Behind the Lens: Why the Nanlite PavoTube II 30XR Rental Package is a Must-Have on Every Set
An interview with DP and Creator Rachael Hastings Adair and Absolute Media Labs’ Dave Rosen
If you talk to working cinematographers, gaffers, and DPs, everyone has that one piece of gear they simply refuse to leave home without. For seasoned DP, camera operator, and producer Rachael Hastings Adair, that piece of kit is the Nanlite PavoTube II 30XR Series.
We sat down with Dave Rosen of Absolute Media Labs and Absolute Rentals to discuss why these versatile RGB LED tubes have become a staple for everything from high-end corporate events to independent feature films and festival darlings.
The Ultimate “Never Leave Home Without It” Light
Dave Rosen: What kind of Nanlite gear do you like to use, Rachael?
Rachael Hastings Adair: I like to use all of them! The majority of my lighting kit—if you open up my Sprinter van or my storage—is packed with Nanlite and Nanlux. But my “never leave home without ’em” lights are the Nanlite PavoTubes. Personally, I love the four-foot PavoTubes.
Dave: I absolutely love them too. We recently took a kit of eight up to Canada for a show where rental houses were scarce. What blew me away was that everything was built into the travel kit: floor stand mounts, hanging connectors, battery supplies, and all eight channels ready to go. How do you usually deploy them on your productions?
Rachael: It’s really a matter of how do I not use them! I bring my PavoTubes and a 3-light 60C kit on every single shoot, planned or not, and they always come out.
“I’ve put PavoTubes into Kino Flo housings to make an RGB app-controllable soft key light, hidden them in cars, taped them to things, hung them from ceiling fixtures, and used them to wash the back of a stage.”
Often, I’ll just have them standing by fully charged. If I need a quick fill or a splash of color, someone will just “Hollywood” it—holding the tube by hand to give us that extra bit of light right where we need it. I also use built-in effects, like simulating a working television set for an actor sitting on screen.
Clever Mounting Tricks (And Accidental Discoveries)
Dave: One of the most amazing things I found out—sometimes by accident—is how versatile the mounting is.
Rachael: The smaller ten-inch tubes are magnetic right out of the box, which is awesome. But for my four-foot tubes, my gaffer Nick Barry gave me a bunch of super-strong magnetic tilt mounts. For very little cost, it made the four-foot tubes magnetic too!
Dave: I learned about the magnets the hard way! I was working on my house and originally used Velcro behind a piano. Later, I wanted to see how it looked above my bar. I held it up against the ceiling to test the placement, and suddenly it just stuck there. There was metal in my ceiling, and it stayed up all on its own!
Proven on Set: 6 Films, 1 Festival, 100% PavoTubes
At the time
of our chat, Rachael was on-site at the Cinema Diverse Film Festival in Palm Springs, juggling an impressive six different films from six different directors across features, shorts, and comedy specials, including:
Find Another Golf AddictionSnow Falling on Pumpkins
Sweet Nothing
Miss Personality (Comedy special with Mina Anton)
Oprah Right with Tomorrow Afternoon (Short film)
Lesbians in Boys Town (Short documentary)
Dave: Of all those movies, how many did you use the PavoTubes on?
Rachael: A hundred percent of them. It’s literally on all of them. I don’t even have to think about it.
Infinite Color and Control
Dave: For anyone looking at the exact specs, we’re talking about the Nanlite PavoTube II 30XR RGB LED.
Rachael: The version two updates are fantastic, and they come at a really great price point now. The app control is a game-changer. When someone asks for a very specific color on set, I just tell them, “Well, you have 16,000 choices. Just move your finger around the color wheel.” Being able to just swirl it around and instantly dial in the exact hue you envisioned is incredible.
Try Them Out with Absolute Rentals
Want to test out the Nanlite PavoTube II 30XR on your next production?
Rentals: Visit Absolute Media Labs. Mention “demo pricing” to take advantage of their special demo discounts on shelf gear.
Connect with Rachael: Find her work and portfolio online or follow her on Instagram at @carpe.lux.rowan.
Are you looking for a Nanlite PavoTube II 30XR Rental Package to upgrade your lighting package for your next indie film or corporate shoot? Drop a comment or reach out to our team to find out how to integrate PavoTubes into your workflow!
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