Run over 1,000 Km, the derby recreates a postal system created by the infamous historic tyrant Genghis Khan, with 35 competitors riding semi-wild horses from camp to camp across the vast Mongolian Steppe in 10 days.
The producer and founder of New Earth Films, Kevin Augello, has used the Litepanels 1×1 to light shoots in some of most hostile and challenging environments on the planet.
“At the Mongolian horserace we used the 1×1 at night and daytime, and managed to do all 50 interviews using just one battery,” Augello, director of the documentary, said. “When it was dark we actually used the 1×1 as a massive floodlight rather than an interview light to see the riders coming in. The light lit up a big piece of land, which is amazing for such a compact fixture. I was also walking around with it when the cameraman was filming and used it as a really large camera light.”
The Litepanels 1×1 series of LED fixtures have the ability to throw even light, whether daylight or tungsten, and produce a soft-wrapping white light. Popular with camera operators in the field for their versatility, the lights can adapt to different shooting conditions, and the dimming ability and coolness to touch enables them to be used in very tight and close positions without being uncomfortable for the subject.
“We had a complete lighting solution in a place where you wouldn’t normally expect to have light without a huge budget or a full lighting truck.”
“This piece of kit has opened up a whole range of options for me because the quality of light is there and they can run off a battery. I’ve realized that no matter where I am filming in the world I don’t have to compromise because of the lighting situation. If I need to, I can light a monk in a Tibetan monastery on top of a mountain, even if there is no electricity, or if I’m filming in the middle of a jungle I can just pop the light out and off I go.”
