SGM brings powerful, consistent softlight to The Weeknd music videos
More than 50 SGM Q-7 flood light fixtures were used during the recording of The Weeknd's official live performance after reaching the US Billboard #1 position. With almost 10 year in the market, the Q-7 is still a product used at the highest levels thanks to its incredible quality of light and the continued firmware improvements.
VEVO, the global music video provider and hosting service, recently produced three videos for The Weeknd — Alone Again, Faith and In Your Eyes. Each shoot was a series of one-takes, all completed on a single day. In addition, each song was shot with a single camera and with only one type of luminaire: the SGM Q-7.
The Q-7 beam was a big factor. We didn't have to add any diffusion. Left to right and top to bottom, the coverage allowed us to program wide sweeps or pockets of light as required by the director
SGM Q series as best fit
"Visual Edge was hired by VEVO to execute lighting design, programming, and board operation for a series of Weeknd performance videos," said Josh Beard, CEO of Visual Edge. Beard had been talking with Chris Barclay from Upstaging, a preferred vendor for Visual Edge projects, and it was Barclay who had recommended the Q-7. "Those seemed to be the best fit because we knew we could boost the refresh rate onsite," says Beard. "The fact we could pick a refresh rate with those fixtures was extremely helpful since we were shooting on 35mm film, which requires more light output."
Beard points out that another huge plus in using the Q-7 was the beam pattern inherent in each luminaire.
Providing a consistency between each shoot, the Q-7 provided a reliable, color-calibrated wash of light for each video. This was made even more important as various shots included a very large cyclorama / softbox as the upstage wall. Getting consistent, calibrated color is the primary concern when lighting large monolithic scenery, especially for camera.
Filippo Frigeri, Managing Director for SGM North America, says he was "thrilled that this was happening. The film and broadcast segments of our industry are just starting to discover how flexible and feature-rich our products are. It has been 10 years since the Q-7 was developed, but the technology we had, even then, was so advanced that still to this day we check all the boxes of a camera-friendly light. And after years of real-world use, they still deliver their color consistency."
With a decade now under its belt, the Q-7 is an industry workhorse. Providing a beam angle over 100°, the entire Q series line provides a soft, even wash of light, unrivaled in lumen output for their size.
Products used
Credits
Executive Producer: Ed Walker
Executive Producer: Micah Bickham
Creative Director: Ed Walker
Director: Micah Bickham
Director of Photography: Jon Chema
Production Design: Tyler Jensen
Lighting Director: Josh Beard / Visual Edge
Lighting PM: Jonathan Woelfel
Drawing/Rendering: Jacob VanVlymen/Visual Edge
VFX/Design/Motion: Sydney Emery
Produced By: Contrast Films
Lighting Vendor: Upstaging
Upstaging Rep: Chris Barclay
SGM Rep: Filippo Frigeri
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