When a studio like Universal and Warner Brothers want to promote their large, new movie releases, they shoot what are called “Junkets.” These typically involve talent (actors, directors, etc.) being interviewed by numerous journalists from all over the world, in front of backdrops or built sets. For the past 5 years, Maxwell Bingham, a freelance Director of Photography and Lighting Designer based in Los Angeles, has found himself doing many of these types of jobs for a production company called Glass Engine.

Custom Content for the film "Wicked"

In addition, Max is also creating lots of “Custom Content,” which is also used to promote new movies and shows. They fulfill a similar need as the junkets, but require a much higher level of production quality, often involving massive sound stages, elaborate sets, and lots of lights. Max has even been tasked with recreating scenes from the movies for promotional content, and he relies on Nanlite for every type of job he takes on.

"Usually, I am key lighting with either the  Forza 720B or 300B II’s. Depending on the space available and what I'm lighting, I use all different sizes of your parabolic softboxes. Also, the Para 120 Lantern attachment gets a ton of use, usually dropped down from the perms or on a Max Menace Arm for roundtable conversations. Then the Forza 60C's I use everywhere, from accenting practical sets to backlights."

The Forza 60C was the first Nanlite product Max added to his kit, and he still finds them quite useful. “…I own a small army of Nanlites of all sizes and would never leave home without a dozen Nanlite 60C's. It seems like no matter how many of those little lights I have on set, it's never enough.”

Lighting A-List celebrities and Hollywood luminaries while creating high-production value content for outlets like Vanity Fair, Entertainment Weekly, Buzzfeed and others is all in a day’s work. The exact location of each shoot, however, can be anything from a cramped hotel room to a vast soundstage. No matter what the size of the set may be, Max finds uses for his Nanlite fixtures.

“I would love to light every interview or person with a giant booklight but that's just not practical in a tiny hotel room or on a soundstage where we need to move between wildly different setups in 5 to 10 minutes constantly. Often talent has a hard out, and due to the sheer volume of content we have to be mobile and ready to adapt at a moment's notice. That’s where Nanlite's versatility really becomes the name of the game. Whether I'm loading into a small hotel room or a giant stage, I'd much rather have lights that can adapt to any situation.”

"...I own a small army of Nanlites of all sizes and would never leave home without a dozen Nanlite 60C's. It seems like no matter how many of those little lights I have on set, it's never enough."

Max provides a specific example:

“Often I am tasked with lighting opposing concepts in small spaces, and this is where the Nanlite's really shine. What I mean by that is, sometimes during a hotel junket where we have an A side (talent) and a B side (journalist) they have different looks. A side might have a nice backdrop, green screen, or practical set, while B side will just have black drapes. In a small hotel room, it can be monumentally difficult to light one side brightly and have the other side fall off to darkness. The Forza 60C's with projection attachments and the 300B II’s with a small Nanlite softbox and 40 degree grid really shine in this environment. I am able to control the light spill a lot easier without the room becoming a full-on grip jungle.”

As a freelance filmmaker, Max has shot a wide variety of projects outside of his current specialty. He is well-versed in shooting documentaries, music videos, TV pilots, and the occasional indie feature or short. That's why he stresses the importance of being able to adapt in this ever changing industry, whether that means through style or through the approach of utilizing new lighting techniques and gear.

When asked if he thinks his Nanlite gear will serve him well if he chooses to take on different opportunities in the future, he says, “Having all of these Nanlites added to my lighting truck now, I feel confident that whatever situation arises on set, I will have at least some tool in my bag of tricks to be able to light it. I am constantly discovering new creative uses for all of the different lights they offer. These lights are the ultimate multi-tool.”

All photos by Max Bingham