Jessica Carey has been with AbelCine for over five years as an Account Sales Agent, but she’s also a writer and a DP. Her first short film Time Out won several awards, with a first-place award at district and state levels at VICA (Vocational Industrial Clubs of America) video competition. We asked her what gear has excited her lately, and she had rave reviews for the Aladdin A-Lite. Read about her experience in her own words:
I've used the Aladdin A-Lite on most of my shoots ever since I saw it demoed here in Chicago by our vendor. It’s a durable, light-weight, bi-color, dimmable light that is not only super bright, but also has an internal battery that gives you an hour of runtime. Even more convenient, if you need additional run time it can be charged through the type of USB cable you would use for your cell phone.
I first used it on Stay Woke, a short film official selection at Capital City Black Film Festival in Austin, TX. It was perfect to balance the light on the actors’ faces for close-ups. I taped it to the ceiling to create a hair light, and then bounced the light off of the floor to create separation from the actor and background. I quickly realized it’s even small enough that I can keep it in my back pocket and whip it out to create a small fill light or add a layer of light to an object to create depth when needed.
Recently I shot the “I Hope It’s Alright” music video for artist Counterfeit Madison, where we had her singing through a ticket window hole and there was a shadow on her face, making it hard to see her lips. We were in a mixed lighting situation, so I turned on the A-Lite and quickly balanced it and adjusted the intensity to what was needed to fill in the shadow spots, saving the shot.
I’d also recommend mounting it with Cameo Swivel Mount to cameras. This setup allows me to reposition the light quickly and easily for interviews, and it is soft enough to not have a too spotted look. I also use the mount to help attach it to other odd locations, sometimes just gaffing the light on the Swivel Mount allows you to position it quickly without having to remount it. I always bring it to a shoot, and it always saves the day! I think everyone should have an A-Lite in their camera kit–it is not a question of if you will use it, but how often it will save your shoot.
Thanks for enlightening us all, Jessica!
If you have any questions about the Aladdin A-Lite or the Cameo Swivel Mount, feel free to reach out to Jessica directly.
Be sure to check back again next month for our Pick of the Month.
