On Location Window Reflections

[Tim Schroeder]

Hey y'all,

Not sure if this is more of a grip and rigging question or if it's more appropriate to this section. That being said:

I have a potential on location shoot taking place at a convenience store where the shot in question needs to be shot through the window of the business. During the day the reflections make it near impossible to see inside the store, while at night, the lights illuminating the gas pumps are visible in the reflection of the window. Plus the issue of the camera itself showing up in the window reflections as well. Unfortunately the shot does need to be straight on as it were, so there's no place to hide the camera off to either side.

What kind of set up would be needed to get this kind of shot that would eliminate the window reflections?

[David Mullen ASC]

You can't shoot flat on to a mirror and not see yourself so the same is true for a piece of glass.  At best, you cover the camera with black and you put a giant black behind the camera -- but then you have no reflections unless you then add them back in post as an effect.  And in daylight, a black camera and black wall behind it may still be in too much light to disappear, you'd have to tent out the whole window with black above and the sides as well.

I'd consider shooting at an angle for one thing and shoot when the reflected view isn't in full sun, plus brighten the interior to compensate -- you may even be able to put a large double net scrim on a frame to darken the reflected view though you risk seeing the scrim material depending on where your focus is.  Or put a big black solid but only to cut the reflection area but leave enough natural light on the window.