FS: Mystery Lighting Kit Contraption Thing - Lots of Pics

[Scott H.]

Okay - I don't really know what this is. I bought some gear from a guy a while back and he wouldn't sell me what I really needed without selling me this, too. He was going on about how it cost a couple thousand, and it probably did. But he couldn't tell me exactly what it was for (he wasn't the lighting/camera/technical/artistic part of their equation). It may have been specially made for a particular project or application, but the packaging of the gels makes me think it might have been a catalog item. If anyone knows, contact me.

The kit is comprised of the four cases pictured. This is for local pickup in Los Angeles only. One of the cases is heavy, the others are not. One has wheels. They all fit in a small SUV or larger vehicle.

The large, flatter case holds three "fixtures" of different sizes that it seems the rest of the stuff is to be used with/attached. Each fixture is made of steel with a plexiglass or similar outer layer. Each has a removable threaded rod, apparently for mounting/attaching it to whatever. There are also two metal screen accessories in the lid (pictured in bubble wrap).

The other cases have an assortment of labeled gels and hardware to apparently mount them to the fixtures. There are two different size mounts, which are magnetic. There is an assortment of at least two different size gels, which are like window shades and pop into the mounts.

Anyway, it's something. Please reference the pictures. I'm thinking $500 PayPal or cash.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9081612/MysteryKit_1.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9081612/MysteryKit_2.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9081612/MysteryKit_3.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9081612/MysteryKit_4.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9081612/MysteryKit_5.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9081612/MysteryKit_6.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9081612/MysteryKit_7.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9081612/MysteryKit_8.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9081612/MysteryKit_10.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9081612/MysteryKit_11.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9081612/MysteryKit_12.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9081612/MysteryKit_13.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9081612/MysteryKit_14.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9081612/MysteryKit_15.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9081612/MysteryKit_16.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9081612/MysteryKit_17.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9081612/MysteryKit_18.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9081612/MysteryKit_19.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9081612/MysteryKit_20.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9081612/MysteryKit_21.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9081612/MysteryKit_22.jpg

 

[Tim Whitcomb]

dude! this ad reads like a great intro to a Sci-fi thriller... and some of those pics look like they're from the Forbidden Planet... awesome! Good luck with the sale, cool stuff!

 

[jonnycom]

Did this "guy" work at A51 in Nevada and take the 737 to work?

 

[Anson Fogel]

Top 10 posts of all time

 

[Scott H.]

You know, did I say steel? Thinking back, it might be an exosolar ferrous titanium laminate construction. It was difficult to understand the seemingly androgynous, oval-eyed, oddly accented seller through the ski mask. And obviously $500 was a typo. I meant $5000.

j/k

 

[Jason Comparetto]

A strange kit indeed

 

[Barry Gregg]

I think the metal looks like unobtainium.

Is there anything in this kit that makes light?

 

[Scott H.]

I think the metal looks like unobtainium.

Is there anything in this kit that makes light?

Nope. It just makes light better, or different, or more interesting, or something. :thumbup:

 

[Dan Kanes]

I think these guys could tell you:

http://www.panavision.co.uk/

It appears to be of Joe Dunton Camera Origin...

 

[Scott H.]

Dan, there's a clue that makes a UK connection sensible. Inside the main case, with the fixtures mounted in it, there is a little piece of paper noting the following: "This box is for trans-Atlantic shipping only. Studio / location cases to follow."

Edit: And there's a sticker, visible in picture 19, that says "JDC"! Is that what prompted your post?

 

[Dan Kanes]

Dan, there's a clue that makes a UK connection sensible. Inside the main case, with the fixtures mounted in it, there is a little piece of paper noting the following: "This box is for trans-Atlantic shipping only. Studio / location cases to follow."

Edit: And there's a sticker, visible in picture 19, that says "JDC"! Is that what prompted your post?

Exactly! Joe Dunton Camera

 

[Mark Phelan]

It's from the Dharma Initiative. Do you see the numbered sequence 4 8 15 16 23 42 anywhere on the box?

 

[Scott H.]

It's from the Dharma Initiative. Do you see the numbered sequence 4 8 15 16 23 42 anywhere on the box?

The stickers/symbols on this are hexagons, and Dharma is an octagon, and only 5 of the 6 numbers match. :wink5:

 

[Scott H.]

C'mon, don't be shy... Admit it. You want it. Make me an offer!

 

[Scott H.]

Okay, $250! You get everything in the pictures. Check out those two cases - they could always be re-purposed for your gel rolls.

 

[Erich Ocean]

I love this thread.

 

[Scott H.]

$200 for everything if you can pick up in Burbank area on Wed or Thu! :thumbsup:

The damn casters on one of the cases probably cost $100! :wink5:

 

[Scott H.]

Make me an offer. I will consider delivery in San Fernando Valley, Hollywood to Westside, and as far east as Pasadena.

 

[Scott H.]

Sold.

 

[Mark Mannschreck]

Thanks Scott!

So this thing looks like it was some kind of Joe Dunton prototype grippage... Not mass produced, but like a demo.

It's pretty cool - from what I can gather, there are three magnetic hexagon frames in three different sizes. These frames (heavy) magnetically hold these precut gels on scrolls with the help of these magnetic scroll holders. Being hexagon in shape, the magnetic scroll holders can be positioned vertically, horizontally, and in between. There are lips on these scroll holders for safety and make it obvious where they are supposed to be attached.

There is a wide range of "scroll" gels/gobos in the mid and large size... venetian blinds, perspective bars, CTB, 216, etc that just clip into the scroll holders. What makes it different from using a source four for me is that you can use whatever light you want, and there are also reflective scrolls to use unit as bounce... and then there's scrolls of diffusion too - and the large hexagon makes a fairly large source. In other words, it's really versatile (although pretty heavy)

There are other magnetic frames that are just flat that seem to be for magentically holding non-scolled gels. What puzzles me is that there are machined, anodized holes in the bottom of the hexagon that seem to be for "rod" type mounting of a light on the same stand as the hexagon. Two of these are exactly 19mm, but not any standard spacing. Not threaded. I was able to use a Red universal mount to put a small light on the rods, but the spacing is to narrow to slide back and forth - so I just jammed it on there.