Exclusive interview with Dedo Weigert, CEO at Dedo Weigert Film GmbH, at Cabsat 2024.
TKT1957: Could you introduce yourself and tell us about Dedo Weigert Film’s presence at Cabsat 2024?
Hello, thank you for visiting us at Cabsat 2024. This event is remarkable, attracting visitors from the Middle East, Africa, CIS countries, and Turkey. We have many new and exciting products to showcase.
TKT1957: What innovations and products is your company presenting here?
We have developed a very special product called the Neo system. It is an advanced LED system where one base can operate 34 different data lights, ranging from 20W to 90W, including monocolor, bicolor, infrared, and ultraviolet lights. This system can dim LEDs all the way down to 0.1% without any issues and offers both linear and exponential dimming curves. Most camera people don’t even know how to spell exponential, but if you want to do some drama coming up from total darkness, an exponential curve is much more suitable.
Additionally, sometimes people want to shoot commercials using high-speed video. Many LED systems don’t agree with high-speed video, but this new system can work with any speed of high-speed video. We tested it up to 400,000 frames per second. Usually, commercials use 200-300 frames, maximum 2,000, so that’s another advantage. I’m a cameraman, and I use DMX control. There are 8-bit, 16-bit, RDM, many different versions, and speeds to communicate with a control console. You can do all of that and also, if you want to, you can go wireless control from your mobile phone.
Another aspect we are deeply involved in is virtual productions, where we can synchronize multicolor lights to the events on the screen by making the multicolor light copy what we see on the screen. Eight different points, eight different areas, and each one of those can be assigned to one light or a whole group of lights.
This leads us into the other field where we’re leading: the world of reflected light. Reflectors have been around forever, ever since the first images were made. We have five different reflector surfaces with very different characters, in five different sizes. All of my reflectors can be motorized, so you don’t have to climb on ladders and adjust things. We don’t only have reflectors; we have the lights for this world of reflectors, and those are very special lights.
For example, we have focusing lights. In Russia, my very first focusing light was very popular. Many mobile teams have it. It has a clean beam, far reach, and a focus range of 1 to 25, while other lights of that size are 1 to 3. Now, we have a bigger light that is a 400W light, which won recognition from the Oscar committee, and has a focus range of 1 to 20, which is exceptional. When we go from flood (60°) to spot (4°), the intensity change is 1 to 20. Now, in spot, we have an angle of only 4°, very narrow. We also have another optic piece attachment that we put in front, and again we have 4°, but with 500% more light.
In some countries, energy and climate are important subjects, so having 500% more light with the same power consumption makes sense. We contribute to this with our innovations. We also have a system called Lightstream Light, with reflectors as light as a piece of paper. You can light those with one single 40W light, add my magic optics, and you have ten times more light. You can light the entire scene with one light, and with a small battery, you can run that for two hours.
TKT1957: What do you think about future trends in our industry?
The future is moving towards software running on the cloud or on your own server farm, away from dedicated hardware. This is the direction we are heading, representing the future of broadcasting technology.
TKT1957: What do you think about the current challenges in the global cinema industry?
The global cinema industry is facing significant challenges due to the pandemic and ongoing strikes in the United States, affecting production worldwide. Countries like South America, Mexico, Canada, England, South Africa, and Australia are all impacted. The strikes have shut down many productions, causing a deep depression in the professional movie-making industry. However, independent creators, YouTubers, and single shooters remain active and continue to produce content. Our goal is to provide them with the tools they need to succeed.
About Dedo Weigert Film GmbH
Founded in 1965 as a film production company. Developed into a film camera rental house. Supplying cameras and teams for local productions as well as for US television.
During the 1972 Olympics in Munich, all cameras used by ABC Sports (which had exclusive television rights for the Olympics) came from DWF (Dedo Weigert Film). Established a technical service center in the Olympic Village.
Later on, DWF started to import and supply film technical accessories and cameras.
For many years, DWF regarded itself as the main house of high-speed film on the European continent with 16mm, 35mm and 70mm high-speed film cameras. Cameras and technicians were sent all over Europe, mainly for the shooting of commercials and special effects.
DWF represented Teledyne Milliken cameras as well as Photosonics cameras.
Acted as suppliers of Tiffen and Rosco filters.
Sold products from Lowel Light, Richter Cine, Rycote, Miller, O’Connor fluid heads.
Specialized cameras for scientific work (also multispectral cameras).
In 1981 introduced the first high-speed video systems for industry and scientific work.
Imported, successfully sold and serviced Aaton cameras as well as Bolex cameras. Today DWF is representing many of the top international brands, like Tiffen, Schneider and NiSi filters. Cooke and Schneider lenses.
Representing and renting the most powerful lighting fixtures (up to 100kW) from Luminys Systems.
Offering Tilta, Vocas, Litestar and Lumos products.
Offering a wide range of Tecpro branded equipment such as Fellonis, Lite Flex and many other leading brands and products. Also the first frequency-controlled zoom drive and a lightweight dolly, capable of crab and curve motion with variable track width.
Later on, this work flowed into the newly founded dedotec company.
About Cabsat
Cabsat is the leading event for content, broadcast, satellite, media and entertainment professionals in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region. Held annually at the Dubai World Trade Centre, it attracts more than 18,000 industry professionals, including engineers, system integrators, broadcasters, content buyers, retailers, manufacturers and distributors. The event features exhibitions, conferences and networking opportunities, showcasing the latest advances in media and satellite technology. In 2024, the exhibition took place on May 21-23.
All the new items of the Cabsat 2024 exhibition are here
TKT1957 is the official media sponsor of the Cabsat exhibition, as well as the organizer of the Broadcasting / Cinema / Pro AV 2024 post-CABSAT and post-NAB conference, which will be held June 25-26 in Istanbul, Turkey.
