• Darklight features three of the world’s top mountain bike riders – Graham Agassiz, Matt Hunter and Matty Miles – and used specially modified equipment from Specialized and TomTom Bandit Action Cam.
• Latest film in Beyond the Ordinary, extreme sports campaign, follows on from multi-award winning Lightwaves (surfing) and Afterglow (skiing) movies.
• Campaign marks the launch of latest Philips four-sided Ambilight 8000 TVs.

Amsterdam, October 20th, 2015 – A rattlesnake bite, working and riding all night and the need to hike over six tons of equipment into two inaccessible locations were just three of the problems faced by the 30 crew film unit and three of the world’s top  mountain bike riders during the making of ‘Darklight’, the latest night-time extreme sports film in the hugely successful ‘Beyond the Ordinary’ campaign.

‘Beyond the ordinary’ highlights the unique benefits of Ambilight technology – found only on Philips TVs – which creates a halo of light and changing colours, to precisely match the on-screen action, on the wall behind the set, providing an extended, enhanced and more immersive viewing experience.
In addition to using LED light to enhance the already extreme sports action, Darklight has been specially created to demonstrate the true potential of Ambilight technology and to prove how the system can take TV viewing into another dimension.

Stunning night scenes 

Darklight features the Canadian trio of Graham Agassiz, Matt Hunter and Matty Miles riding routes through the moon-like setting of the Desert in Utah and the lush forests of Oregon. The scenes were shot through the night with the wide scale landscapes bathed in ever changing coloured lights.

All of the film was physically created using 4K Red Dragon cameras, TomTom Bandit Action Cams, and drones rather than by CGI and computer, and while the riders could help select the trails and practice routes, during the filming they had to very much rely on their instinct due to the extreme contrast between the lights and dark shadows, and the difficulty judging between small bumps and bigger obstacles – including the odd rattlesnake!

The 30 strong film and lighting crew were also under immense pressure during this 38 day activity in such challenging and different environments. However, their efforts have paid off with the stunning action packed night scenes that are brought to life with the power of light.

Specialist equipment

The demanding settings and night time shoots required specially adapted equipment to be used by all involved. Darklight partners Specialized and TomTom Bandit Action Cam provided specially adapted bikes and action cameras for the riders whilst the production crew used over six tons of equipment to produce the stunning footage.

To provide the epic coloured scenes, 171 LED lights were used – four times more than were used in Lightwaves and Afterglow due to the low natural reflectivity of dry land compared to both water and snow. This included the LED wheels which were designed and hand-made on location and controlled via a wireless DMX system.

The end results have certainly more than justified the efforts taken. The riders and bikes leave ever changing LED trails as they seem to defy gravity while hurtling down vertical mountain faces bathed in coloured light. Forest floors resemble alien landscapes as LED power allows plants to literally glow in the dark.

Darklight succeeds in using the power of light to enhance an already dramatic scene and as such provides the perfect demonstration content for an Ambilight TV. The combination produces, for Philips TV consumers, a viewing experience far beyond the ordinary.

Darklight will take centre stage in the latest Philips Ambilight TV campaign. The film will be available to view on You Tube, Vimeo, Philips website and on the company’s social media channels in addition to staring on specially selected media partner sites.

Supporting quotes

‘I had no idea what potential all those lights possessed, it was really cool! It enhanced the visual appeal for sure, there was so much going on in each shot. You could really see all the time and hard work spent on every scene. I think the mountain bike community is going to be stoked, there was some insane riding going on and everything was captured at an A grade level!’ Graham Agassiz, Mountain biker

‘The beauty of the films is the way that viewers initially are forced to suspend their belief in what’s actually possible but as they watch they become aware that it is actually real life and that it is the power of light that is taking what they know and putting it into a totally different dimension’. Mike Brown, Producer for Sweetgrass Productions

‘We have deliberately chosen adventure sports as the subjects for our films to prove how the power of light can enhance even the most exciting of on-screen action. We also wanted to offer support to the sports’ followers by helping to both enhance and communicate the sheer excitement these sports generate. Viewing them with Ambilight technology certainly adds a new dimension’ Marc Harmsen, Global Marketing Lead at TP Vision

About TP Vision

TP Vision is a dedicated TV player in the world of visual digital entertainment. TP Vision concentrates on developing, manufacturing and marketing Philips branded TV sets in Europe, Russia, Middle East, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and selected countries in Asia-Pacific. We do this by combining our design expertise and innovative Philips TV heritage with the operational excellence, flexibility and speed of TPV Technology. With these combined strengths, we bring high-quality TV sets to the market: smart and easy to use with sophisticated styling. We believe in creating products that offer a superior TV experience for consumers. With Philips TVs, TP Vision is a global leader in the hospitality market. TP Vision is the exclusive brand licensee of Philips TVs for the above listed countries. The TV Company is 100% owned by TPV, the world’s leading monitor and LCD TV manufacturer, selling and marketing Philips branded TVs in China. The TPV Group has been able to drive its growth over the years by leveraging its economies of scale and core competencies in R&D, manufacturing, logistic efficiency and quality. TP Vision employs close to 2,000 people in several locations around the globe.

The content in the news releases is accurate at the time of publication but may be subject to change without notice. All trademarks mentioned in this news release are the property of their respective owners.

For additional materials, photos, videos, footage please see links below:

High res images:                                       www.tpvision.com/image-library/

Campaign website:                                   www.philips.com/ambilight

Darklight trailer:

Darklight [Sneak Preview]:

Darklight Full Film: