Building on its success at global tradeshows throughout the year, Astera – a leading developer of innovative light solutions for film and event markets – will be using its presence at IBC to showcase its full, integrated range of lighting solutions, and in particular, demo the newly launched PlutoFresnel and LeoFresnel; two powerful LED Fresnels which deliver all of the creative potential associated with Fresnel lighting, and all of the practical benefits of LED technology.
On the booth, Astera will be highlighting the versatility of its lighting solutions, with a particular focus on the ways in which products within the Astera portfolio have been used individually and in combination to light some of this year’s biggest broadcast productions; showing lighting professionals that ‘This Is the Way’ to achieve beautiful, atmospheric lighting which supports the wider production aesthetic and aids narrative by setting mood, focus and tone.
In particular, the creative potential of Astera lights – which span a range of different lighting types, including the beam-shaping HydraPanel, the robust TitanTube, HeliosTube and HyperionTube, the bi-directional PixelBrick and the aforementioned PlutoFresnel and LeoFresnel, is further enhanced by the fact that they are all LED-based, which means they are not only more energy efficient, but also allow for more convenient, effective and creative control over elements such as colour, luminosity and position. This control is facilitated through the powerful Titan Engine, with CRMX Wireless DMX or wired DMX controls, or through the AsteraApp with Bluetooth Bridge, meaning that lighting professionals can integrate the lights seamlessly into their existing workflows.
The capacity for wireless control also means lighting professionals are now no longer hampered by logistics or wire-related safety concerns when considering where to put their lights, which is supported by the fact that the full range can be run using either AC or battery power. Indeed, when combined with the RuntimeExtender, lighting professionals are granted the opportunity to further extend runtime and daisy-chain sets of lights together using any major third-party battery pack, at 14.4v and 26v, with either V-mount and Gold connections, and HexConnect, BrickConnect or Airline Track mounting options. Exhibition of their lighting accessories alongside their core product range will highlight how Astera combine the use of progressive technology within their lights alongside innovation in their accessory additions in order to augment and enhance the creative ways their products can be combined and used.
Speaking of the company’s upcoming IBC attendance, Sebastian Bückle, sales and marketing Director at Astera said: “The feedback we’ve been receiving at tradeshows this year, particularly at NAB 2023, makes us truly excited to attend IBC 2023, particularly as it will give us our first opportunity to present the PlutoFresnel and LeoFresnel to the European market”.
He continued: “These new lights perfectly embody what we’re trying to achieve at Astera; products which maximise flexibility, usability, reliability, robustness, efficiency and creative potential. For example, our LeoFresnel achieves an output equivalent to that of a 1000W Tungsten Fresnel, but draws just 250 W. It can maintain a Beam Angle of between 15° and 60° with no colour fringing, and has a weight of just 14kg. The PlutoFresnel is even more compact and versatile, boasting an impressive output comparable to that of a traditional 300W Tungsten Fresnel while consuming only 80W. Additionally, it weighs just 4.5 kilos which means that lighting professionals gain the benefit of a Fresnel – which itself represents a very specific and established lighting form in productions – but through the use of LED technology, can now carry and install them in virtually unlimited contexts, something which simply couldn’t be done with a conventional Tungsten Fresnel.”
Stand 12.G44
