Once a staple of the filmmaking industry, the incandescent light bulb and its technology is now being phased out. So, how does this affect gaffers and cinematographers?

Filmmakers would use these bulbs are practicals within their set or in high-powered fixtures to shape the light in their scene. It really was a jack-of-all-trades tool.

According to CNN, the incandescent light bulb has been on its way out for the last 16 years. This all started in 2007 when a ruling was made to see the end of the light bulb we've all come to love.

Tungsten incandescent lightbulb

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​Tungsten lights create natural warm lighting that is great at reproducing color and skin tones. It was how we all saw movies until LED became commonly used.

But while filmmaking lights are considered specialty lighting and will stay around for a while, creatives will move on to better technology. When this happens, there won't be a market for traditional incandescent lights.

However, there are still some exceptions to this rule. The following types of lighting are exempt, even if they are based on incandescent bulb technology:

Fast forward a decade and a half, a bit of bath and forth, and the rule finally went into effect on Tuesday, August 1st, 2023.

Sure, there were other lighting solutions, such as HMI and Xenon, but these are used when filmmakers need massive output. Tungsten lights were always the foundation, not the exception.

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In cinema, there are several types of lighting. Before LED became today's powerhouse, practically every light used on set was based on incandescent light bulb technology. This typically uses tungsten filament to produce light, which is why it's often called tungsten lighting in filmmaking.

Tungstenbulb photography

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All the above considered, it's no surprise to see Duplass take to social media with an encouraging statement following the recently announced 2025 Sundance lineup this past Wednesday. Duplass, hot off positive reviews for the recently released The Creep Tapes on Shudder, warmly comforted filmmakers that if you happened to apply to Sundance and weren't selected, hey, that's okay. They curate 15,775. It happens.

Even so, filmmakers always relied on this type of lighting. Partly because it was great at reproducing color and partly because there wasn't anything else on the market.

While that won't be an issue for new filmmakers, the old guard must adapt. So long, tungsten, you were a fantastic tool.

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Tungstenbulb vs LED

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​So, while we shouldn't worry about tomorrow, the next decade is a different story. Lighting has been changing in leaps and bounds over the past few years, and this ban further pushes our transition into different types of lighting.

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There were drawbacks, however, as tungsten blubs needed a lot of wattage (relatively) to function and were too hot to touch without gloves. Sometimes, the bulbs themselves would explode, at least in the high-output tungsten fixtures.

Incandescent light

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We all know rejection sucks, but don't sweat it. Be proud of your project no matter what. And watch Mark Duplass's full snippet of encouraging wisdom below.

Tungsten lightbulb vsincandescent

Mark Duplass has always been a filmmaker's filmmaker. He famously delivered his "The Cavalry is Not Coming" speech at SXSW as a call to action for independent filmmakers to stop waiting and start shooting. Duplass also historically creates and works on small-budget indie projects, including being a key member of the lo-fi, bare-bones mumblecore movement. He's also a charismatic actor who brings a relatable ethos to every role he plays—not to mention seems like an overall cool dude.

20191212 — Most people can perceive light at roughly 400-700 nm in wavelength (25,000-14,286 cm-1 wavenumber). The infrared range covers 700-1000 nm ( ...

​Simply put, incandescent light bulbs were banned because they aren't as energy efficient and don't produce enough lumens as modern LED fixtures.

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As incandescent light bulbs go the way of the Dodo Bird, other lighting technology will overtake them. LED already has. Some cinema LED fixtures are so good they may even be on par with traditional tungsten lights, if not better.

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Tungsten Lighting In cinema, there are several types of lighting. Before LED became today's powerhouse, practically every light used on set was based on incandescent light bulb technology. This typically uses tungsten filament to produce light, which is why it's often called tungsten lighting in filmmaking.Sure, there were other lighting solutions, such as HMI and Xenon, but these are used when filmmakers need massive output. Tungsten lights were always the foundation, not the exception. M-Series HMIARRI​Tungsten lights create natural warm lighting that is great at reproducing color and skin tones. It was how we all saw movies until LED became commonly used.Filmmakers would use these bulbs are practicals within their set or in high-powered fixtures to shape the light in their scene. It really was a jack-of-all-trades tool.There were drawbacks, however, as tungsten blubs needed a lot of wattage (relatively) to function and were too hot to touch without gloves. Sometimes, the bulbs themselves would explode, at least in the high-output tungsten fixtures.Even so, filmmakers always relied on this type of lighting. Partly because it was great at reproducing color and partly because there wasn't anything else on the market. The Ban ​Simply put, incandescent light bulbs were banned because they aren't as energy efficient and don't produce enough lumens as modern LED fixtures.However, there are still some exceptions to this rule. The following types of lighting are exempt, even if they are based on incandescent bulb technology:Appliance lamps, including fridge and oven lightsBlack lightsBug lampsColored lampsInfrared lampsLeft-handed thread lampsPlant lightsFloodlightsReflector lampsShowcase lampsTraffic signalsSome other specialty lights, including marine lamps and some odd-sized bulbsARRI 300 Plus Tungsten FresnelARRIThe last bullet point is the one we care about. Lights used for filmmaking are still considered specialty lighting, so any lights you need for your production should remain untouched by this ban.At least for now. The Long Term Effect As incandescent light bulbs go the way of the Dodo Bird, other lighting technology will overtake them. LED already has. Some cinema LED fixtures are so good they may even be on par with traditional tungsten lights, if not better.But while filmmaking lights are considered specialty lighting and will stay around for a while, creatives will move on to better technology. When this happens, there won't be a market for traditional incandescent lights.Aputure’s amaran Series of LED MonolightsAputure​So, while we shouldn't worry about tomorrow, the next decade is a different story. Lighting has been changing in leaps and bounds over the past few years, and this ban further pushes our transition into different types of lighting. While that won't be an issue for new filmmakers, the old guard must adapt. So long, tungsten, you were a fantastic tool.

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The last bullet point is the one we care about. Lights used for filmmaking are still considered specialty lighting, so any lights you need for your production should remain untouched by this ban.