Anthem One: The Most Powerful Light You Didn't Know You Needed
Posted by Sara Marjorie Strick on 6th Jan 2020
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Anthem One
The Most Powerful Light You Didn't Know You Needed
Ever wanted to light up an entire wall with one light, with virtually zero inconsistencies from edge to edge?
Yes? Keep reading.
No? Well, keep reading anyway, because if you didn't know you wanted it before, you are going to want it now.
The Anthem One is the next evolution of lighting. Say goodbye to those HMIs - the Anthem One is lighter, cheaper, and has a lifespan that cannot be rivaled. Additionally, the system uses swap-able cards that produce different kinds of light - day light, black light, even green screen.
But hold up - let's slow down a bit and dive into what makes this product so amazing and where it falls in terms of target customer.
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Manufacturer-provided sample video of product in use.
A brief history on HMIs
The average photographer and videographer might not be use to the term HMI, so what is it, and why is Anthem out to make them obsolete? An HMI is a Hydrargyrum medium-arc iodide lamp. Try saying that 5 times fast.
These lamps originated in the 1960's, and are used to this day on film and tv sets alike. They are known for their wide and bright spread of light, which was unrivaled without the use of multiple lights - until now. While simple and powerful, HMIs wouldn't be considered convenient. The lamp has mercury vapor inside, so they must be handled with extreme care (literally - wear gloves). They take a ton of power to light, as well as can have a lot of color temperature variances bulb-to-bulb and as their bulbs age.
In comes the Anthem One
As the manufacturer boldly states:
Anthem One’s lifespan is 2000% longer, twice as bright and 1/4th the cost of a metal halide system. While the lifespan of other lighting systems is measured in hours, we calculate ours in decades.
Zing.
The Anthem One is simply a game changer. This little black box, about the size of a Gamecube from the early 2000s, packs the biggest punch we've seen of any product in a very long time. The angle of the beam is 160°, puts out 30,000 lumens, and is dimmable from 0-100%, leaving you exact control of your light output. Able to run on AC power, you are looking at anywhere between 3-6 hours of battery life if you choose to forgo plugging into the wall.
Besides the output and capabilities of this light, the real magic lies in the Anthem Light cards - small, swap-able wafers that are coated in little LEDS. Each card puts out a unique recipe of color temperature and brightness, plus frequency of infrared or UV lighting. The colors go as far as making frequencies specific for agriculture. They even make creative colors, such as green for replicating a green screen that can be shown onto a white cyclowall., rather than lighting an actual green background.
The anthem one's body has hidden magnets, 1/4" socket and kensington ports allow it easy compatibility with readily available modifiers and tools currently on the market.
Manufacturer-provided sample video of product in use.
But why do you need this?
Maybe need isn't the right word. But to say that this product doesn't have the potential to rock the industry is a lie. The price - starting at $1500 - the size, and the power output will be a game changer for anyone in the content creator world. Imagine loading an entire set into one truck. Imagine the power of HMI's in an affordable, easy to set-up and break-down experience. Imagine throwing one light on a wall and having no inconsistencies. Imagine lighting a five story building with one light, even spread.
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Steven Soderbergh's film "Perfect" after-party. The red-carpet was lit with two Anthem Ones, set up in 15 minutes with a 3 person team.
This is where things get interesting
I know I can tell you all about the light, its specs, show you the YouTube videos the brand has provided, but to understand what this thing can do, you really need to see it in action. You need to see it from the perspective of how it would actually be used, and what its capable of, from a voice that is outside the company, and outside of the film industry. That's why I'm hopping on a flight to Sante Fe, New Mexico and joining the Anthem One team on a crazy-ambitious film set to show off exactly what the Anthem One can do.
Be sure to watch our social channels from Jan 31st - Feb 5th for our immersive Anthem One Experience. I'll be posting live videos and images the entire time, as well as sharing feedback, BTS media, and wrapping with a video diary once I'm back in Austin.
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