The Astera app - Connecting and setting it up
The Astera app is a great tool for dops, gaffers and electricians. But the app doesn’t have the most intuitive work flow. Here is a step by step beginners guide. You’ll need the Astera box and some Astera lamps. Newer lamps now no longer need the Astera box. (apparently)
The Astera box is battery powered, charged via usb mini. Battery life can last 2 days if it’s in good health. If it’s from a rental house or a client. See if you can get it at least 24 hrs before the shoot.
Step 1: Turn on the Astera box and the Astera app.
Turn on the Astera box by holding the power button.
Open the App. In the top right corner, click on the three horizontal button.
Click on the red text that says “There are no bonded bluetooth…”
Click “Press here if you want to add an Asterabox” - MAKE SURE THE BLUETOOTH IS ON ON THE TABLET OR PHONE. Allow the app to connect to the bluetooth, don’t do it yourself in your phone or tablet’s settings.
Connect to your lights!
STEP 1: RESET THE LAMPS (why?? because of many reasons, but you’re not here to read a book. Just do it, trust me).
Turn the lamp on. Press MENU - MINUS - MINUS- ENTER- ENTER - Easy right?
When using Astera tubes from any rental house it’s a good idea to reset the settings. You just never know what kind of shenanigans the last user was up to.
STEP 2: Choose the lamp’s input
Press:
Menu - Enter - toggle with Plus until setting is “APP Control”
Step 3: Connect the lamp.
Hold the power button until an epileptic blue light starts flashing. Do this for all the lamps you want to connect to.
TIP: make sure the lamp(s) aren’t in the direct eye line of someone on set. It’s bright and can really throw people off. Especially people whose favorite hobby is complaining.
Make sure the lamp isn’t directly in someones eye line. This flashing is a bit aggressive and can make you look like a muppet. You probably are a muppet. But you should hide that until the wrap beer.
While the blue mode is flashing. In the app click “pair with lights” then click “YES.” It should take less than 20 seconds.
If one of the lamps doesn’t connect, turn it off and retry the process. If it still doesn’t work then try a factory reset on the lamp.
Step 4: Check your lamps out in the app.
Click on the button in the left hand side with the three horizontal lines and the Edison bulb next to it.
This is where your connected lamps are. Click on the first lamp, and then control screen will pop open.
TIP: If all the lamps aren’t seen in this menu despite being connected, lock your phone and reopen the app. It might take 5/10 seconds before the app is connected again to the Astera box. This can be a bit buggy. A tablet is much better option, because it can stay open the whole shoot and solely focus on this function.
Choose your desired battery life for your lamp(s). Choose 5 hrs if you don’t need high lumens/footcandles for the shooting day. Choose MAX for full power.
TIP: Helios lamps don’t last long in this option. They also can overheat if you got them rigged in a kino coffin for example.
Another TIP: when you do a prerig and can’t charge the lamps over night. In sleep mode or at 0 percent. The Asteras lose about 10 percent of their power over 12 hrs!!
Step 5: Number your lamps. Mark them with tape
On set it was extremely important to label and number our lamps for the rigging which we did the day before the shoot. In addition we drew a map with the lamp numbers, which sat at my work station. photos from https://www.instagram.com/philippwaldhauser/
Don’t use some shite tape you got at your local hardware store. Use the proper tape like paper tape or the overpriced colored tape AC’s love to flex with, hell even take the tape from them. Or better yet get it from the rental house!
In the same light control menu, name your lamps for example 1-8. Mark them with tape so your crew can quickly tell you which lamp number they are operating. Especially lamps that will be “roving” around set to make fill light.
These two Titan Astera tubes are what I would call “rovers.” They float around set and are used differently for every set up. I also label them “Snap Grid” or “Softbox” if they are in one for example. Nevertheless they are always taped with their number so who ever operates it can tell me the number for wireless adjustments. Behind the Scenes of Sophie Lindinger - Say My Name (Official Video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib3-zGEKWl4
@https://www.instagram.com/julianmtzt/ Julian Matz, the DOP and I fine turn adjustments from the ipad.
