2017 is undoubtedly the year of amazing innovations in LED lighting, between the power of the 300D or the precise light control of the Hive, but for programability the gold standard remains the Arri SkyPanel which has been out for a few years now. However, that highly programmable SkyPanel has generally been too expensive for most of us to own or even regularly rent.
Fortunately, 2017 has one last trick up its sleeve with the Colorspike from Brooklyn-base Bitbanger Labs, a programmable light for the rest of us. While it won't have the sheer power of the larger Arri unit, it will offer levels of control and finesse that most filmmakers will find exceptionally attractive, and it should make a great addition to any kit when building complicated and dynamic lighting effects.
Credit: bitbanger
The Colorspike comes with a built-in battery along with a wall charger, and has on-unit controls for programming the light. The real power in the unit comes when synced with your smartphone, allowing users access not only to pre-built patterns but also a custom editor for creating your own dynamic lighting effects. Once programmed, the information lives in the lighting unit and will continue working even if the BlueTooth sync is broken. You can control multiple Colorspike units together with the app to create dynamic moving light patterns in a simple fashion.
Credit: bitbanger
Kickstarter projects are often risky, with many stories of projects failing to deliver, but Bitbanger delivered successfully in the past with the Pixelstick, and is well set up to deliver as promised with the Colorspike. In addition, the discount for a Kickstarter purchase is reasonable but not a dramatic cut below retail, which is generally a good sign that the team has planned properly and will take in enough from the Kickstarter to be able to actually build the products. The Colorspikes are currently listed on the Kickstarter at $299 for one, $565 for 5wo, $845 for three, and $1,100 for four.
Check out the Colorspike Kickstarter campaign now. It's already fully funded but you still have time to get on board for a discounted unit.
Tech Specs
- Anodized aluminum, Nylon, and ABS construction
- 40 x 4.8 x 4.8 cm
- 1.2 lbs
- 1675 lux at 1 meter
- 18w
- 400Hz refresh rate
- 12V 4A DC adapter
- 7.4V 2900mA Li-Ion battery
- BlueTooth 4.0 (BLE)
