ARRI Q&A: Orbiter, Stellar, and More with Florian Bloch

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by Andrew CollingsJune 19^th, 2020

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ARRI hosted a talk featuring Head of Product Management Florian Bloch, discussing the new Orbiter, Stellar lighting app, and Skypanel accessories. The session was a live Q&A, which you likely missed if you are reading this now. Even though it’s too late to submit questions, you can still watch the full ARRI Q&A below.

The video is just shy of an hour long, so a lot of things are covered within it. We can’t recap all of them, but here are a few highlights:

ARRI Stellar App V2.0

ARRI Stellar App received a major upgrade in moving to version 2.0 – for a start, it can now control third-party lights. Litegear, Astera, and KinoFlo are some of the big winners from this. Stellar 2 allows for full RGB control of these lights, grouping across type and brand, metadata display for better fixture management. Stellar 2 can also synchronize the color of lights with different CCT ranges and abilities. It has been available since April, but Florian helps explain what’s new and what’s important to know.

Eyelight Specials for Octa 4

ARRI’s DoPChoice Octa line has grown to include many different diffusion options. These large softboxes help make Skypanels, typically a large rectangular source, hit the face in a more pleasing way. Their round shape also creates round “sparkle” lights that photographers and cinematographers like to see reflected in their subject’s eyes.

ARRI also introduced a double bracket that lets you mount 2 Skypanels together into one large Octa-frame. This creates a very powerful light with a small footprint. It works with either two Skypanel S60s or 120s.

B Mount Batteries

Image Credit: ARRI

The B Mount System is an open standard co-developed with Bebop. These new batteries are built to a 24-volt standard and designed to work with both cameras and lights. This eliminates the need to have 2 batteries to power a larger light, and so removes an extra failure point. The B-mount batteries, when used with Skypanels, are also hot-swappable and can be changed easily and quickly on set.

Orbiter Availability

The Orbiter, ARRI’s newest directional lighting fixture, is coming swiftly over the horizon. We got a chance to preview it last fall at IBC, and it certainly is promising. Orbiter demo units are out and about, and reviews are starting to come in. If you want to be a part of this rollout, Reach out to ARRI directly. You can also speak with official dealers and rental partners if you want to get your hands on one.

ARRI LiOS (Lighting Operating System)

Image Credit: ARRI

ARRI’s LiOS (lighting op system) now adds a “help” button to surface additional information in the lighting control panel. It helps you diagnose problems in the field, and explain the deeper features of the lights. It is mapped to a softkey on the control systems of ARRI lights.

What questions do you want to be answered in the next ARRI Q&A? What do you hope ARRI announces next? Let us know in the comments!