Mole-Richardson Lighting
Cinecraft’s founder, Ray Culley, started his film career in Hollywood. He worked as an actor, casting director, and an assistant director. He started directing industrial films first in Hollywood and then back in his native Ohio. He brought Hollywood style, storytelling, and production techniques to the newly emerging industrial film (aka commercial film) market. He also brought a ton of big lights.
When Cinecraft started in 1939 the filmstocks used were not very light sensitive. (ASA 8.) That meant it took a light of lumens to get a decent exposure. ASA speeds rose to 200, 400, even 1,000 by 1980. So, these big lights were less a necessity and more often a prop for our production stills.
Mole-Richardson started making lights for film production in 1927. They developed tungsten lights to replace the arc lighting that was used in the silent movie era. In 1935 Mole-Richardson introduced the Fresnel lens to movie lights. Adapting the lens design previously used in light houses.
