LEDs, camera, action! Top movie cities switch to white lighting
LEDs, camera, action! Top movie cities switch to white lighting
Top movie cities switch to white lighting
LED lighting might be good news for pedestrians and drivers, but their popularity will also change the way some of the biggest films look on the silver screen according to a feature in The Daily Mail.
It appears the look that has inspired generations of directors is about to be changed for good as LED street lighting is introduced in two of the most filmed cities in the world.
Until now, the orange glow of street lamps has been a distinctive feature in films such as Collateral, where the eerie glow adds to this tense thriller.
But the moody effect created in such iconic city settings could well be a thing of the past, with producers having to turn to technology to re-create the famous look.
While UK cities such as Glasgow, London and Manchester have begun switching to LED bulbs for their street lighting, the impact on “Tinsel Town” will be noticeable to movie lovers around the globe.
LEDs have a far longer life-span than regular bulbs, outshining them by thousands of hours. But the change means that filmmakers will need to adjust to their new surroundings, and begin experimenting to find out which alternatives work best when replicating more traditional street lighting.
By replacing 140,000 street lamps with LED lighting Los Angeles will save at least $7 million on their electricity bills each year. While New York will be about $14 million a year better off after replacing 250,000 street lights in the city..