When shooting in warm outdoor conditions heat will not only be an issue for you to stay on top of things on set but your equipment might act up and asks for a refreshing cool down too.
For example there is the Canon R5 that will pop up a heat warning icon when filming in 8K or the Fuji GFX 100 that has heat-related issues when performing in burst mode for too long. Add some harsh summer sunlight and things will get even worse.
This article will focus on the digital backbone of most location shoots - the Laptop. With a few simple tips and tricks, you can ensure that your laptop stays at an optimal temperature and runs smoothly in hot weather. To avoid upcoming heat issues, you might find the next few tips pretty refreshing*. (pun intended 🥁)
Your Macbook is designed to work in a wide range of temperatures, but when it is too hot, the laptop can slow down and becomes unreliable. Heat can cause performance issues and even damage components of your laptop.
There are dozens of thermal sensors on your machine that check for the temperatures of the internal parts. The most crucial and quickest to heat up are the CPU and GPU. They can easily reach up to 95° C. As 100 °C is that fancy number where things start cooking your machine, protection protocols will downclock your components to reduce additional heat, resulting in slower performances. Before shit hits the fans your machine will power off completely to protect your hardware from major damage.
When it comes to the Apple silicon-based Macbooks heat is a much smaller issue compared to older Intel-based Macbooks. This was a huge update on the thermal issue front.
Nerdy-fun-fact: The Intel CPU structure was maxed out by Apple on previous models. They needed 60-95 Watts of power the performance maxed out, resulting in working on the limit with your machine constantly. An M1/M2-based Macbook only needs around 20-60 Watts to sustain a full battery and reach it's max performance. 💪
One of the most crucial factors to reduce the heat on your machine simply is staying in shadows. Direct sun is the most relevant factor to avoid to keep external heat from your machine. And there is another benefit. You might get some cooling shadows well.😉 Of course, there are location shoots where shadows are hard to find. They are rarely found on the beach, aren’t they? But a floppy flag or umbrella will do the trick.
Most people got this by now, but if you didn’t … why would you put a power bank that produces heat directly under your Laptop? It will act just like a hot water bottle increasing the heat on your machine. Yes, it’s comfortable to keep it in the lid of your iWorkcase or strap it under your Digiplate but should you though? Therefore, placing your source of power away from your machine is the way to go on hotter days.
Never come to set with an almost discharged laptop. Charging your machine while under heavy load will significantly increase the heat within your machine. On the other hand, keeping up the charge is a much easier task. Therefore always start your day on set fresh with a fully charged battery. You don’t show up at your call time with a hangover and only a few hours of sleep, do you? Or at least you try not to do this regularly, don’t you? 😅
Don’t build a fort. Increase the possible airflow on your machine. The heated air needs to flow as much as possible. Here a Digiplate has a clear advantage over an iWorkcase. There are two things that might help either way. Get a small USB-powered Fan to do the heavy lifting. This really helps and makes your life a lot easier.
This is a dangerous one, that needs special care and should only be used in - nothing else helps - scenarios. Putting ice packs wrapped in a kitchen towel under your machine will help cool it down. The towel will help with condensation. Switching the towels as well as the ice packs is key. Take extra care with the condensation water under the belly of your machine. You have been warned. This is a good time to mention… always bring a backup machine. 😉
Quit all other applications that are not needed on set to keep the performance to the max without putting extra pressure on your machine’s processors. Start your export tasks after machine gun fire-style shooting bursts or after wrap. Work smart, not fast.
When you are still rocking an intel-based Macbook you might want to look at the App „Turbo Boost Switcher“. This App allows you to turn off the turbo function on your machine. This will result in lower power consumption and lower overall performance but can be more sustainable under extreme heat for a long period of time without the danger of a complete system freeze. I used it before successfully on various shoots. The lower power consumption is also beneficial in case you have difficulties keeping your Macbook charged on the hungry 85W+ input need.
Talking about ‚old‘ machines… When your machine is older than 2 years, you work a lot in dusty environments or you tidy up your space way less than you should - you might want to dig deeper to cool things down. Open up your MacBook with a tutorial from ifixit.com and check if the internal CPU/GPU fans are dusted-up and gross. This might decrease the efficiency of the fans.
It is a very satisfying experience using a dust blower to blow out all that old and grey powder. Your machine and you will feel brand new after some much-needed clean-up routine. It’s like a SPA for your machine. Not needed very often, but oh boy, doesn't it feel like being born again? 🧖♀️
When shooting in warm outdoor conditions heat will not only be an issue for you to stay on top of things on set but your equipment might act up and asks for a refreshing cool down too.
