Share

Share

Link

Close share Copy link

NUE
Expanding Cinematic Possibilities
Untethered Power

Filming on location always provides a tremendous opportunity to expand the cinematic canvas but as every UPM recognizes it also creates a multitude of logistical, budgetary, and scheduling challenges. One of the core concerns is power management, which influences most aspects of a film set. Routinely a centralized generator or several generators supply the sets power requirements the largest direct draw on power is lighting. The newest generation of LED lights have altered the power requirements of production whereby allowing for a monumental paradigm shift in how power can be managed on set.

Location Challenge

How many times do you find yourself at a location that requires to a number of lights to be positioned hundreds of feet apart and possibly on positioned on multiple stories of buildings and the scene requires dialogue to be recorded.

Currently a generator would be placed far enough away so that is does not contaminate the sound for dialogue. Hundreds of feet of heavy bandit would be run to the various lights positioned throughout the location. How much time will it save if you just dropped an independent silent power stations by each lighting instrument. How much time did you save in your pre-light, and wrap out? How much money did you save by not having a fire marshal, a refueling truck, a water tuck, all the while reducing fire risk and creating a safer work environment? One more advantage, you also use solar power to recharge your power stations?

Finding the Balance

The UPM must always find a balance between keeping the production on budget while supporting the creative vision.

NUE power systems unleash the paint brush of light allowing power and lights: which used to force you to manage expensive, dangerous, and loud centralized diesel generators and heavy coils of bandit cable. Thankfully, thanks to power-saving innovations in LED lighting technology, diesel generators are not the only option.

New Use Energy Solutions line of battery solar generators can provide distributed, portable, and quiet power for your productions without sacrificing the end product.

 

Be Efficient.

Exterior Location Shoots

NUE solar+battery generators are energy dense, silent, and are designed for distributed power. Employ multiple small NUE products as power sources on set (connecting to lighting, sound, etc. via stingers). Cut on inconvenient Bandit cable. These battery+solar generators can be fast-charged off of standard 110V outlets when not in use and run the whole day. Alternatively, they can charge while in-use with our portable SunTarp panels.

Reduced Setup time and logistics

1. Employing our products and LED lights can significantly expedite both pre-lights and wrapping out.
2. This time savings will allow you to meet the demands of your daily page count and “make your day.”
3. This arrangement of untethered power and lights can also allow you to shoot in locations that would otherwise be impossible to bring the necessary equipment in to make the shot.
4. The lighter weight nature of our power units open up endless new possibilities for filming vehicles with and without process trailers and loud generators.
5. Running hundreds of feet of cable and leaving it overnight always present a list of liability risks not to mention theft. Imagine positioning a light then dropping the power right next to it the day of the shoot. Save on liability risk, theft, and security guards.
6. Alternatively, with less Bandit cable being run, G and E teams can be either smaller or used for other more creative functions.
7. While in production, you won’t need to have a refueling truck on hand. NUE generators can also be recharged while on set with solar panels and come with Bluetooth monitoring.

No Fire Hazards

NUE products use safe Lithium Ion chemistries not used in electric vehicles. We never use cheap Nickel Maganese Cobalt used in electric vehicles. All of our products are in durable pelican, steel, or aluminum cases designed to handle the beating that first responders, special forces, and construction workers give them. How does reduce fire risk affect your budget?

Potential cost saving without a centralized fossil fuel generator:

1. From the creative side you will not have to worry about potential fire hazard because you need to use a fuel generator. Or if generators are not allowed in certain areas. NUE opens up the artistic and cinematic possibilities for the filmmaker and the UPM.
2. You won’t need or be required to hire a fire Marshal to watch you shoot.
3. No need to have a water truck on set.
4. When filing your film permit you won’t need to say you are running a generator
5. There’s potential reduced insurance rights as fire and theft risk decreases with the use of our products.

Use Case: Network TV Outdoor shoots

In particular, television products must be quick and efficient: Overtime is expensive and some shows will not allow it. In this setup where you have a specific time allotment for production, why not reduce set-up and takedown time by employing our products? Use that time increase your chances of getting it right with the time you have.

Interior Location Shoots

Homes are not built to handle floors full of stingers. With NUE products in the building you can bring the power with you indoors right next to your lights. Gone are the long bandit and extension cords running outside the building and across floors on multi-floor buildings.

With less stinger and bandit cable, the risk of damaging the location during installation is greatly reduced. The risk of tripping to a crewmember or actor is also reduced; while small, NUE products are clearly visible and avoidable on-set.

In particularly, the increase in fire safety is massive, because you won’t need to run high amperage bandit cable to convey power long distances from external generators far away from the actual shoot.

 

The NUE Lineup

Back to blog