Skip to main content

Electric+Grip

Search This Blog

Mike's Soap Box: This Is Not The Time To Be Quiet

August 23, 2026

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Freedom To Speak Out: A Foundation Of Democracy

This is not the time to be quiet:

https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/letters/2026/08/17/letter-call-lie-lie-this-is-not/

Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Search This Blog

Popular Posts

Something Big Is Here And Some Thoughts About It

Aputure Storm XT52 with the narrow reflector Some big arrived at my home this week. I've been looking forward to seeing it all summer. It's the new Aputure Storm XT52. I believe this is currently the brightest COB style LED light available but that is just one of its great attributes. With the Aputure BLAIR LED engine, I now have a "big gun" type light with exceptionally good color quality and the ability to match almost any light source. It is a gaffer's dream come true. I expect this will become a workhorse type light light like the 4K par HMI was for many years. I'm already thinking that I may need another in my inventory at E+G, lighting, electric, & grip: https://www.electric-plus-grip.com/ PS: With the arrival of the Aputure XT52, I sold my Arri 4K par. I was a little sad to see it go. It was a bright, dependable workhorse. The only HMI is still have is 12K fresnel. I think its days are ...

Best Practices: Sidus Pro and Astera App and Exalux Control One

My biggest challenge as a gaffer anymore is constantly changing technology. It seems like there is something new in the world of lighting almost every week. There is something new to learn, and another learning curve to overcome. CRMX has revolutionized the control of lighting. The question has been what software and hardware to use. My lighting world is relatively small. For example, I've never had a shoot where I needed more than one universe of DMX. If I ever do, I would get a board operator. For the past several years, I've been using an Exalux Control One. It has worked well for me until Exalux, which promised a future proof controller with constant profile updates, stopped providing updates. I am now using Sidus Pro on my iPad with a Sidus One transceiver. I am still on the learning curve with it but getting more and more comfortable with it all the time. I am proficient with the Astera app. I prefer to use it instead of CRMX m...

Bad Location Electric

I was working on a commercial at a farm last week. This is the electric in one of the barns. Sketchy at best; no cover, sloppy wiring, and probably never inspected. I see a lot of this kind of thing on location. It always makes me cautious. We often are shooting in old locations for looks like vacant factories, abandoned buildings, etc. The electric in these locations is often in poor condition. If you see bare wires, assume they are energized. They often are. I don't really have any great words of wisdom about this other than to assume the electric is possibly not usable for anything other than the minimal service. Even then, it is worth checking for problems like reversed neutral/hot, no ground, and even voltage present on the ground. I've got many war stories. Here are a few I remember: I was gaffing a commercial at a factory. We kept immediately blowing the lamps in tungsten fixtures. A house "electrician" explained that some o...

Powered by Blogger