Blackout on set!

The British film industry is dependent on power like all other industrial sectors to continue operating normally, but will this winter's power crisis turn off the lights when the camera is about to roll?

It's no secret that power consumption on a film set can be fairly high especially with big lighting setups. A generator will fulfil this need on location, but for bigger, more complicated studio shoots, surely being connected to the grid is a must?

As the winter sets in, the national grid is set to have an even smaller buffer for power demand than ever before. Some reports have suggested there could be blackouts across the UK (although it would take some dramatic failures to make this happen).

How would this affect studios and the wider film industry?

For indie filmmakers, just getting a simple redhead kit will set you back 800watts per bulb. With three lights, you are using more power than two kettles!

If blackouts do become a problem, it's likely that power would be prioritised for essential services like hospitals or police stations. Filmmakers shooting out in the dark with a 2k light would surely be asked to stop.

Channel 4's documentary drama called 'Blackout' explores how a cyber attack on the national grid could unfold, but we have yet to analyse how a lack of power would affect productions, but the country does face a very real problem.

Channel 4 Blackout

Do you have any shoots planned this winter? Filmmakers looking at some low power consuming lights could opt in for a mounted LED light . This can run on batteries for hours but it's only good for certain types of setups like close up interviews.