Jase Ryan Posted April 2, 2007 Share Posted April 2, 2007 (edited) I'm new cinematography and have a basic question. What's a Blimp? I've heard the word being used before but have no idea what it does or is on a camera. Can anyone answer this for me? Thanks. Jase Ryan Edited April 2, 2007 by Jase Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Collier Posted April 2, 2007 Share Posted April 2, 2007 A blimp is a camera accessory made of heavy fabric designed to insulate the sound a camera makes. It can go around just the magazine or the whole camera. It can be a custom factory made model that fits particular mags, or it could be shipping pads or heavy blankets gaff-taped on. The idea is to take a camera that is not quite suitable for sync sound due to it being too loud, or a camera that must fit in very close quarters to the mic and walls around it, and to insulate and muffle the sound from getting to the mic. It can also refer to the metal cage that is used to supend mics in foam in high-wind environments. You've seen them, they look just like a mesh-wire zeplin, and sometimes have windsocks and furries on top of the foam thats inside the blimp. See also: Hindenburg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck colburn Posted April 3, 2007 Share Posted April 3, 2007 (edited) Michael The item you are refering to is a BARNEY not a blimp. A camera blimp is a mechanical housing that fits around the whole camera package. The unit that goes around a microphone is sometimes refered to as a Zepplin. A name that I believe was first used by the Sennheiser Co. Chuck Edited April 3, 2007 by chuck colburn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member David Mullen ASC Posted April 3, 2007 Premium Member Share Posted April 3, 2007 Yes, basically if it is hard shell, it's a blimp, and if it's soft cover, it's a barney. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd eacrett Posted April 3, 2007 Share Posted April 3, 2007 And some suggest the barney is so named for Barney Google -- or more specifically the oversized horse-blanket worn by his nag Spark Plug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase Ryan Posted April 3, 2007 Author Share Posted April 3, 2007 (edited) Thanks for the reply's. Besides what it's made from, is there a difference in performance? Does one absorb the sound better than the other? Jase Edited April 3, 2007 by Jase Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member David Mullen ASC Posted April 3, 2007 Premium Member Share Posted April 3, 2007 Barneys are used on sync-sound "silent" (i.e. "self-blimped") cameras when they are not quite silent enough, but blimps are used on noisy cameras to make them quiet enough for sound shooting. For example, a noisier-than-usual Eclair NPR or Arri-BL3 might benefit from a barney. The phenomenon of "self-blimped" (quiet enough to not need a blimp) cameras didn't arise until the mid 1960's/early 1970's. Otherwise, people used solid blimps on cameras like Mitchell's, Arri-2C's, Technicolor 3-strip cameras, etc. They made the camera quite huge and cumbersome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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