(Above): Softlight 300S panels. Photo © Love Productions/BBC South Africa
Philips Lighting (Euronext Amsterdam: LIGHT), a global leader in lighting, announced that the TV show The Great South African Bake Off 2016 is using Philips Strand television broadcast lighting to add to the drama and detail showing off the contestants’ baking.
The South African version of the BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) award winning Great British Bake Off returned to the BBC Lifestyle channel on Tuesday 18th October for a highly-anticipated second series. This time round the show has gone nationwide in its bid to crown South Africa’s best amateur baker. Each week presents a new baking challenge, from bread to pastries, until the twelve contestants are whittled down to the final winner.
Philips Softlight 300S, the latest addition to the Philips Strand Lighting range of television broadcast lighting, has made its debut on the show, delivering a cool white LED output that ensures only the cakes, not the contestants, are baked.
Business leader for Philips Lighting entertainment Colin Kavanagh comments: “As part of the show we are very pleased to see it go nationwide. The location is incredible and the crew has given great feedback. We will continue to demonstrate the versatility of our television broadcast lighting technology while furthering our innovations, helping to provide the viewer with an unforgettable experience. I wish the best of luck to all the contestants.”
The series is filmed at the beautiful Cradle of Humankind, a world heritage site around 50 miles northwest of Johannesburg, with the action shot in an outdoor marquee. Christiaan Ballot and Mauritz Neethling of Centurion-based rental and production company Blond Productions are providing the lighting for the tent, returning to the show after being involved in the debut series last year.
Not to turn the tent into one big oven, Ballot and Neethling have selected 16 Philips Softlight 300S panels, alongside six Philips Showline SL PAR 155 ZOOM luminaires. The fixtures ensure each contestant, their workstation, and the masterpieces they create are lit perfectly for the camera whilst keeping the environment as cool as possible.
The Philips Softlight 300S offers a quiet conventional cooling operation, making it ideal for small studio settings. The 864 mid-power LED lamps in each panel means there is minimal heat output – crucial in a filming location that is fitted with 12 ovens – while still delivering 24,700 lumens. With the use of barndoor attachments or honeycomb grids to adjust the output, the Philips Softlight 300S’s versatility increases, as it can function as both a wash and controllable spot light.
Considering the pop-up nature of the studio, Ballot and Neethling also had to bear in mind weight restrictions. The Philips Softlight 300S panels were ideal, coming in at just 11kg, whilst the Philips SL PAR 155 ZOOM luminaires weigh even less at 8kg.
Blond Productions purchased the Philips Softlight 300S from Philips Lighting’s entertainment lighting distributor DWR Distribution in South Africa.
