Captain Phillips, the latest Tom Hanks drama, set for UK release this week, employed Rotolight’s LED lighting solutions on a challenging shoot, including the Rotolight RL48 Ringlight. Directed by Paul Greengrass, Captain Phillips is based on the true story of a freight ship crew taken hostage by Somali pirates in 2009.
BAFTA winner and Oscar nominated cinematographer Barry Ackroyd chose the Rotolight RL48s for their portability and versatility onset. The RL48 is a compact, lightweight LED ring light easy to mount and use in tight spaces.
Captain Phillips’ chief lighting gaffer, Harry Wiggins, explained, “We shot Captain Phillips on different ships all over the world and there was one light we always took with us – the Rotolight. Perfectly-sized and with a built-in gel kit, it was my get-out-of jail card and always right there on my belt. It was neat, punchy and saved time by the bucket load: small enough to hide behind an existing fitting to boost it, powerful enough to key on its own. When we wanted that little bit extra, wherever we wanted it and at whatever temperature we wanted it – clunk! Rotolight.”
“The Rotolights were very busy and very popular,” Wiggins continued, “They always drew impressed glances and expressions of amazement from cast and crew everywhere in the world”.