Step 6: Make individual tiles for your lamps
Make tiles for individual lamps. Click on the “target shape” button just right of the Edison three line button in the menu.
In the right hand corner there is a “+” button. Click this. Choose “ individual lights” select the light by the number you gave it. make sure to name this by the fixture number.
Press the three dot next to three line button. This vision lets you see:
The dim percentage of the lamp, color, and lamp.
Press the three dot next to three line button. This vision lets you see:
The dim percent of the lamp, color, and lamp.
In this option you have a better outlook of your tiles. now click on the box to the far left.
Step 7: Color menu.
With your lamps tile highlighted click on “Fader” button
With your lamps tile highlighted click on “Fader” button.
Click the rectangle box which says “C1” a RBG color wheel is nicely placed here. At the bottom there are also pre- made buttons for standard HSI choices like black, 3200, 4000, 5500. (black?! what the hell? it will make sense later for effects)
There are also three different other options to choose from including HSI, gels and favorites.
Step 8: Adjust the Fade-in:
Press the “C1” button if you’re in the color wheel menu. This will take you back to the lamps motion options. (I made this bold because it’s not intuitive, but important. And it took me ages before I figured this out)
To have a quick response on your lamps, adjust your lamps “fade-in” to 1 second. Standard is 10 seconds between color adjustments and thats just too slow for a film set.
Step 9: Understand you tile menu
Go back to the tile “target” button. Here you may see something new. There is now a colored box next to the tile. If you click on it, it takes you back to the color and effect menu.
You can also adjust the light’s intensity.
Step 10: Group your lamps
Reset the lamps: In the target menu click the “pen” button. Then delete all the tiles.
Then go to the connected lights menu. Press the far left button on the side of the lamps. Then press the “magic wand” button on the top right menu. Click “reset lights”.
Now go back to the target. Choose sync set. Add the lamps you want. Press the back arrow. Now your lamps are synced and you can control them as one happy unit.
Step 10: Effects in Flow set
This becomes a more interesting step. Asters have so many options which is awesome. But control takes practice. Here is a basic entry level effect which you can try out.
Delete the tiles you’ve made and reset the lamp(s.) Like the step from before.
Press the “+” button. Choose Flow set.
Then choose the “first set the position count, then add lights” Click the three lined + Edison bulb option. Choose lamp number 1.
Click the arrow then choose lamp number 2.
Then press the back button on the very top menu.
In the top of the menu where it says static swipe right like it’s your next tinder date until you reach “Running”. Choose the circle with the single dot on top of the circle. Now your lamps should be in a chase motion.
By selection C1 you can choose the color. In the color wheel option you can choose black. In C2 you can select tungsten.
Now your lamps should be chasing one another. Adjust the speed of the chase. You can also choose the colors. Enjoy and explore. Now that you have some basics, you can play around with all the options!
My final take on the Astera app
It can be tricky to get your feet wet in the app, but overall if you can trouble shoot and learn for 5 hrs before having it on set, you will have less stress. DO NOT TRY TO LEARN THIS WORKFLOW ON SET. Arrive 1 hrs before loading time at your rental house to connect and understand how this app can help you, then stay another 2/3 hours after if you can. You can also bring 2 Asteras and the Astera box from the kit to your home.
Sometimes you may have issues reconnecting to the app so you should anticipate this possibility. Always have a back up plan in case connection issue happen. Because they do happen. Take two Astera boxes if you can. Bluetooth sucks and you don’t have to be a filmmaker to know this. Bring a tablet which can be fully committed to this task. Phones suck, they’ve been unfortunately polluted with garbage. You’ll never notice it more when trying to open the Astera app with your phone, you’ll feel the urge to open instagram or some other horse shit. ( I had to rant somewhere)
I hope this helps. Please criticize this post if you want. I really put this on the web to start a discussion where people can get tips. If you’re a troll, get a mirror and look at yourself, then stay away from the black mirror and get a real hobby. (dam another rant)
