Filmlexikon.
Support
Hive Wasp
Lighting · Terms

Hive Wasp

Murnau AI illustration
color temperature flow roll take

Hive Wasp: 144-LED fixture by Hive Lighting, 100W, silent operation, 15°–80° beam angle, 90min battery runtime, DMX controllable.

Technical Details

The Hive Wasp is based on a proprietary LED array with 144 individual diodes and achieves a color temperature accuracy of ±100K. The cooling system uses passive convection without a fan, ensuring a noise level of 0 dB. Power is supplied via 14.4V V-Mount batteries or AC adapters with 24V/5A. The beam angle is 60° without attachments; with the available Fresnel or spot attachments, this can be varied from 15° to 80°. DMX-512 control allows for 16-bit dimming from 0.1% to 100%.

History & Development

Hive Lighting introduced the Wasp in 2018 in response to the growing demand for battery-powered, daylight-balanced LED units. Development took two years and focused on maximum light output with minimal physical size. In 2020, the Wasp-C followed with an additional Tungsten option (3200K), and in 2022, the RGB variant Wasp-Plasma was launched. The current generation (Wasp MkII since 2023) offers improved color rendering with TLCI values over 98.

Practical Application in Film

The Hive Wasp quickly established itself as a standard accent light for documentaries and low-budget productions. In "The Batman" (2022), cinematographer Greig Fraser used over 40 Wasp units for background lighting and practical light sources. Its compact design allows for mounting in vehicles, on rigging points, or as a hidden light source on sets. Typical workflow: battery operation for 90 minutes at full power, wireless DMX control via Lumenradio protocol. Disadvantage: limited power for large areas, advantage: zero noise development during sound recording.

Comparison & Alternatives

The Wasp directly competes with the Aputure MC (12W, significantly weaker) and the Quasar Q-Lion (similar power, larger form factor). Compared to traditional HMI sources like the Arri 575, it offers lower power consumption (100W vs. 750W) with comparable light output in spot mode. Modern alternatives include the Aputure Nova P300c for RGB applications or the Creamsource Vortex8 for broad illumination. The Wasp remains the first choice for mobile productions where weight and battery life are crucial.

From the crafts

Perspectives

Cinematographer

Ich schätze die Wasp für ihre präzise Farbtemperatur und den hohen CRI-Wert – keine Farbkorrekturen in der Post nötig. Die kompakte Bauform ermöglicht mir Lichtsetzung an unmöglichen Positionen, etwa versteckt hinter Requisiten oder in engen Car-Rigs. Bei Available-Light-Drehs nutze ich sie als dezenten Aufheller ohne das natürliche Lichtgefühl zu zerstören.

Director

Die Hive Wasp gibt mir die Flexibilität für spontane Lichtstimmungen ohne aufwändiges Umrigging. Besonders bei Nahaufnahmen kann ich gezielt Akzente in den Augen setzen oder dramatische Schatten modellieren. Die lautlose Arbeitsweise stört nie die Schauspielführung, selbst bei intimsten Dialog-Szenen bleibt die Konzentration erhalten.

Producer

Eine Wasp kostet 800 Euro, das entspricht einem Tag Miete für vergleichbare HMI-Technik mit Strom-Infrastruktur. Die V-Mount-Akkus nutzen wir bereits für Kameras, also keine zusätzlichen Batteriesysteme nötig. Transport: 12 Units passen in eine Standardkiste, spart Grip-LKW-Volumen und damit täglich 200 Euro Fahrzeugkosten.

More in the lexikon

Related terms

Test your knowledge

Quiz

1. Zu welchem Department gehört „Hive Wasp"?

2. Wie viele verschiedene Fachperspektiven bietet dieser Eintrag?

Report an error
From the Filmfarm ecosystem

Understand visual language, budget productions, connect crew.

The Lexikon is part of the Filmfarm ecosystem — alongside budgeting (FilmBalance), an industry magazine (FilmCircus) and crew networking (FilmCall, CrewMesh). One shared vocabulary for the whole production.

FilmFarm FilmRadarComing soonFilmPulseComing soonFilmNumbersComing soonFilmCapitalComing soonFilmLabComing soonFilmBalanceComing soonFilmCircusComing soon