12mm birch plywood platform for precise height adjustment of lights and actors; 10cm high, 150kg capacity.
The Half Apple Box is constructed from 12mm thick birch plywood and is rated for a maximum load of 150 kg. The construction uses screwed and glued corner joints without visible metal parts to avoid reflections in the light. Standard versions feature four non-slip rubber pads on the underside and rounded edges to prevent damage to equipment and cables. Professional variants have additional grip cutouts on the long sides and a matte surface treatment for reduced reflection.
Apple Boxes originated in the 1920s as a cost-effective alternative to heavy metal risers at Paramount Studios. In 1947, Matthews Studio Equipment introduced the first standardized Half Apple Box with uniform dimensions after lighting technicians from various studios requested compatible sizes. In the 1960s, birch plywood became the standard material, offering the optimal balance of weight (2.8 kg), stability, and cost-effectiveness. Modern variants made of aluminum honeycomb panels reduce the weight to 1.4 kg while maintaining the same load capacity.
Gaffers primarily use Half Apple Boxes for precise alignment of Fresnel lights and LED panels on stands when the usual height adjustment is insufficient. During the filming of "Blade Runner 2049" (2017), cinematographer Roger Deakins systematically used Half Apple Boxes for fine-tuning practical lights within interior sets. For actors, they serve as a discreet riser in dialogue scenes – especially when there are height differences between performers. The 10cm height gain precisely corresponds to a focal length change from 50mm to 35mm with constant framing in a close-up.
The Half Apple Box fills the gap between the 5cm high Quarter Apple Box and the 20cm high Full Apple Box. Pancakes (2.5cm) are only suitable for minimal corrections, while Full Apple Boxes are impractical in confined spaces. Modern aluminum telescopic risers offer variable heights from 8-15cm but cost four times as much and require longer setup times. Sandbag-filled positioning bags adapt to uneven surfaces but do not achieve the precision of rigid wooden blocks for exact light positions.
Ich verwende Half Apple Boxes täglich zur millimetergenauen Ausrichtung meiner LED-Panels, besonders bei Low-Key-Setups wo jeder Zentimeter Höhenunterschied die Schattenführung drastisch verändert. Beim Rigging von Kameras an unebenen Locations schaffe ich mit zwei Half Boxes einen stabilen 20cm-Ausgleich, ohne auf schwere Leveling-Legs angewiesen zu sein.
Half Apple Boxes sind meine unsichtbaren Helfer bei der Schauspielführung – ich positioniere kleinere Darsteller diskret höher, um Machtverhältnisse visuell zu verstärken oder Augenhöhe zwischen Charakteren herzustellen. Bei intimen Zweier-Szenen nutze ich sie, um subtile Perspektivenwechsel zu schaffen, ohne die Kamera bewegen zu müssen.
Mit Kosten von 45 Euro pro Stück amortisieren sich Half Apple Boxes bereits nach drei Drehtagen durch eingesparte Rigger-Arbeitszeit bei Licht-Setups. Ich kalkuliere standardmäßig acht Stück pro Kamera-Unit ein, da sie Grip-Equipment im Wert von 800 Euro ersetzen und sich platzsparend in jedem Transporter stapeln lassen.
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