Twenty Years of FAT Lighting

A conversation at a schoolyard back in 2000 was the beginning. Two families launched FAT Lighting with one truck, a suite of gear, and some of the industry’s leading gaffers. Fast forward 20 years, and FAT has expanded its fleet of vehicles with everything from 20-tonne trucks to vans and utes, trailers, and generators. Known for having a solid foundation of tried and tested lights, rigging, and power distribution, as well as a rapidly increasing selection of the latest technologically advanced lights. FAT works with small to large-scale local and international productions from TV and Film to events and shows – whatever the job, they’ll do it, and they are committed to providing a service that is second to none.

Tracey Cochrane and Matt Suttle head up the FAT warehouse at 7/489 Rosebank Road, Avondale, in Auckland. Tracey is a self-made businesswoman who has been with FAT since its inception. Coming from a background in financial corporate and business advisory, she uses her expertise to back FAT and grow the business.

The technical-whiz Matt, who many will know as a strong communicator, heads up operations in the warehouse. Matt has been working in the industry since he was 16 years old and recently moved from the United Kingdom, where he was a project manager at one of the world’s largest independent lighting rental companies, working on large-scale productions with globally renowned artists and feature films. He has also managed a large generator company servicing the events and film industries.

Matt loves to share his passion for all things lighting to help newcomers in the industry and is always keen to jump on a job to learn alongside gaffers so they can continue to build the FAT inventory and develop a vision for the industry’s upcoming needs. Matt believes that “to stay relevant, we have to understand the people we support, we have to understand the industry’s needs and the way it operates.

“We support both established gaffers and newcomers to arm them with the tools and knowledge they need to get ahead. The screen industry is a tight-knit family, and at FAT, we want to see Kiwi talent succeed. Fostering relationships, learning from, and collaborating with other like-minded people and businesses is crucial - like our next-door neighbours at Craft Services,” said Matt.

As the New Zealand film industry recovers from the impact of COVID restrictions, FAT continues to ramp up its inventory and services to cater to productions of all scales across New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

“The New Zealand screen industry is busier than it has ever been before, and we’re attracting more overseas large-scale productions and streaming services like Amazon and Netflix, who are choosing to film in New Zealand. This is all possible thanks to the hard-working, passionate, and driven Kiwis who are both on-set and behind the scenes, investing in equipment, creating studios, and continuing to evolve and grow our local creative industry,” said Tracey.

“At FAT, we’re doing our part by making sure we have a wide range of the latest and most advanced equipment available, and being contactable 24/7 to help book, get the gear on the job, and provide technical support while you are working. What we do a bit differently is that we also supply vehicles for gaffers and production companies to hire, kit out and use – and if you are unable to get to our warehouse, we’ll deliver,” said Matt.

The local screen industry is going from strength to strength, and FAT is excited by it. “The demands from international feature films have helped FAT to invest in the latest technology, which once added to the inventory can help benefit more local productions and gaffers by providing equipment at affordable price points,” said Tracey.

Some of the gear FAT is currently excited to have on offer are New Zealand’s widest range of Astera products in large quantities; Creamsource Vortex units, which are the next generation of LED soft lights; the Aputure range; and the Fiilex range – Cinegear award winners, offering high-quality LED Fresnel’s with an extremely high Colour Rendering Index (CRI).

They are also sales agents for a selection of specialist lights and equipment, including the Fiilex range of LED fixtures and Androokie Magnet sets, which allow quick and easy rigging for LED tubes and fixtures.

So, what’s next for FAT?

On top of the ever-growing and evolving inventory, FAT has started hosting industry events to help show the latest technology and fixtures, as well as workshops for industry talent. An Astera open day showcased their range and gave people the opportunity to try out the products and learn more about their technical capabilities. More recently, the Women in Film and Television Demystifying Lighting workshop helped answer questions about lighting and grip equipment. Q&A’s are a big part of solution finding, and the FAT team always has time for knowledge sharing.

Further, the journey towards becoming more sustainable as a business and an industry is top of mind.

“I love that the industry is looking for and supporting more sustainable solutions. It is great to see the larger projects completing sustainability reports and monitoring how equipment is impacting the environment so they can improve it to be kinder to Earth,” said Tracey.

“At FAT, we’re continuing to look at more ways we can do our part for the planet. From choosing LED technology that has lower power consumption and less waste due to longer lifespans to power generators with lower emissions – we’re keeping a keen eye on what new, more sustainable technology is coming out,” added Matt.

If you’re interested in checking out FAT’s full range of lights, equipment, and vehicles, testing out the gear, chatting about an upcoming job, or just having a yarn, be sure to visit www.fatlighting.co.nz or give them a call. You can also check out the FAT Instagram at @fat_lighting, where they’re sharing the latest gear as it rolls in the door.

“Twenty years on, and we still consider ourselves to be a small family business. We pride ourselves on providing good service, and if we say we are going to deliver - we will! We consider ourselves fortunate to be working alongside the incredibly talented and supportive people who make the New Zealand film industry what it is,” said Tracey.