De Buitléar Sheds Light on Teach Solais | The Irish Film & Television Network

With Head office based in An Sruthán, An Cheathrú Rua, Conamara, and a showroom in Ardmore Studios, lighting supplier for television and film Teach Solais have been in operation for over two years now. The company’s short existence has been extremely busy having supplied lighting to many Irish productions and cinematographers including television titles; ‘Killinaskully’, ‘Whistleblower’, ‘The Galway Races’ - a seven part drama for TG4 and features; ‘32A’ directed by Marian Quinn; the upcoming ‘Ondine’ by Neil Jordan; PJ Dillon’s debut feature ‘Redux’ as well as the current shoot of ‘Leap Year’ starring Oscar nominee Amy Adams (Doubt). On the commercials front, names such as Guinness, Bord Failte, ESB, Vodafone, Meteor, AIB, and Bank of Ireland have benefited from their services.

Teach Solais Chief Cian de Buitléar sees the company’s two facilities in Conamara and Bray as giving them an advantage “in that we are on both sides of the island”. The supplier offers lighting equipment ranging from Arri, Arrimax Source Four, Gekko Kisslite, Mole Richardson Molebeams, Gekko LED Lights, Kinoflo Parabeams, Lino flo Vistabeams and New Spacelights. In terms of supplying equipment to productions, he explains the advantage of being a relatively new company: “As we’re new, the equipment is new. We have the latest equipment and we’ve gone into the newer lighting systems. The original lighting systems would have been HMI or Tungsten but now with the development and outcome of florescent and LED lighting, we have the latest in all of those. Everything is less than 18 months old.”

“We’re lucky, in that, we are the only company who has the Arri Max lights which is the brightest light on the planet. It gives a daylight effect but it’s brighter than any other light before and we are the first and only people to actually bring them into the country.”

These lights were used on the set of Neil Jordan’s ‘Ondine’, starring Colin Farrell (In Bruges), which was filmed on location in West Cork last summer and lensed by Chris Doyle (Hero, In The Mood for Love): “On that production there were two Arri Maxes and two generators. It was a very difficult location, but we have purpose built generators that are designed to fit into smaller locations. Being from Conamara we are well used to small roads and are able to design the machinery to suit the job.”

“Our machinery has been designed in a way that it is easily transported anywhere,” he adds. “For example we’ve built the first 40 kilowatt Towable generator in the country. You can hook it on the back of a 4 wheel drive vehicle and bring it anywhere. This allows for a 2 x 18kw Lamps to be powered in the most remote locations.”

The company’s popularity is backed by Cian’s own unparalleled experience in the industry being an award winning Cinematographer for such films including Paddy Breathnach’s ‘Man About Dog’, ‘Blow Dry’ and ‘I Went Down’ and as the underwater DOP on Steven Spielberg’s ‘Saving Private Ryan’.

Cian de Buitlear

“We’re not just supplying lights that are on a list,” explains Cian. “A production will receive a list from the D.O.P., they send it off to the lighting company, who then see what they have available. We not only hire what is on the list, but I also suggest other light sources and help with questions from the D.O.P, gaffers and producers for certain jobs. With my experience as a D.O.P, people can ask me what they will need for a particular job, which gives us a marginal advantage over people who only supply lights as opposed to those who actually use and work with them daily.”

“I’ve worked on both sides of it now as I used to be one of the people ringing up a lighting company looking for lights. Now, I know what it’s like to be on the other side suggesting how they can get around problems.”

Teach Solais on location

The World 2000 Entertainment/ Spyglass production of ‘Leap Year’ directed by Anand Tucker (And When Did You Last See Your Father?), which began shooting last week is one of the biggest contracts for Teach Solais so far: “Four trucks of lights are being used on ‘Leap Year’. It’s probably the biggest job that has been filmed here recently and would be on the same scale as Antoine Fuqua’s ‘King Arthur’ and Mel Gibson’s ‘Braveheart’. We most probably got this contract because of our service on ‘Ondine’. The same Gaffer (James McGuire) and Best Boy (Mícheál Ó Mogáin) are working on ‘Leap Year’ and they were very happy with Teach Solais’ services.”

‘Leap Year’ is presently being shot in a purpose built studio at Dublin Port. Production will move to the Aran Islands and Conamara in mid April. This location works well for Teach Solais; “As we are locally based in Conamara, minutes from the ferry port (Ros a Mhíl) that goes to the Aran Islands, it is ideal for us.”

In terms of Cian’s own work as a DOP he is commencing photography for five new documentaries with Philip King for Hummingbird for RTÉ called ‘Cerbh É’ as well as a commercial next week with Rocket Productions.

For more information visit http://www.teachsolais.com

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