Bitbanger Labs are back with another awesome Kickstarter project called colorspike! When it comes to adding colour effects into complex video or stills shoots, Colorspike’s unique pattern-driven animation system completely redefines what is possible on set, in studio or on the run. The startup behind the “Pixelstick” has turned its sights on a more elaborate and complex tool that seems really easy and intuitive to control via a simple smartphone app.
The colorspike is an ultra-bright, flicker-free LED strip, that is encased in a rugged anodized aluminium body that protects the internals while dissipating heat silently without need of a fan. The colorspike utilizes LEDs that are capable of displaying millions of colours and are packed tightly into a single row to reduce shadowing and produce clean lines when light shaping, thus eliminating strange multiple shadows and fringing.
Colorspike runs from the included DC adapter, or from the internal battery when you’re on the go. This is handy for those times when you simply don’t have access to an electrical outlet. A lot of our outdoor shoots wouldn’t have been possible without the ability to unplug colorspike and keep working. Battery runtime will vary greatly based on the brightness and LED usage, but even at extreme cases should provide better than 45 minutes of continuous light.
When you are “running and gunning” time is never enough, plus having to always use your smart phone to make adjustments and control the light can get quite boring quick, and use it to control a light, therefore Bitbanger Labs have designed colorspike to allow users have access to a variety of important features even when not connected to a mobile device.
Before going on set or location, sync the patterns you’ll need over to colorspike’s internal storage. Later, you can select your pattern, adjust brightness and speed, and even dial in any of millions of solid colors for on-the-fly creation, right from the onboard interface.
Colorspike isn’t only for video of course, and plenty of photographers can find its features very useful. Check out some sample images shot with the help of colorspike:
While colorspike can be used without a mobile device, you can unlock the full potential of the LED stick thanks to Bitbanger Labs’ feature-packed companion app. From managing your collection of patterns, to tweaking and creating new ones, to controlling multiple units simultaneously, the app takes colorspike to a whole new level.
The App deals primarily with pattern creation and management, allowing you to sync them back and forth between colorspike, edit their look and feel, and create new ones from scratch. Additional functionality includes device management, including the ability to connect to and control multiple colorspikes wirelessly.
The App allows you to create fresh patterns from scratch, but also gives you the ability to tweak existing patterns. A police siren can easily become an emergency light with a small change to the palette and animation speed. Add randomness to a basic white strobe and you’ll get an organic thunder and lightning effect. Most patterns are only a few small adjustments from being completely different and equally compelling lighting effects.
The app will be available at launch for all Bluetooth LE-enabled iOS and Android devices, and will always be free according to Bitbanger Labs.
Pricing starts at $299 for Kickstarter backers, who can save at least $50 over the retail price when the units become available. Shipping is estimated for March 2018. Head over to the colorpiske LED Kickstarter campaign here to grab yours.
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