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Mr. Light Solutions pushes Netron gear in harsh Canadian winter
Mr. Light Solutions, a production company based in Toronto, Canada, and led by founder Matthew Reicker, recently deployed a lighting data distribution system built around Obsidian Control Systems’ Netron product line for season one of a yet-to-be-announced streaming series.
Filmed in both studio and outdoor locations around Toronto, the winter-themed series faced some of the harshest weather conditions in recent memory, including temperatures dipping below -20°C, heavy snowfall, and freezing rain.
Reicker has worked on many different types of productions in his nearly fifteen years in the entertainment lighting industry - theatre, corporate events, concerts, and film - and in many capacities from lighting designer and programmer to crew chief and production manager. A member of IATSE Local 873, he launched Mr. Light Solutions in 2011 and since the pandemic has helped to update networked data distribution in film lighting.
“When I transitioned into film during the pandemic, I saw a lot of antiquated data setups - running multiple DMX lines and opto-splitters without taking advantage of Ethernet and nodes”, says Reicker. “Working with the Netron nodes, I feel like I’ve helped bring the industry into the 21st century.”
When the show’s rigging gaffer Chris Tackas initially requested Netron EN12s and EN4s, and wanted to protect them with waterproof cases, Reicker suggested the EN6IP, a 6-port EtherDMX node with IP66 protection, as a better fit for outdoor use. After testing a unit from Mr. Light’s rental stock, Tackas agreed - and purchased a full complement of EN12s, EN4s and EN6IPs for studio and exterior locations.
The EN6IPs, along with NS8IP switches (supplied by Reicker), were deployed outdoors, exposed to extreme winter weather for ten straight weeks without additional protection. “We kicked the crap out of them all winter long and we had a very hard winter”, Reicker adds. “The Netron nodes got buried in snow, caked in mud, soaked with freezing rain - and the entire system remained flawless. We had lights fail, but not the network.”
A total of six EN6IP nodes and six NS8IP switches were used outdoors, while EN12s and EN4s powered the indoor studio, running 24/7 for up to sixteen weeks. The Netron nodes were set up with redundant power, using both Power over Ethernet (PoE) and True1 connectors tied to separate breakers. This dual-source approach provided both a main and a redundant power supply for uninterrupted operation.
(Photos: Mr. Light Solutions/Obsidian Control Systems)
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