Meet The Gaffer

This episode is about a handy all-in-one wireless lighting control box called Gaffers Control. This episode is brought to you by Uli Mors, a German filmmaker, who drove to Belgium to interview gaffer Bert Reyskens. Bert is part of a group of gaffers who formed the company Spots Unlimited in Belgium. The Gaffers Control is a great addition to wireless lighting control!

[@calebrasak6322]

OMG this just changed my workflow dramatically. I am a dim tech on location and the ipad set up is great but this has a much more robust build. Need to get this in my hands asap.

[@spitefullymy]

Absolutely stunned by your timeliness yet again. This system is very impressive. I was planning to build my own wireless RDM setup with the Nova FX for situations where we have a bunch of wireless CRMX tubes (like quasar science) + a laptop running Super Nova & then iPad + Luminair but with a twist which is to have USB connection to a USB hub providing direct Ethernet input into the Enttec ODE, and USB input of a MIDI controller for faders and buttons. I'm still slowly sourcing the pieces (still haven't received my MIDI controller and working to get the funds for the DMX/RDM transmitter), but so far I've been successful with direct wired RDM control from my laptop which has been very cool, setting DMX addresses and light profiles without having to touch the light. When I saw the functionality I knew that RDM would be mandatory for my set-up not as a gaffer but as a dedicated board op (because no one in my town is doing anything like this yet. We still hire board operators from the concert lighting industry that don't have the appreciation of what a gaffer is looking for in terms of control with our film lighting fixtures. And frankly I feel those operators are a bit overkill when they have the ability to program an entire concert but you just ask them to control 12 skypanels on a condor to change brightness and gel settings). Wireless RDM would let you really let you jump into situations where you have little prep time but they want to use a bunch of Quasar or Astera Titans etc. You can just power them up and address them how you like from your station without having to jump thru the menus of each and every tube on location. Anyway what I really like about this gaffer's control kit is the user interface and custom software. I'll have to look into more detail about what this guy's done with the interface but if he can actually have custom menus INSIDE of Skypanel Ultimate DMX that is really amazing. I have been studying Ultimate DMX Mode 30 quite dilligently but controlling it from luminair is quite tricky. The color mode(CM) fader scrolls thru the modes, and then you have color parameter #1-#8. In Luminair none of this is labelled because the software interface is not designed to change along with the CM selection. I have to refer to the Protocol Manual as I build my presets for each show. It's true what he said, that with Ultimate DMX you don't need RDM. For sure. And if you really did need RDM you could build a separate set up hooking up an RDM controller to your laptop. Thanks for the wonderful interview, great questions, and all the important topics were covered. Have to seriously reconsider my setup after watching this video.

[@ulrichmors574]

Hey David, I shot this for Luke. Its definetely a bit pricy, but I am sure there is NO alternative in the market. Bert 100% understood what needed to be implemented. For example, every GC profile can store two "fix" DMX commands in addition (just a DMX channel and ONE value) for switching the Ultimate mode into Gel/FX/DIM/RGB / whatever. You dont have do dial around to get in the right mode, simply prepare your needs or look into his website if someone already did the work, and you are ready to go. I am just preparing an ASTERA Titan FP1 profile that will be implemented into the light in a few weeks - so its ready to go when the update comes.

[@jefvt8857]

@@ulrichmors574 adding a little remark: you have 2 fixed values, but it can be 8 bit or 16 bit. If 2 "settings" are right after each other, you can use 1 fixed value in 16 bit. It needs a little bit more calculation to get it right, but you can get more out of it. This is used in arri 30 gel.

[@ulrichmors574]

@@jefvt8857 thx!

[@alansteinheimer4274]

Wow!!! Brilliant! It is about time that we can have options to sort thru the many protocols, efx, colors and such that LED software has made available. I like the small size, tho I would be interested in they ever built a slightly larger one. My sets are often about controlling 4-10 lights... I would love to have them visible on one screen after dialing in color, etc. Hope I get to see this at CineGear in Los Angeles next week? I get the idea of excluding RDM to keep it simple... my only contravailing argument would be that after using Arri's Stellar and trying ETC's Colorsource boards is that an auto-populate feature assigning a dmx number to all your lights on set is a tremendous time-saver. Perhaps in the future? Lastly I love the idea of preserving the slider/fader layout for lights. We had 30+ years of accustoming our brains to look at a board and think about controlling multiple lights... but that could be the dinosaur in me wanted to keep one of my favorite features from the past.

