Broadcast News

Bookmark and Share
13/04/2010

Litepanels Lights The Road To The White House

News Image
It’s been a long road, but finally, independent filmmaker Keith O’Derek’s two-year journey capturing Barack Obama: Road to the White House, is finished.
"When I began this project, my friends were skeptical," O’Derek admits. "But, after seeing Obama speak, I knew 'this could be it', so I assembled a small shooting package and began my own journey, following the man who finally became our first African-American president."
The idea was to capture not only the events along Obama’s road but the reactions of people as they watched history unfold, a style O’Derek is familiar with, having shot and produced many documentary-style productions like Straight from the Streets, a look at the cultural scene from diverse perspectives. He packed his car with several small digital cameras, Century wide-angle lenses, P2 cards, and one of his favorite tools, Litepanels.
"Whether I was stopped along the road, interviewing average people from all walks of life or winding my way through the Delegate Ball, Litepanels were a lifesaver," he says. "Many times, I had to be as unobtrusive as possible. But I needed to add some illumination or soften shadows on peoples' faces without drawing too much attention to the fact that I was shooting.
"Although I used a variety of Litepanels, depending on the situation, I found that the small MiniPlus on top of the camera was the most helpful when dealing with high-profile people," he explained. "It could give me enough light to shoot without blowing people out.
"When I was covering the Delegate Ball in Chicago, I wanted to not only capture the politicians having a good time, I also wanted to capture their feelings about this monumental event.
"At one point, the Litepanels was the reason I got an interview from the Illinois Secretary of State. When I asked him to talk to the camera, he started to decline. He disliked interviews where the light blinded him. The dimmed-down light from the Litepanels did the trick, and I got some great footage.
"In my line of work, where spontaneous and natural is key to telling the story, Litepanels are a must. I know I wouldn't have been able to get as much great material for this project, if I hadn’t had the Litepanels to light the way."
The 60-plus hours of footage filmmaker Keith O’Derek shot has been edited down to a tight 90-minute feature documentary. Barack Obama: Road to the White House has begun making the rounds of film festivals throughout the world.
For more information about Litepanels’ award-winning lights visit: www.litepanels.com
(BMcN/GK)
Solidmate Ltd Memory Card Hire London

Top Related Stories
Click here for the latest broadcast news stories.

15/06/2023
Brightline Provides Multi-Directional Lights For Latest Seacrest Studio
Brightline has provided 15 Flex-T multi-directional lights for the latest Seacrest Studio, a state-of-the-art 1,275 square-foot broadcast media center
31/05/2023
Astera Unveils New Freshnel Series Of Lights
Astera has introduced its new Fresnel series of lights - the compact PlutoFresnel and the larger LeoFresnel. The two offerings serve to plug a signifi
21/04/2023
Blue Lights To Return For A Second Series
The BBC has announced that Belfast-based drama Blue Lights produced by Two Cities Television will return for a second 6 x 60’ series. Directed by Gill
30/10/2012
Hu Nan TV Chooses Litepanels For All LED Lit Studios
The second largest Chinese television network, Hu Nan TV, has recently completed an upgrade to its TV facility in Chang Sha City, Hu Nan Province, whi
20/06/2013
Litepanels Get Creative
When Florida-based director/cinematographer, John Deeb isn’t shooting spots for high-profile clients such as Hard Rock Hotels or Disney, he likes to "
14/01/2022
Nugen Audio Plug-Ins 'Make Magic' At Red Road Immersive
Dolby Atmos continues to become a dominant force in the audio industry, with studios like Melbourne-based Red Road Immersive pushing the boundaries wi
27/08/2009
SeaSun Underwater Housings Make A Splash
The LED lighting pioneer that revolutionized the film and video production business 'above sea level', Litepanels, has now teamed with Hollywood-based
15/03/2018
Version 2 Obtains Litepanels' Gemini 2x1 Soft Panel Lights
Version 2 has acquired a number of Litepanels' new Gemini soft panel lights. Gemini is to be Version 2's multifunction lighting solution for both stud
11/06/2014
Litepanels LEDs Perform Highly On TLCI Tests
Litepanels has announced the results of recent TLCI-2012 colour reproduction testing conducted by colour science expert Alan Roberts. The Litepanels L
05/01/2012
Jody Eldred Lights Auto Interiors With Litepanels
Litepannels have squeezed inside a new car with an award winning cameraman and director for their latest job. To light the auto interiors and related
21/01/2011
Litepanels' Sola ENG LED Fresnel Lights Now Shipping
Litepanels' much anticipated Sola ENG LED Fresnel model, which has already garnered major industry awards, is now shipping. Offering beam control of 1
03/11/2009
Litepanels Offers Factory Rebates On Micro And MicroPro LED Lights
Litepanels is offering factory rebates for the popular Micro and MicroPro LED lighting fixtures when purchased by December 31, 2009. The award-winning
16/05/2019
Litepanels Gemini And Sola Deployed At TV4
Litepanels has confirmed that the company's Gemini 2x1 Soft LED panels and Sola Fresnel LEDs are being used at Sweden's TV4 for "After Five," a new tw
14/09/2017
Litepanels Gemini Is Unveiled
Litepanels has unveiled the Litepanels Gemini – a next-gen LED panel. The 2x1, RGB-WW soft panel combines daylight, tungsten and red-green-blue LEDs t
03/05/2011
Litepanels Chosen For The Outdoorsman
Litepanels, a Vitec Group brand, has announced that Buck McNeely has chosen Litepanels as his primary lighting partner for the widely syndicated adven