Lighting a Lufthansa Commercial

Working for the first time with cinematographer Patrick Golan, gaffer Albrecht Silberberger put together a lighting package that included ARRI LED and HMI fixtures for a Lufthansa commercial shot on a real aircraft in Frankfurt. He speaks here about his lighting choices on the shoot and his perspective on the profession after nearly 30 years on set.

Could you give us some background to your role and what you like about it?

Sure. I’m a gaffer based in Berlin and I've been working in the film industry for almost 30 years, primarily on feature films and commercials of all kinds. One of my favorite parts of the job is the preproduction stage, especially planning setups. It’s a very creative process, imagining how the light will shape the scene. I also love large-scale, complex shoots where I get to see all the elements—lighting, camera, and production—come together perfectly, like the workings of a Swiss Army Knife.

What was the premise, location, and schedule of this commercial?

The commercial is set inside an airplane and includes four different scenes, each with its own lighting mood: bright sunlight, overcast skies, and nighttime. We had a tight schedule and shot everything over three days with two crews working on a brand-new airplane at the Frankfurt airbase. Flexibility and safety were key, especially since we were working in such a unique environment.
 

What was in your lighting package?

We used a versatile lighting package that included a mix of 18K ARRIMAX and Fresnel lights, along with ARRI M90s for sunlight and fill lighting from outside the plane. We had ARRI SkyPanel X21 and S360-C units ready to go for additional fill light as needed. We used those on condors and scissor lifts to add more punch or fill gaps when required.

Could you give a bit more detail about your lighting strategy?

For the sunny scenes, our key light source was outside the plane. The camera had to move through the business class aisle and the tight windows didn’t allow much natural light. We remotely controlled an 18K ARRIMAX to simulate sunlight and used an M90 bounced into large 40 x 12-foot muslin frames to diffuse the light. To achieve a consistent look, we positioned four SkyPanel S360-Cs outside the windows, with light grids which were rigged on a pulley system to adjust them easily. On the opposite side we had fill light provided by SkyPanel X21s coming through quarter-grids or soft frosts to balance the overall lighting.

You were one of the first productions to use the SkyPanel X series. How did you use it?

Yes, it was exciting to be one of the first to use the SkyPanel X21 fixtures. They arrived directly from the ARRI factory, still in their boxes! Despite the short setup time, everything worked flawlessly. We connected them to CRMX with a satellite and controlled the units via Blackout from inside the plane. One standout feature we really liked was the HyPer Optic accessory for hard light. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we couldn’t test the X23 configuration that combines three of the modular units, but the X21s performed perfectly for what we needed.
 

How did you control the lighting?

We had different setups depending on the scene. For the night sequences, all interior lights were controlled with a grandMA desk located in the back of the plane. We installed 250 meters of pre-assembled LED tape, along with CRMX-controlled Astera HydraPanels and other small lights. For the exterior daylight scenes, we controlled the LED lights using Blackout software, since we only needed basic dimming adjustments and fewer dim effects.

You also had ARRI Orbiter fixtures with the Orbiter Beam accessory; how did you use that?

The Orbiter Beam was a fantastic tool for creating sharp, textured sunlight spots. Its narrow beam and rich quality allowed us to replace the standard beam fixtures, making it much easier to create that strong sunlight effect without overheating the set.

Could you describe your relationship with ARRI Rental? How long have you known Ute Baron and the team?

I’ve had a great relationship with ARRI Rental for over 25 years, starting from my early days in Munich and Berlin. They’ve always been a reliable partner, especially for large-scale projects where support is crucial. Ute, in particular, has been a wonderful partner, always providing solutions, even for smaller, low-budget projects where we still needed top-quality equipment.

What advice would you give to young electricians starting out in the industry?

The industry is evolving quickly, so staying updated with new technology is important. But I’d also advise learning the fundamentals from the veterans on set. Combining these classic techniques with modern tools will allow you to develop your own creative approach and give you a stronger foundation for the future.