Just heard a DP say he's ignoring the new 2025 lighting rule for AZ shoots

I was grabbing lunch near the Phoenix Film Festival offices and overheard a local DP tell his gaffer he's just going to keep using tungsten units past the new 2025 energy efficiency deadline, no plans to switch. That sounds like a fast track to getting fined or losing permits, especially with the city cracking down on productions that don't follow the updated code. Has anyone else heard crews talking about skipping the LED transition, or am I overthinking this?

3 comments

3 Comments

kim.hannah3d ago

Permits are getting flagged left and right for non-compliant gear, so that DP is playing with fire. AZ code enforcement has been pulling random checks on location shoots since last summer, and they don't care about grandfathered bulbs. Tell him to at least keep a few LED units in the truck as a backup so he doesn't get shut down mid-scene.

uma_patel193d ago

Oh man, I've seen that exact shutdown happen on a set out in Mesa. Spare LED panels in the truck are a lifesaver, just swap them in for the wide shots and keep the hot stuff for closeups.

henderson.hugo3d ago

Agree with @uma_patel19 too, been in that exact situation scrambling for LEDs.