Lightbridge started with a need

A need for a more precise, repeatable way to work with reflected light.

Bounce light itself is nothing new. Filmmakers have used it for decades because it is fast, efficient, and can create a natural quality of light while giving actors and creatives more room to move.

It also allows the heavy light source to stay on the ground, while lightweight reflectors can be positioned or rigged where a conventional fixture simply could not go.

The problem was always control.

Spill light needs flags. Flags need stands. Diffusion needs to be rigged or placed on another stand. Every additional layer of control adds equipment, setup time, and adjustments.

High-paced sets rarely have more time to spare — yet the expectation for lighting quality keeps getting higher.

That need became CRLS Precision Reflectors.

It Started on Set

The original approach came from Austrian cinematographer Christian Berger, who developed his own reflective-light system and early prototypes for his films.

Jakob Ballinger began working as Berger’s gaffer around 2010. Together, they continued developing the approach with a practical question in mind:

How do you turn reflected light into a precise, repeatable tool that works reliably on professional productions?

The goal was not simply to reflect light, but to control its quality and direction consistently — and to build a system that crews could use every day.

Lightbridge was founded in Vienna in 2016 to continue that work and make the system available to other filmmakers.

Precise Reflected Light

CRLS Precision Reflectors are designed as a lighting system, not simply as reflective boards.

Each surface produces a defined quality of reflected light, from hard and direct through progressively softer diffusion grades. Different reflector sizes and surfaces work within the same system, allowing crews to select a light quality and reproduce it consistently.

The light source can remain at a distance. The lightweight reflector becomes the point where the light is positioned and shaped close to the subject.

Adjustments happen at the reflector rather than by moving the entire lighting setup.

Less spill to flag. Fewer frames around the actors. Less equipment inside the set.

More time to look at the image.

Made in Vienna

Lightbridge is based in Vienna, Austria.

CRLS Precision Reflectors and core mechanical components are produced with specialized Austrian manufacturing partners, then assembled, checked, and prepared for professional use in Vienna.

Every reflector is built to maintain consistent characteristics across sizes, diffusion grades, and production batches.

That consistency matters when a rental house expands an existing kit. It matters when a crew adds another reflector years later. And it matters when a damaged component needs to be replaced without changing the characteristics of the rest of the system.

The equipment is designed for daily professional use — on sound stages, in small rooms, in cars, on cranes, and on exterior rigs.

Not just for the conditions that look good in product photography.

Built for the Long Run

Professional equipment is an investment. It needs to remain usable, repairable, and supported.

Lightbridge products carry a two-year warranty and direct manufacturer support from people who understand both the equipment and the realities of working on set.

Reflectors, grip components, and bags are available individually. A damaged part should not mean replacing an entire kit.

In the US, Lightbridge equipment and support are handled through Edgestone Bright, our dealer and distribution partner, giving US crews and rental houses a direct point of contact for stock, orders, and support.

CRLS is used by professional crews, dealers, and rental houses across Europe and the US.

The system received an NAB Award of Excellence in 2018 and a Guild of Television Camera Professionals Innovation Award in 2023.

Since its introduction, CRLS has also inspired at least eight competing interpretations of the concept — perhaps the most flattering form of recognition.

Awards are appreciated. What matters more is equipment that crews can rely on when they arrive on set the next morning.

After more than 20 years as a gaffer, I still believe the best lighting tools are the ones that give us more time to look, feel, and make decisions.”

— Jakob Ballinger, Founder of Lightbridge