Kino Flo
ActiveOverview
Kino Flo manufactures professional LED-based lighting equipment for cinema, television, and production, specializing in color-correct, flicker-free soft lights.23 The company developed proprietary fluorescent and LED systems with high-frequency ballasts and special phosphors for accurate tungsten and daylight balance, earning an Academy Award for technical achievement in 1995.124 It supplies lighting for motion pictures, TV, broadcast, and photography from Hollywood to global production centers.13
History
Kino Flo was founded in 1987 by gaffer Frieder Hochheim and best boy Gary Swink after inventing a compact fluorescent fixture for the film Barfly.24 Key innovations include the 1987 4Bank with high-frequency ballast to eliminate flicker, 1992 True Match fluorescent tubes with special phosphors, and transitions to LED systems.4 In 2005, the company purchased a 100,000 square foot headquarters and manufacturing facility in Burbank; founder Frieder Hochheim received the Cine Gear Expo Lifetime Technical Achievement Award in 2019.4
Product Lines
| Product Line | Positioning | Price Range |
|---|---|---|
| 4Bank (fluorescent soft light) | compact bar fixture for tight spaces | $1,500 - $3,000 |
| Micro-flo (portable mini soft light) | smallest portable for unconventional locations | $400 - $800 |
| Image (large area soft light) | wide coverage for VFX and motion picture | $2,500 - $5,000 |
| LED FreeStyle (modular LED panels) | configurable color-correct LED for studio | $1,200 - $4,000 |
| Celeb LED (high-output soft LED) | daylight/tungsten balanced for cinema | $2,000 - $6,000 |
Manufacturing
Products are manufactured in-house at the company's 100,000 square foot facility in Burbank, California.45 Kino Flo handles LED design and production internally, maintaining color science for over three decades.3
Notable Products
- 4Bank - Original fluorescent bank with high-frequency ballast, debuted 1987 for greater intensity without flicker.
- True Match Tubes - Fluorescent tubes with special phosphors for color-correct tungsten and daylight balance, introduced 1992.
- Micro-flo - Portable mini soft light for tight spaces, popularized in films like those with Jamie Lee Curtis.
- Image 80 - Large soft light with easy rigging, favored by VFX designers since 1999.
- LED FreeStyle - Modular LED system with stable tungsten/daylight emitters for professional production.
Reputation
Kino Flo is recognized by cinematographers for pioneering flicker-free, color-accurate soft lighting that became a motion picture standard, as noted by the Academy Award citation.24 Professionals value its reliability in film, TV, and VFX from close-ups to large sets.13 No major criticisms appear in available sources; it maintains a strong position in color management for color-critical applications.3