USA - Astera’s new LunaBulb debuted at Cine Gear LA Expo 2024, held at the Warner Bros Studios in Burbank, California last week.
LunaBulb is suitable for cinematographers – for on-camera practicals or to highlight faces with perfect skin tones – and is also handy for events, offering designers, organizers, and décor specialists a myriad of creative possibilities.
The IP44 rated LunaBulb looks like and can emulate the effect of a traditional incandescent light bulb but works like a professional luminaire. The IP44 rating means LunaBulbs can be used outside, even in wet conditions, if the socket they are screwed into is also IP44 rated, making them perfect for statement lighting – such as festoons – or anywhere where lighting might be used to shape moods and atmosphere.
Drawing just 3.5 watts, the LED-based LunaBulb is available with an E26, E27 and B22 fitting and, like a conventional bulb, screws directly into an AC-wired bulb socket.
LunaBulb is remote controlled wirelessly via the onboard CRMX or Bluetooth receivers using the same tech as any other Astera wireless DMX fixture running via a remote controller or through a lighting console.
Unlike a conventional bulb, users have creative control with the ability to adjust both white levels between 1,750K – 20,000K, and colour (RGB, mint and amber, with HIS, XY and filter gel colour selection options), providing flicker-free lighting in a variety of settings.
This control is built upon the underlying Titan LED engine, which underpins the full Astera ecosystem, which also this makes LunaBulb ideal for wider applications – from enhancing intimate stage performances to theatrical scenes to being integrated with other lighting for spectacular large-scale events.
Each LunaBulb weighs just 0.81 grams, less than a tenth of a kilogram, while the CRI of over 96 is simply great for natural skin detailing.
Importantly, the bulb itself can be converted quickly between a classic bulb shape –for practical lighting – and a slimline bulb, which allows insertion into multiple different lamps and spaces.
The conversion is simple, involving attaching or detaching the ‘classic’ dome over the slimline bulb using a spring-loaded clip. Configuration is achieved using the Astera LunaBulb PrepCase.
Holding up to eight LunaBulbs, the PrepCase provides a quick and efficient way to configure the bulbs – either individually or as a group – according to the preferred control option of the user. The PrepCase is also available as a PrepInlay, enabling users the flexibility to build the inlay (without its surrounding protective box) into their own setup, be that a flight case or other custom unit.
Because the PrepCase and PrepInlay are battery-powered, with up to an hour’s runtime or indefinitely using a Titan Tube charger, LunaBulbs can be pre-configured before arriving on-site for more efficient setup and deployment.
Astera will be offering a range of purchase options, including PrepCase and PrepInlay Kits, which include eight LunaBulbs, as well as the PrepCase and PrepInlay alone, which are sold with a power supply, but require separate purchase of the bulbs. These different options give users the flexibility to scale their LunaBulb setup as required.
Crucially, the lights are suitable for film and TV productions – though their practical design and exceptional lighting of skin tone make them suitable for realistic lighting environments – and ideal for events of all types.
Ben Díaz, Astera’s head of product management, commented: “LunaBulb is the culmination of many months of intensive development and represents all that Astera is here for: a focus on combining creative control and flexible application with something exceptionally practical, robust, intuitive, efficient, and easy-to-use.
“We are so excited to bring LunaBulb to market and can’t wait to see how filmmakers and event designers find innovative ways to apply this unique tool in their projects.”