For example there is the Canon R5 that will pop up a heat warning icon when filming in 8K or the Fuji GFX 100 that has heat-related issues when performing in burst mode for too long. Add some harsh summer sunlight and things will get even worse.
This article will focus on the digital backbone of most location shoots - the Laptop. With a few simple tips and tricks, you can ensure that your laptop stays at an optimal temperature and runs smoothly in hot weather. To avoid upcoming heat issues, you might find the next few tips pretty refreshing*. (pun intended 🥁)
Your Macbook is designed to work in a wide range of temperatures, but when it is too hot, the laptop can slow down and becomes unreliable. Heat can cause performance issues and even damage components of your laptop.
There are dozens of thermal sensors on your machine that check for the temperatures of the internal parts. The most crucial and quickest to heat up are the CPU and GPU. They can easily reach up to 95° C. As 100 °C is that fancy number where things start cooking your machine, protection protocols will downclock your components to reduce additional heat, resulting in slower performances. Before shit hits the fans your machine will power off completely to protect your hardware from major damage.
When it comes to the Apple silicon-based Macbooks heat is a much smaller issue compared to older Intel-based Macbooks. This was a huge update on the thermal issue front.
Nerdy-fun-fact: The Intel CPU structure was maxed out by Apple on previous models. They needed 60-95 Watts of power the performance maxed out, resulting in working on the limit with your machine constantly. An M1/M2-based Macbook only needs around 20-60 Watts to sustain a full battery and reach it's max performance. 💪
One of the most crucial factors to reduce the heat on your machine simply is staying in shadows. Direct sun is the most relevant factor to avoid to keep external heat from your machine. And there is another benefit. You might get some cooling shadows well.😉 Of course, there are location shoots where shadows are hard to find. They are rarely found on the beach, aren’t they? But a floppy flag or umbrella will do the trick.
Most people got this by now, but if you didn’t … why would you put a power bank that produces heat directly under your Laptop? It will act just like a hot water bottle increasing the heat on your machine. Yes, it’s comfortable to keep it in the lid of your iWorkcase or strap it under your Digiplate but should you though? Therefore, placing your source of power away from your machine is the way to go on hotter days.
Never come to set with an almost discharged laptop. Charging your machine while under heavy load will significantly increase the heat within your machine. On the other hand, keeping up the charge is a much easier task. Therefore always start your day on set fresh with a fully charged battery. You don’t show up at your call time with a hangover and only a few hours of sleep, do you? Or at least you try not to do this regularly, don’t you? 😅
Don’t build a fort. Increase the possible airflow on your machine. The heated air needs to flow as much as possible. Here a Digiplate has a clear advantage over an iWorkcase. There are two things that might help either way. Get a small USB-powered Fan to do the heavy lifting. This really helps and makes your life a lot easier.
This is a dangerous one, that needs special care and should only be used in - nothing else helps - scenarios. Putting ice packs wrapped in a kitchen towel under your machine will help cool it down. The towel will help with condensation. Switching the towels as well as the ice packs is key. Take extra care with the condensation water under the belly of your machine. You have been warned. This is a good time to mention… always bring a backup machine. 😉
Quit all other applications that are not needed on set to keep the performance to the max without putting extra pressure on your machine’s processors. Start your export tasks after machine gun fire-style shooting bursts or after wrap. Work smart, not fast.
When you are still rocking an intel-based Macbook you might want to look at the App „Turbo Boost Switcher“. This App allows you to turn off the turbo function on your machine. This will result in lower power consumption and lower overall performance but can be more sustainable under extreme heat for a long period of time without the danger of a complete system freeze. I used it before successfully on various shoots. The lower power consumption is also beneficial in case you have difficulties keeping your Macbook charged on the hungry 85W+ input need.
Talking about ‚old‘ machines… When your machine is older than 2 years, you work a lot in dusty environments or you tidy up your space way less than you should - you might want to dig deeper to cool things down. Open up your MacBook with a tutorial from ifixit.com and check if the internal CPU/GPU fans are dusted-up and gross. This might decrease the efficiency of the fans.
It is a very satisfying experience using a dust blower to blow out all that old and grey powder. Your machine and you will feel brand new after some much-needed clean-up routine. It’s like a SPA for your machine. Not needed very often, but oh boy, doesn't it feel like being born again? 🧖♀️
