Maluna has been a partner of the UCO for a few months now. If you are not yet familiar with them, we invite you to get to know this long-standing company.
We took the road to La Courneuve to meet Katia Fromentin, the company’s manager and partner.
UCO: Katia, how did this wonderful adventure begin?
Katia: Maluna came into being almost 20 years ago, when a group of friends decided to start a grip-equipment rental business — an initiative that gave rise to our innovative softbox, the famous LUCIOLE.
Over time, moving between sales and rental, Maluna shifted towards the exclusive distribution of renowned brands such as The Rag Place and Lightbridge, as well as portable batteries. We are always on the lookout for unique products or brands.
UCO: How is the team made up?
Katia: Maluna brings together four partners, all gaffers/chief electricians (Greg Fromentin, Olivier Mandrin, Jean-Noël Viry, Patrice Millet), and myself as manager.
UCO: What makes Maluna distinctive?
Katia: Our flagship products are of course the Lucioles, the TRP fabrics (all sizes, all colours), various batteries including the small Maluna 1500 that has been — and continues to be — such a success, not forgetting the Lightbridge products.
UCO: What appeals to Maluna about the partnership with the UCO?
Katia: It is a chance to exchange with other cinematographers, build new relationships and discover the new projects under way. To successfully sell our products, it is crucial that customers get to know and explore them. So we are eager to meet the Union’s members to discuss our products as well as their needs and challenges.
UCO: How do you see the future of the profession, and what kind of relationship would you like to keep with it?
Katia: The profession is constantly evolving; equipment is becoming ever more precise and electronic. You barely have time to get used to a product before a new version is released.
The daughter of a cinematographer and the sister of a gaffer, I took my first steps on a film set. I am committed to keeping an exclusive, privileged relationship with the technical crews on shoots.
UCO: What projects do you have in mind for the future?
Katia: I want to keep exchanging and offering new exclusives, while preserving the special relationship we have with our customers. Finding the solution they need is essential, because at Maluna, anything is possible.
Lighting range:
Nano LED, 100W, 200W
COMPACT 2000W, 650W
Custom LED strip
Compact Beam Light
Pipeline RAW, FREE
AREA 48 COLOR
LEDZEP PUNCH 2X4, 1X4, 1X2
CONNECT ETX4, PLUS, ONE, RX 200N, RX 100S, TX100N
CONTROL ONE
LED MASTER NEO, PULSE
LIGHTBRIDGE C-100, C-Go 2.0, C-START, C-SpeedBag C-100, C-MOVE +, C-DRIVE +, C-Cleaning
DIMMER 2K
Accessories / grip range:
Rain protection
Cyclones
TRP – Checkerboard Lamé
Heads
Extension arms
Frames
Custom frames
Flags
Floppy
Custom covers
Mamas
SNAPBAG®
FAT-RABBIT®
RABBIT-ROUNDER®
RABBIT-EARS®
BUTTERFLY
SNAPGRID®
SNAPBOX®
