Denver resident Alan Brown cracks a smile every time he sees a television ad for “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith,” opening May 19.
“To have a part in the production of the last two ‘Star Wars’ movies is very gratifying,” Brown said. “It’s a dream come true.”
Brown’s company, Denver-based CinemaQuest Inc., provided specialized fluorescent light bulbs to Industrial Light & Magic. California-based ILM, the special-effects company founded by “Star Wars” creator and director George Lucas, used Brown’s bulbs to ensure color consistency in special effects.
Brown’s system works like this: A 2-foot, 20-watt fluorescent light is placed behind a monitor inside an editing room. The bulb provides backlighting that helps special-effects technicians accurately judge the movie colors on the screen.
This, Brown says, allows technicians to correct color inconsistencies from one shot to the next. Without it, “a character could look sunburned in one scene and fine in the next,” he said.
The fluorescent light also eases eye strain for the technicians, enabling them to work longer hours.
The Imaging Science Foundation, a trade group dedicated to improving electronic imaging, recommends Brown’s product. He custom-builds and packages the kits in Denver, based on a patented bulb design from GretagMacbeth in Canada.
Brown has sold 4,000 of the various models since the product’s inception in 1998, including six professional-grade models to ILM. The Ideal- Lume Pro, which is used by the “Star Wars” technicians, retails for about $240. A consumer-grade model that Brown says improves viewing quality of home-theater systems sells for about $55.
Joe Kane, a video and film consultant who specializes in lighting standards, said about 95 percent of Hollywood production companies use Brown’s product or something similar.
“If people care about what they see on TV or in their films, that kind of lighting is critical,” said Kane, who helped develop the the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers’ suggested visual standards.
He noted that Brown is one of the first to package and market the devices.
“It’s a large market if someone wants to get the word out,” he said.
Brown’s client list includes ILM, video-game maker Electronic Arts, Universal Studios, THX Ltd. and Image-Entertainment.
“Any time you spend hours and hours in a small darkroom, you need properly balanced lighting,” said Richard Dean, technical director for THX, which certifies movies for sound and image quality. “CinemaQuest’s products have proven very effective.”
Brown is currently testing a fluorescent light specifically designed for radiology-imaging labs in hospitals. An Oregon hospital is sizing up the product, which Brown expects to launch next year.
“The viewing environment has as dramatic an impact on video displays as room acoustics have on sound-system performance,” Brown said.
He formed his two-person company in 1998. He attended a THX certification course at Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch, where he began his association with ILM.
“We got into the movie industry through ILM,” said Brown, who also installs high-end home-theater systems in the metro area. “It’s been very rewarding.”
Staff writer Will Shanley can be reached at 303-820-1473 or wshanley@denverpost.com.
Ideal-Lume Pro
CinemaQuest Inc. sells fluorescent lighting called Ideal-Lume Pro, used by special-effects technicians in “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith”:
What it does: Industrial Light & Magic, “Star Wars” creator George Lucas’ special-effects company, uses the bulbs as backlighting during editing to ensure color consistency in special effects, such as in the scene at left from “Episode III.”
What it costs: ILM bought six bulbs, which retail for about $240 each; Cinema Quest has a consumer model for about $55.
Number sold: 4,000 since 1998
Other clients: Universal Studios, THX Ltd., Image-Entertainment
