It’s taken several years for cinematographer Lan Bui to bring Redemption: The Darkness Descending to completion. But it’s been worth the effort. The multi-platform project began as a 24 episode web series that allows the audience to enter an underground world and become part of the story through a groundbreaking interactive app, and has since grown into a feature film.

Starring film legends Danny Trejo, Kinga Philips, Frank Krueger, Kristoff St. John and Louis Mandylor, Redemption is an action/drama that takes place below ground in New York City. The plot follows a documentary filmmaker into the depths and dangers beneath the streets where the homeless, gangs and police are at war.

Originally written as a feature, Redemption was spun into a successful web series to peak audience interest. Because it was shot on a small indie budget, Bui needed to be careful in choosing his camera package. “We decided to shoot almost the entire movie with a Canon C300 and Zeiss primes powered by Anton/Bauer batteries,” Bui explains. “And, we supported the camera package with the OConnor 1030D and 30L carbon fiber sticks.”

Bui also needed a lighting package that would fit his budget and work in challenging, small, hard to reach—and hard to power— locations. He chose to use Litepanels lightweight LED fixtures, including a Sola ENG Flight Kit, three Sola 6 LED Fresnels and three flat panel 1x1s (two floods and a spot) to light the locations.

Because he always wants to look at dailies, Bui’s viewing and editing capabilities had to travel with him. “I never go anywhere without my laptop,” he says. “It has to be ready for me at a moment’s notice. No matter where I go, it goes with me in one of my Petrol Bags—either on my back in a (PC305) backpack or in the (PD620) Rolling DigiSuite DSLR Camera Case next to my other essential equipment.”

Bui knew his final images would be viewed on anything from a small iPhone to a monster HD monitor, so he was careful to craft his shots for impact, no matter what the platform. This was definitely an action feature, where Bui found it necessary to shoot 10 pages and, at times, over 20 setups per day. “It was all about supporting the story,” he explains. “In one sequence, we had an actor up on a platform 30 feet off the ground. The lead actress looked down from that platform, watching the underground gang initiate a new member until the bad guy spots her. We had to do a smooth pan from a fire below and then tilt up to her engrossed in smoke and flames with the villain coming after her.”

Although Bui’s concept for the shot was ambitious, he notes that it was not a problem since, “we had a fully rigged Canon C300 with Anton/Bauer batteries, monitors, rails, and more, mounted on the OConnor 1030D. This package allowed us to set up quickly, work fast, and tear down easily. We couldn’t have gotten those smooth pans without the OConnor.” 

Lighting, too, had to be easy and fast to set up. “The key villain’s big scene was in a small room with no air conditioning,” he explains. “We shot on a hot day in a downtown Los Angeles warehouse. We didn’t need to put our actors under additional heat, so we used the Litepanels Sola 6s with diffusion for fill and the Sola ENGs as key lights. Litepanels were exactly what we needed to get the dramatic, dimly lit, seedy look of underground New York tunnels without heating up our actors!

“Because Litepanels fixtures are power efficient, they can run off batteries or standard wall plugs,” he adds. “We often attached Anton/Bauer batteries to the Sola ENG lights, and were able to rig the lights without having to run cables or power. We just clamped the light up and clamped the battery right next to it. The fixtures are smaller than standard, so they didn’t take up a lot of room in the tight areas we shot in. 

“The lights even provided great effects mocked up to look like New York vents,” he continues. “We used them to create dramatic shadows by mounting the Sola ENGs up high, and pointed down through grates.”

Redemption: The Darkness Descending written by Frank Krueger and directed by Marc Celbanoff was launched at an event during Cannes on May 17 and will be featured at ComicCon in July. The feature is set to air in Europe and the web series/feature will be in the United States later this year. www.thedarknessdescending.com

About Anton/Bauer

Anton/Bauer is recognized as the world’s innovator and a premier provider of batteries, chargers, lighting and other key mobile power systems for the professional broadcast, video and film and medical technology industries.  Based in the United States in Shelton, CT with offices in Europe and Asia, Anton/Bauer was established in 1970 and has expanded its product offerings to include many signature lines such as its leading Gold Mount^® system, InterActive^® chargers and Logic Series^® batteries such as the HyTRON^® 50, 100 and 140, and DIONIC^® 90, 160, HC and HCX. Their products are compatible with every camera brand on the market today.  Other Anton/Bauer high performance products include the Ultralight^® 2, ElipZ^®, CINE VCLX and the Tandem 150 Modular Charging System. Their superior-quality products have become an industry standard. For more information on Anton/Bauer, visit www.antonbauer.com.

About Litepanels

Litepanels was founded in 2001 by 5 professional gaffers and engineers who saw the future and pioneered LED (light emitting diode) lighting for motion pictures, television and the audio-visual industry. Their Emmy® award-winning technology has now been used on thousands of productions worldwide and is trusted by the world’s leading broadcast organizations.

Backed by the Vitec Group’s legacy of 100+ years in the broadcast and production industry, Litepanels continues to expand its suite of flicker free, color accurate, fully-dimmable soft lights that talent and Lighting Directors admire. These environmentally friendly fixtures practically pay for themselves with power savings and long life, setting a new standard in professional lighting.  Along with other leading brands in the broadcast and professional videographer industry, Litepanels is part of Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group company.  For more information on Litepanels, visit www.litepanels.com  

About OConnor

OConnor has been the choice of professional cinematographers since the invention of the fluid head 60 years ago by founder Chad O’Connor. OConnor’s award-winning fluid heads are known for their smooth feel, fluid movement and intuitive control. Designed for film-style shooting, each facilitates seamless transition when changing payloads and offers stepless, ultra-smooth pan & tilt fluid drag for maximum control. In addition to fluid heads and tripods, OConnor offers a growing line of camera and lens accessories engineered to fill the needs of today’s fast-paced camera work. The line includes the CFF-1 and new O-Focus DM follow focus systems for cine and still photo lenses, the award-winning O-Box WM mattebox, innovative O-Grip handgrip system and the Universal Baseplate. OConnor products are respected and trusted by individual users and rental houses worldwide for their reliability, longevity and toughness.

Along with other leading brands in the broadcast industry, OConnor is part of the Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group company.  For more information on OConnor, visit www.ocon.com

About Petrol Bags

Petrol Bags is a leading producer of professional carrying bags and accessories for portable cameras, lighting, audio, support and other production equipment. The Petrol Bags product family encompasses a full line of highly protective, versatile, adaptable and extremely portable bags, backpacks, cases, and accessories. Petrol Bags works closely with industry professionals to create carrying systems designed for safe transport as well as quick and easy access on location.

Along with other leading brands in the broadcast and professional videographer industry, Petrol Bags is part of Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group company.  For more information on Petrol Bags, visit www.petrolbags.com

About Vitec Videocom

Vitec Videocom brings together some of the most respected, most innovative and most sought-after brands in the industry: Anton/Bauer, Autoscript, Camera Corps, Litepanels, OConnor, Petrol Bags, Sachtler, Vinten and Vinten Radamec. It acts as an endorsing brand for these market-leading broadcast, film and pro video products, encouraging multi-brand system sales and simplifying the way that customers worldwide do business. 

Vitec Videocom is an operating division within the Vitec Group, an international business serving customers in the broadcast, photographic and military aerospace and government markets. Vitec is based on strong, well known, premium brands on which its customers rely on worldwide.