Light Source Film is a beacon of transformation that has evolved far beyond its humble beginnings just over a decade ago.  

The brainchild of lighting technician Aaron Keating, Light Source Film was originally set up as a portal to help qualified and sometimes overlooked sparks to showcase their talents. In other words, it aimed to shatter the barriers of nepotism and word-of-mouth referrals often synonymous with this side of the industry.  

Last year, he sold the company to gaffer Harlon Haveland, who runs it with his two friends – senior SFX technician Paul Dane and corporate banker Michael Smith.     

Now, the trio owns the largest database of qualified electricians in the British Isles – something Haveland says he “really didn’t expect” given the company’s humble beginnings.   

“The initial idea was just to create a place for qualified sparks to have a chance of finding work,” Haveland says. “From its origins as a modest club of merely 300 sparks, Light Source has burgeoned into an established organisation of 3,000 members and rising. It’s incredible how much it has grown.”   

Yet despite the tremendous growth, the company remains discerning about who registers, carefully selecting who can showcase their credentials. All applicants must have a qualification or at least be able to list several credits to prove they are able to do the job.   

That’s because Haveland wants to “get away from the WhatsApp culture” of people recommending people for jobs for which they’re not qualified.    

“It jeopardises the industry’s credibility, because you never know what you’re going to get from those groups,” he adds. “As a result, there are many unqualified people and ones who are not up to scratch. Light Source was conceived to weed out these problems and that’s what we’re doing.”  

Sparks interested in working on film sets can upload their credentials and IMDB credits to the website. However, they must undergo a vetting process, substantiating their qualifications or demonstrating their extensive industry experience.   

“It means gaffers, best boys and rigging gaffers alike can turn to Light Source to engage the best sparks knowing they have been through a thorough process and come with a level of credibility.” 

Haveland says COVID also proved to be a catalyst for Light Source and the industry large because it created a job vacuum when productions started again after the best part of two years.  

“After COVID, the industry exploded but the landscape had changed so much, so many found it hard to get the right labour,” he says.   

Among the projects members have contributed to are Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Top Gun: Maverick, Barbie, The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Fast X.  

Haveland is forward thinking and says the company is very much looking forward to growing the business. For one, Light Source has forged a partnership with British Cinematographer, which will lead to benefits for its members.  

“We also have a big partnership in negotiation at the moment which means they can get discounts on all sorts of things, ranging from food to holidays and gym memberships,” Haveland adds.  

What’s more, he says the company’s aspirations reach even further with plans to extend its remit to encompass several different departments from all facets of filmmaking.   

“We want to attract crew across the board and be the biggest go-to database for bona fide quality crew,” Haveland adds. “It will be the only actual verified database for professionals in the film industry and we will be strict with the people who sign up as we need to keep the exclusivity and the integrity of the crew.”  

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Words: Robert Shepherd 

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Lightsourcefilm.com