Flexible LED panel or LED strip that conforms to curved surfaces and illuminates hard-to-reach areas.
Definition
Flex Light refers to LED light strips or mats with a flexible backing material that can conform to any surface and contour. The LEDs are mounted on flexible circuit boards, allowing for uniform light distribution across the entire area. The term became established from the 2010s onwards, parallel to the widespread adoption of highly efficient LED technology in film production.
Technical Details
Modern Flex Lights achieve illuminance levels of 500 to 3,000 lux at a distance of 1 meter, depending on the LED density (30-120 LEDs per meter). The color temperature varies between 2700K and 6500K, with bi-color variants offering stepless adjustment. Typical formats range from 10x10 cm panels to 2x1 meter mats, with a thickness of only 3-8 mm. Power consumption is between 10-150 watts per square meter. The flexible backing consists of silicone rubber or special plastic compounds with bending radii as small as 5 mm.
History & Development
The first film-ready Flex Lights emerged in 2009 from the workshops of Litepanels, after LED chips had been sufficiently miniaturized. Kino Flo introduced the first commercial FreeStyle system in 2012. A significant development in 2014 was the introduction of TLCI-certified (Television Lighting Consistency Index) variants by Quasar Science. From 2018 onwards, RGBW chips enabled full-spectrum color mixing in a flexible form for the first time.
Practical Use in Film
In 2017, Christopher Nolan used large-format Flex Lights in aircraft cockpits for "Dunkirk," where conventional lights were impossible to position. For "Blade Runner 2049," Roger Deakins illuminated vehicle interiors with custom LED strips along the door panels. Typical applications include lighting confined spaces, simulating screen light, or contour lighting objects. Disadvantages include limited light output and the challenge of precise light shaping without lenses or reflectors.
Comparison & Alternatives
Unlike Tube Lights (rigid tube shape) or LED Panels (fixed rectangular shape), Flex Light conforms three-dimensionally to objects. SkyPanels offer higher light output but are inflexible. OLED panels achieve similar flexibility at significantly higher costs and lower brightness. Modern alternatives like the Creamsource Vortex combine flexible mounting with focusable optics but remain limited to planar surfaces.