On almost every movie I have worked, at some point during pre-production, we have talked about possibly getting a balloon light. They are super cool.
Last year (to my surprise), I got one approved for a low budget movie shooting in the woods at night.
Originally, we were to get a new LED balloon light from Source Maker. (They are great rental house for balloon lights.) I was excited about getting to work with one of these. It's a gaffer's dream come true to have a dimmable, bi-color balloon light. Unfortunately, at the last minute, it became unavailable. I was told a movie had kept it past it's return date.
We ended up with a small balloon with 2-1200 HMI globes. It worked great. It is a classic soft-source that lights a large area.
I ordered a small balloon because we were going to be using it in tight spaces in the woods. The size was perfect, but there was an unexpected consequence. The small size balloon has less lift. I was unable to get the balloon as high as I would have liked at times. I would guess the maximum height was around 50 feet. I would have liked to get it say 60 to 70 feet at times.
(What happens is the weight of the power cord, air line, and tie lines increase as the balloon gets higher. With a larger balloon, this might not be an issue. With a smaller balloon, there is a point where the balloon will go no higher.)
If I was going to do it over again, I would have ordered a larger balloon.
PS: The last few times I've worked with balloon lights, we have rigged it on a condor. This is a great way to use a balloon light.
Placement is easy to adjust from the ground. There is no need for an operator in the lift.
The balloon is filled with air. You don't have to deal with expensive, and hard to obtain, helium.
The balloon light does better in the wind. The balloon doesn't sway like it will sometimes on tethers.
A downside of a balloon light, no matter how it is rigged, is the weather. If the weather is bad; wind, rain, lightning, etc., it can't be used.
Most of the time this is what happens: I'll get a rental quote. I send it to the production manager. Then, I get an email back, saying, "No. It's too much."
(Which I totally understand. When you start adding in shipping, helium, extra man-power, etc., it adds up to a lot in a hurry.)
Last year (to my surprise), I got one approved for a low budget movie shooting in the woods at night.
Originally, we were to get a new LED balloon light from Source Maker. (They are great rental house for balloon lights.) I was excited about getting to work with one of these. It's a gaffer's dream come true to have a dimmable, bi-color balloon light. Unfortunately, at the last minute, it became unavailable. I was told a movie had kept it past it's return date.
We ended up with a small balloon with 2-1200 HMI globes. It worked great. It is a classic soft-source that lights a large area.
I ordered a small balloon because we were going to be using it in tight spaces in the woods. The size was perfect, but there was an unexpected consequence. The small size balloon has less lift. I was unable to get the balloon as high as I would have liked at times. I would guess the maximum height was around 50 feet. I would have liked to get it say 60 to 70 feet at times.
(What happens is the weight of the power cord, air line, and tie lines increase as the balloon gets higher. With a larger balloon, this might not be an issue. With a smaller balloon, there is a point where the balloon will go no higher.)
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| HMI balloon light and camera crane in the woods |
If I was going to do it over again, I would have ordered a larger balloon.
PS: The last few times I've worked with balloon lights, we have rigged it on a condor. This is a great way to use a balloon light.
Placement is easy to adjust from the ground. There is no need for an operator in the lift.
The balloon is filled with air. You don't have to deal with expensive, and hard to obtain, helium.
The balloon light does better in the wind. The balloon doesn't sway like it will sometimes on tethers.
A downside of a balloon light, no matter how it is rigged, is the weather. If the weather is bad; wind, rain, lightning, etc., it can't be used.