Event

SoftSun and Lightning Strikes Showcase with Professional Lighting Services

SoftSun and Lightning Strikes showcase offers rare chance to see 100kW light up close in Auckland.

Published on:

April 14, 2026

The NZCS invites members and non-members to join Professional Lighting Services for a conversation with Tony “Spotty” Keddy (Grip HQ) and Stacey Hoggard (Gaffer, Continental Generators), showcasing the Luminys SoftSun® and Lightning Strikes.

Both speakers are advocates of the SoftSun, and attendees will have the opportunity to see the 100kW unit up close - the largest light in the New Zealand film industry.

The SoftSun is a daylight-balanced Plasma Xenon lamp that has received Oscar and Emmy Awards for technical achievement. Dimmable from 100kW down to 3kW with minimal Kelvin shift, it is easy to rig and offers output and spread comparable to seven 18kW Arri Max HMIs. This makes it well suited for illuminating large areas with a soft “sun” effect or creating single-shadow moonlight scenes, particularly across large sets or stadium environments.

Its ease of rigging, high output and DMX dimming capability can help save time and cost on large productions, making it a popular choice among gaffers and production teams.

The session will be of particular interest to up-and-coming DPs and lighting crew who have primarily worked with LED fixtures and may not have had the opportunity to see these “old-school” lights in action. The event is open to all experience levels, from established DPs and gaffers to those new to large-format lighting.

Also on show will be the Nanlux 5000B with Parallel Beam attachment, alongside a comparison with the classic Mole Beam light

Productions lit by the SoftSun include Dune Part One, Alexander, Batman Begins, Daredevil, King Kong, Exodus: Gods and Kings, Christopher Robin, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, For All Mankind, The Wolf of Wall Street, First Man, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Avatar, James Bond: No Time to Die, 2 Guns, The Crown and Andor.