American Cinematographer — Short Takes — June 2013
Hive Plasmas Illuminate Chevy Volt

Directed by Mo Twine and shot by cinematographer Eric Koretz, the latest 30-second spot for the Chevy Volt, “The Volt Plasma Challenge,” emphasizes the hybrid electric car’s reputation for a light ecological footprint. Conceived as a showcase for Hive Lighting’s Plasma fixtures, the ad was lit with instruments powered only by batteries and a single, lightweight, 60-amp generator.

An early adopter of Hive’s award-winning, energy-efficient lighting, Koretz had been first introduced to the new technology at the 2012 NAB Show. “I think it’s really important as a DP to be up on the latest technology – cameras and lighting, because now they’re both so integrated,” he comments. “I’m always looking at the latest things coming out because that changes how DPs work and evolve over time. That’s why I also have my blog, The Image Hunter, so I can keep up with the various technologies and show how they can be integrated into different situations.”

Koretz and the Hive production team were enthusiastic about the challenge, which would mark the first time the lights would be solely used for an entire production. “When they asked me to do a spot showcasing the lights and also the Chevy Volt, of course I said yes,” says Koretz, who in addition to his commercial work with such brands as Audi and Google, has shot two award-winning documentaries, Dragonslayer, for which he received the prize for Best Cinematography at SXSW 2011, and Stolen Seas; as well as AMC’s first foray into comedy with Webby-nominated series The Trivial Pursuits of Arthur Banks. (Read full story…)