A few weeks ago, I posted about my experiences with an LED wall at Sam Nicholson, ASC’s Stargate Studio in South Pasadena. Ostensibly, we were putting the new Angenieux Optimo IOP lenses through their paces by way of the Sony Venice. But there was another exciting piece of technology on hand that week, as well.
If you know Frieder Hochheim or have used any of the lighting products he’s designed through his company, Kino Flo, you already know what a brilliant guy he is. His latest miracle comes in the form of the Mimik 120.
In essence, it’s a full-spectrum unit whose output can be programmed to mirror action that’s filmed within a virtual production environment. Now, cinematographers have a faster, easier and more versatile option with which to create convincing effects in real time. Driving shots immediately come to mind, but the number of applications is limited only by one’s imagination. In the past, I’ve rarely been satisfied with the composites of green screen work I’ve photographed. Beside discrepancies in exposure, contrast and other issues, I could always sense a mis-match between foreground and background color temperature. After my experience with the Mimik 120 at Stargate, those problems no longer existed. I’m convinced this lamp is the wave of the future.
So far there hasn’t been a lot of information available about the Mimik, but I can’t recommend it highly enough and encourage everyone to learn more about it.
Full details can be found at https://kinoflo.com/mimik-120/