. You can keep an eye out on our social media channels and website for future updates.
“Ethernet and the associated protocols allow for much greater flexibility in studio control system layouts. The ability to place a console on the network in any location and take control of multiple studios or individual segments of a rig without any hardware reconfiguration is a great asset to any modern facility. As our lighting rigs grow ever larger and require higher control channel counts, it is important to distribute that data in the most efficient way, DMX over Ethernet protocols provide that option. A networked system also allows for seamless backup takeover in the event of a failure in critical live to air productions.”
radiotvlink.com: Please allow me to thank you for this fruitful discussion we had and to wish all the best for ETC and you.
Darren Beckley: Thanks for having me.
For more Information visit the websites: www.etcconnect.com & www.etcconnect.com/Products/High-End-Systems & Audio & Vision *
* Distributor for High End Systems products in Hellas and Cyprus
* Reseller for ETC Connect products in Hellas
