US manufacturer of color filters, diffusion materials, and light-shaping tools — industry standard with a numbered gel catalog system.
Technical Details
Rosco Supergel filters are made of extruded polycarbonate with a thickness of 0.18 mm and a temperature resistance up to 204°C. The E-Colour+ series includes 299 different shades with precise CTO/CTB (Color Temperature Orange/Blue) values ranging from 1/8 to Full Correction. Rosco DHA (Double Heat Application) filters withstand temperatures up to 288°C and are suitable for HMI fixtures up to 18kW. The LitePad series offers LED panels in sizes from 3x3 to 12x12 inches with CRI values over 95 and adjustable color temperatures from 2700K to 6500K.
History & Development
Rosco Laboratories was founded in 1910 by Sam Rosenberg and Frank J. Cosentino in Stamford, Connecticut. In 1963, the company revolutionized the industry with the first fire-resistant plastic filter for theatrical lighting. In 1975, the Supergel series was introduced, which remains a standard in the film industry to this day. In 1999, Rosco expanded its portfolio to include digital gobos, and in 2010, LED technology with the LitePad series.
Practical Application in Film
Rosco 85B filters convert 5600K daylight to 3200K artificial light and are used in 90% of all interior shots. The legendary L200 Double CT Blue created the characteristic moonlight aesthetic in "Blade Runner 2049" (2017). Rosco gobos project window shadows, leaf patterns, or architectural structures – Denis Villeneuve used over 150 custom gobos for the desert scenes in "Dune" (2021). The Fog Fluid series generates atmospheric effects without residue on camera lenses.
Comparison & Alternatives
Main competitor LEE Filters offers comparable quality with its LEE 200 series, but with different color characteristics. GAM Products focuses on more cost-effective solutions for TV productions. Apollo Design Technology dominates the gobo market with over 6,000 designs. Modern LED fixtures with RGB color mixing are increasingly replacing color filters, but do not achieve the color saturation of analog filters. Rosco responded in 2020 with the Mix&Dim series, which combines classic filters with LED technology.