[@meetthegaffer]

I’m told Bert will be @Cinegear, so hoping we can meet up with him... maybe @TRP Worldwide? and see a demo in person:)

[@VK_DOP]

The box of happiness 😆👌🥳

[@meetthegaffer]

:)

[@ultrabounce]

it's really a handy tool for small to medium size shows.used it a couple of times.the only problem that can occur is if there is a profile missing.let's say you make an update to your skypanel then the gaffers control might not work properly if you don't have the profile.that's only to keep in mind so be careful with updates and check if the new profile is already available.Furthermore there is no ultimate 16bit mode right now as far as i know.but it's still a great tool

[@ulrichmors574]

Hi Matthias, creating a profile on your own is easy and fast - heard you are from Münsterland like me?

[@ultrabounce]

@@ulrichmors574 Hey ulli,nope bin aus wien.wenn du sagst es geht schnell.wie lange dauerts zb um ein skypanel im ultimate mode ins pult zu hauen,nach einem update?kann mans am set schnell mal machen oder braucht man schon seine zeit in ruhe? Hab das ding ein paar mal erst benutzt und einmal war eben der fall dass ein profil gefehlt hat und keine zeit war,um ein neues anzulegen.haben dann auf einen simplen mode im skypanel wechseln müssen.trotzdem wie gesagt ein cooles tool.lg aus wien

[@jefvt8857]

​@Andreas Sauer I find it easy in the client software to start with a profile that matches it quite good. then edit that profile and save it under the right name. So start with the 8 bit, edit (make it all 16 bit and shift the addresses) and save it as ultimate 31 profiles.

[@ulrichmors574]

@@ultrabounce Hi Matthias, es braucht natürlich Konzentration. In Hektik würde ich es nicht machen. Ein neues Profil geht schnell, wenn Du keine "Klartexte" sehen brauchst, die kosten Zeit, wenn noch nicht vorhanden. Die Klartexte (hier "Look up table") sind z.T. aber gleich, kontrollieren musst Du sie trotzdem (wenigstens auf dem Papier). Wenns schnell gehen muss: Lieber in bekannte Profile wechseln. Welches Profil fehlte denn?

[@alacazaba]

A really good idea for now but just around the corner is meshed network technology and no more DMX. Every light will transmit to every other light wirelessly, each light will act as a relay from a console/master control, with near zero latency and infinite redundancy, and each light will convey it's profile to the control once plugged in/turned on. The new Aputure network is the cusp of what all of this will become, in the coming years light control will be based around IOT principles, and the lights/gear can be controlled from a web app. That being said, you cannot beat real sliders and dials which should leave plenty of room for those making portable consoles like this.

[@meetthegaffer]

Thank you for the heads up... fun times ahead!

[@ulrichmors574]

Working with meshed network would make so much sense... just will see if companies will work together to create necessary standards...

[@alacazaba]

Read up on aputure's sidus Bluetooth mesh, 56k controllable fixture count, 400m range, low cost, here's a blurb in news shooter www.newsshooter.com/2019/04/12/aputure-sidus-link/

[@noelcullen3488]

How long does it take to recharge it and how does it reflect when it is fully charged

[@meetthegaffer]

I do not personally own a Gaffer’s Control, so I would refer to the companies website and contact them directly. Or I can put you in touch with someone who owns one!

[@morsmediatv-undfilmprodukt3958]

Hi Noel, I own the GC - charging takes a few hours, can run the GC the whole day - but not with lumenradio transmitting all the time. Thats why you can switch on Lumenradio with a separate switch if needed. GC can also be powered by 12V DC.

[@ultrabounce]

@Luke Seerveld If you are interested in something a bit different than you should check out www.thelightbridge.com/videos/ They are colleagues of mine here in vienna and are constantly working on developing and improving their products.oh and they are also the main distributor for the gaffers control here in austria :).good folks