Gekko Technology reports buoyant and successful year

"Demand for our entire range of lighting systems has grown steadily in the last year," comments Gekko Technology's Business Development Manager, Ian Muir. "Large orders were seen from the US where Gekko's distribution partner, PRG, has made great progress in establishing a nationwide dealer network. Dealers in the US now include Barbizon, Abel Cine Tech and Band Pro who join established outlets such as Hotcam. PRG have worked tirelessly to achieve this and their efforts are very much appreciated."

Closer to home, large orders have also been received from the likes of Broadcast & Production Services (BPS) for 200 Gekko dual colour temperature (tungsten and daylight white) karesslite 6012 luminaires.

A high point of the year was Sky News' choice of Gekko LED lighting for its newsroom on the 15th floor of the 180 metre 'Gherkin' in the City of London. The cameras have to contend with the setting sun as the outlook to the rear of the studio is due west. Sky News' chosen solution centred on kezia hard sources which are powered by Gekko's kleer colour LED multi-chip array. The actual requirement was for a maximum of 10,000 lux on the presenter when the sun is on axis with the camera. To achieve this, Gekko recommended a combination of kezia 800, 200 and 50 fixtures installed as key, fill and back lights. The kezia 800 is fitted with four kleer colour arrays, each individually controlled via DMX. These were suspended as key lights to cover both the presenter and guests. To avoid hotspots and increase the overall ambient light level, kezia 200 fixtures were hung as fill lights directly above the set, presenter and guests. The kezia 200 uses a 190 watt LED array and has a similar output to a traditional 1 kilowatt tungsten source.

All karesslites have on-board dimming and DMX built in as standard

The karesslite 6006 and karesslite 6012 Dual (daylight/tungsten switchable version) were introduced at Broadcast Video Expo in London. Based on the 6 x 12 emitter 600 x 300 mm karesslite 6012, the karesslite 6006 incorporates a reduced format of 6 x 6 LEDs and measures 300 x 300 mm. Power consumption is correspondingly halved to 45 watts, allowing more than three hours of continuous operation from a single rear-mountable V-Lock battery. As with the entire karesslite range, the 6006 can be used as a single soft light or as a harder source in conjunction with one of the egg crate accessory options. All karesslites have on-board dimming and DMX built in as standard.

Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt

Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt during March was chosen as the European launch platform for the kezia 50E and 200E full-colour and tunable-white LED luminaires. Interchangeable lenses allow either luminaire to be operated in fixed focus mode with 20 degree, 60 degree or 80 degree beam angle. Like all Gekko LED luminaires, the kezia 50 and 200 generate far less heat than traditional technologies. Both use Gekko's unique colour-feedback system which ensures consistent colour temperature as ambient conditions change or the unit ages. Colour temperature also remains constant as the light is dimmed.

NAB in Las Vegas

Introduced at NAB in Las Vegas, the Gekko kezia 200F white tunable hard-source gives lighting designers in film and broadcast dynamic control of colour output which can match traditional sources if required. Controllable via DMX or an optional rear panel, it can be adjusted manually or remotely to produce high quality whites, with calibrated presets at 2900, 3200, 4300, 5600 and 6500 degrees Kelvin. The kezia 200F draws less than 200 watts of power at 90 to 264 volts AC and has an output roughly equivalent to a 1 kilowatt tungsten fixture.

IBC in Amsterdam

IBC saw the international launch of the kezia 200F adjustable-white spot lamp. Optimised for use in film or television production, it has an integral colour-feedback system which ensures that colour temperature remains constant when the light is dimmed, as ambient conditions change or as the unit ages. Output intensity is 8300 lux at 1 metre, 1900 lux at 2 metres and 900 lux and 3 metres.

Also introduced at IBC, the Gekko karesslite 6006-DD high-brightness soft light has twice the number of emitters and hence twice the brightness of the standard karesslite 6006. Available in daylight-equivalent and tungsten-equivalent versions, it incorporates a 6 x 12 emitter format in a 300 x 300 mm panel with a front-to-back depth of 165 mm and a weight of 4.8 kg including diffuser. The 6006-DD is as compact and portable as the 6006 yet delivers the same 2600 lux at 1 metre brightness as the 600 x 300 mm karess 6012. It can be used as a key light (with louvre) or fill, with consistent colour through the dimming range. Power consumption is 85 watts, allowing more than 90 minutes of continuous operation from a single rear-mountable V-Lock battery. Power can also be derived from a 12 to 40 volts DC feed via an XLR 4 connector, or from a mains supply.

Gekko's kleer colour LED-based multichip array technology received an IABM Award for Excellence in Design & Innovation, presented to the company's founder and Managing Director, David Amphlett, during IBC 2010 in Amsterdam In addition, Gekko's kezia 50 and 200 hard-source LED luminaires, both of which incorporate kleer colour, received a Pick Hit award from Broadcast Engineering magazine. The judges are readers of the publication and working professionals in the broadcast, post-production, networking and satellite industries.

About Gekko Technology

Gekko Technology produces versatile, robust and efficient white and colour-tunable LED-based luminaires for film, television, photographic lighting. Intelligent design, combined with high-quality components, ensures accurate, consistent and precisely-controllable colour-temperature. Film Credits include Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Death Defying Acts, Mamma Mia, Golden Compass, Star Trek, Desperate Housewives and Date Night. Studio lighting includes the Jeff Randall live show on Sky News and Sky's Ryder Cup coverage.