Formatt Hitech has been designing and manufacturing cinema filters in Wales for over 30 years. They are a UK based manufacturer of filters, collaborating on a day-to-day basis with operators and cinematographers both here and overseas to understand the needs of a modern filmmaker. During the development of their latest Firecrest Cinema range, they decided to go back to the drawing board and find out what today's operators really wanted.  Armed with this research, they developed a rare earth mineral coating used to create a hyper neutral range of NDs.

They have an open-door policy for operators and cinematographers to visit, discuss, develop and create for individual projects, especially when a production intends to do more in-camera than in the grade. Taking the products from inception, through multiple refinements, to the best cinema diffusion filters on the market today has been a slow process, but one that leads to greater innovation and industry collaboration especially when working on test films through to TV shows and feature films such as the latest Batman, before the general release of the product.

Formatt Hitech also welcome visitors to their factory in order to demonstrate the skill and attention that goes into every filter that leaves the building. They have space to test and discuss individual projects which bespoke development needs. They also introduce DOPs and visitors to over 25 years of filter manufacturing via their Vintage Library of filters which are still very much in demand for productions seeking a definite ‘look’ or ‘feel’. One of these filters is currently on a feature shooting flashbacks elements even though it was created over 25 years ago.

“When you're putting a piece of glass between the lens and your subject, quality and consistency is everything. Formatt Hitech filters gives me that in spades. The Firecrest ND range is particularly fabulous with no noticeable colour shift across all densities. Really great tools that I constantly go to.”

Alex Metcalfe (Director of Photography and Formatt Hitech Ambassador)