Ryan Schaminee, owner of RS Images, is a busy freelance gaffer and lighting console programmer/operator based in the Netherlands, working across a wide variety of commercial, television and film productions.
To support his productions, he has invested in a set of six Robe iFORTE LTX moving lights equipped with the HCF (High Colour Fidelity) LED engine.
Ryan, who was born and raised on the beautiful Caribbean island of St. Martin before moving to Amsterdam to study, has always stood out for his pioneering spirit. Throughout a career that is also his passion, he has built a reputation based on innovation and creativity.
Prior to this investment, Ryan already owned a moderate inventory of DMX lighting fixtures and control consoles, supplementing his requirements through rentals, primarily from film lighting specialists such as Het Licht. However, as moving lights remain relatively uncommon in the film and television sectors, he had long wanted to encourage their adoption within these environments.
It was a significant investment for an independent professional and, at the same time, a clear endorsement of Robe’s high-end products.
The decision is already proving worthwhile. Ryan uses his iFORTE LTX fixtures regularly across all types of projects:
It has taken considerable time and a great deal of persuasion to get moving lights accepted on film sets, but once cinematographers, gaffers and directors see for themselves what can be achieved and how quickly teams can work with them, demand starts to grow.
Given the traditionally limited demand for this type of equipment and the relatively low level of investment in moving lights by film rental companies, Ryan identified both an immediate business opportunity and a way to significantly improve the technical quality of productions.
Film lighting culture also underwent a significant transformation during the pandemic, when virtual shoots and streaming productions multiplied. Both formats required new approaches to lighting design. "Having moving lights available to help create these environments made the production process better, smoother and more efficient", explains Ryan, although he admits he carefully considered his options before deciding which fixtures to purchase.
Ryan has been working with Robe products since the launch of the T1 series in 2018. He also visited the Robe factory two years earlier during a trip organised by Controllux, the brand’s Benelux distributor. There, he was impressed both by the quality of the manufacturing facilities and by the company’s overall philosophy.
The technology they develop there is different and interesting. Robe listens to feedback from end users, and visiting the factory gave me a much deeper understanding of what Robe represents as both a company and a brand, he comments.
Colour mixing, accurate skin-tone reproduction and a high CRI are essential requirements in film, television and advertising, and Ryan believes Robe fixtures excel in these areas.
He was looking for a fixture capable of reproducing numerous effects, such as natural light streaming through windows, trees and other objects, as well as creating reflections, refractions and complex water effects with a high level of detail. According to Ryan, the iFORTE LTX offers extensive possibilities for these types of applications.
Energy efficiency and sustainability were also key considerations, requirements that the iFORTE LTX met fully. In addition, the fixtures needed to be mountable on poles or tripods to make them practical tools for gaffers, as truss structures are not always available. They also had to be versatile enough for use both in studios and on location.
After carrying out several tests, he discovered that the iFORTE LTX could be mounted on Long John stands, which currently extend up to four metres and form part of the basic toolkit of any gaffer. They also needed to be suitable for mounting on cherry pickers: "Ultimately, I needed fixtures that were practical and usable across multiple scenarios". In addition to these requirements, the fixtures also had to be robust and reliable, two qualities for which Robe has earned a strong reputation.
Beyond using them on his own productions, Ryan has attracted considerable interest from other gaffers and lighting professionals keen to see the capabilities of the iFORTE LTX for themselves.
Based in Amsterdam, Ryan works throughout the Netherlands, across Europe and in other parts of the world, continually refining his craft and incorporating new technologies into his productions whenever possible. He enjoys the teamwork that defines film and television productions, as well as the opportunity to develop highly creative lighting concepts. He also values the chance to work in unique locations and has a particular fondness for science-fiction and horror genres, partly because of the tremendous creative freedom they offer for exploring innovative lighting details.
