Welcome to the new associate members, Bogen Imaging France, KGS France, Iris Caméra, Locaflash, Telégrip (TSF Group), Maluna Productions

La Lettre AFC n°150

Bogen Imaging France

What could be more magical, in films, than the self-blocking articulated arm known as... the magic arm ?

We are all familiar with it because we use it for setting up our lighting, tripods, joints, stands and other studio accessories developed by Lino Manfrotto.

In 1989, Multistand Co, established two years previously by Thierry Martin, became Manfrotto France. The firm specialised in the distribution of a great variety of brands connected with cinema, video and photography and Bogen Imaging France - the new name recently assigned to the company - represents manufacturers of electrical and lighting equipment, stands or gauging instruments such as Dedolight, Ianiro, Avenger, Manfrotto, Gitzo, Sekonic, etc.

Welcome to the AFC.

KGS France by Eric Guichard

Many of you probably already know Benoît Theunissen, Pierre Speyer and Bernard Guinot. Their names are linked to KGS France, a company established in 1985.
They are specialised in grips equipment and the undeniable quality of the research and innovation in the field of tools for grips developed thanks to the know-how of this company that is “at the service and in touch with head grips” - as Benoît likes to say - is universally acknowledged.

KGS and Patrick de Coster are the co-inventors of the famous Babydoll, which preceded independent rails and foldaway trusses and they designed the Keyhead 1 & 2 head. Recently, KGS has been investing in the new KeyHead 3, both Light and Studio models that will be previewed at the 2006 Micro-Salon and in the Egearing control system in which the handles have been replaced by motors on an ArriHead or Panahead, as well as new rail shapes that can be bent on demand.

On several satisfactory occasions, I have had the opportunity to call upon the KGS team’s competency and they have always been prepared to rise to the technical challenge with constant good humour and the will to find a way.

To me, the arrival of this new member represents the recognition of their work and their humane qualities as well as additional proof of the sort of complicity that we strive to develop within our association.

I would like to wish a very warm welcome to the KGS team on behalf of the AFC.

  • KGS France
  • Bât. 2 / 12 chemin du Moulin Basset
  • 93200 Saint Denis

Iris Caméra, Locaflash, Telégrip (TSF Group) by Dominique Gentil

Originally, the TSF Group specialised more in providing services for TV films but over the years, it has come to be a partner in film productions. It must be said that views have changed in recent years. We now look differently upon TV films ; obviously, the approach is different to feature films but we also have the same passion for our profession as Director of Photography. Three entities from this group now belong to our association :
Iris Camera has thirty technicians concentrating on capturing images, with a full range of cameras by Arri, Moviecam and Aaton, all brands of lenses and the famous Scope Hawk lenses, available exclusively from Iris.

The digital department offers the Thomson Viper FilmStream camera, Panasonic’s HD Varicam, the Sony 750 et 900 HD cameras and the brand new Panasonic P2. It also has Zeiss Digiprime and Fujinon Cine Zoom lenses.

Under the leadership of Danys Bruyère - who is greatly appreciated for his advice, cleverly combining chemical and digital techniques - Iris has launched several daring technological developments.

Telegrip (grip equipment), ten staff, among whom we find Laurent Kleindienst, the searcher and “researcher” who is always ready to show you his latest findings, the new remote-controlled head, stabilised, extra-length rails that can be dismantled, a variety of devices that are bound to cause a sensation at the AFC’s Micro Salon.

Locaflash (lighting), with a staff of more than thirty, led by Philippe Samson, who is already a familiar face to our gaffers.

The latest development is the creation of Steadiloc, a department devoted to top of the range “Film & HD” Steadicams. To counter the ageing French stock, the TSF Group has decided to make considerable investments in this field. Thierry de Segonzac is the MD who founded the group in 1982 and he was behind the creation of SVL, the vehicle rental company. It was the first French firm to implement the very British “all in one” system. A single firm, renting cameras, lighting, grip and technical vehicles all on the same site. He is also the co-chairman of FICAM (Federation of Technical Industries).
I hope that our new associate member will enjoy the same rapport as we have with all our other technical partners and that we can welcome them serenely and generously.
Welcome TSF.

  • Groupe TSF, 33 rue Proudhon
  • 93210 Saint Denis la Plaine
  • PAYS : France
  • Tel : + 33 1 49 17 60 00
  • Fax : + 33 1 49 17 60 01
  • Website : https://www.tsf.fr

Maluna Productions by Dominique Gentil

Those of us who took part in the meeting about the Image Charter probably noticed the light cubes that lit up the meeting room and the hall in La fémis. These lights are called Lucioles (fireflies).

The idea of diffused light, whether spacelights, Chinese lanterns or globes, is nothing new in itself. But to make this lighting easy to install, to make it modular, easy to dismantle and transport, is a huge bonus that will encourage us to make rational use of these lights that glow with “beautiful light”.

In 1999, Jean-Noël Viry, Patrice Millet and Olivier Mandrin, gaffers all three, established the firm Maluna Productions, based on a very simple idea, the Luciole light cube. They were then joined by Greg Fromentin and more recently by Olivier Martin, a head grip. The idea developed and it is now available in several sizes, several strengths and effects : artificial light, daylight, sodium vapour, metallic iodide...

Shared by many users and available from traditional film and audiovisual equipment rental firms, the Luciole now leaves time to Maluna to invest in new ventures, in the fields of lighting (production of a diode kit, available some time in 2006) and of machinery.
Maluna is an atypical company because of its partners’ activities ; they are department heads on feature films and TV films and they call upon their daily experience to ensure that their developments in the field of images take into account the expectations of their users.

Welcome Maluna Productions and its Lucioles who will be at the AFC Micro Salon on March 9th next.

  • Maluna Productions
  • 27, rue Jean Lemoine
  • 93230 Romainville
  • Tel. - fax : 01 48 43 42 70
  • email : maluna chez maluna.fr
  • Website :
  • Contact : Patrice Millet
  • + 33 6 03 09 81 06