Getting Rid of Reflections?

James Brown · October 14, 2005

Hi,

I have just built a set for my short. It's a replica of an interview box when you visit someone in Gaol. Very small, 1.2m wide by 3m long with a big sheet of perspex in between the two characters. I will be lighting it with three redheads (tunsgten, uncorrected with 1/4 diffusion from overhead) and it is all freshly painted a cream colour..

The problem is there is a huge reflection on both sides and because this is an integral part of my film i do not want to be restricted by angles because of this...Is there any easy way of getting rid of these reflections? Like a dulling spray of some sort, vaseline, anything? i'm shooting in exactly 5 days so any help would be appreciated.

Regards, James.

timHealy · October 14, 2005

where is this set built? On a stage or a large room? I assume you are seeing the stage walls. I wouldn't put dulling spray or anything like that on the glass. It may be easier to remove the unwanted source of the reflection. One you can turn off lights lighting the wall, but also you can use a large 12 x 12 (or something like that) solid rigged to one stand and put it where you see the source of the undesirable reflection. If you keep it on a stand you can move it easily when you make any camera adjustments. Or you can hangs solids all the way around the set, but that may be difficult for a student budget.

Best

Tim

Dimitrios Koukas · October 14, 2005

Hi,

I have just built a set for my short. It's a replica of an interview box when you visit someone in Gaol. Very small, 1.2m wide by 3m long with a big sheet of perspex in between the two characters. I will be lighting it with three redheads (tunsgten, uncorrected with 1/4 diffusion from overhead) and it is all freshly painted a cream colour..

The problem is there is a huge reflection on both sides and because this is an integral part of my film i do not want to be restricted by angles because of this...Is there any easy way of getting rid of these reflections? Like a dulling spray of some sort, vaseline, anything? i'm shooting in exactly 5 days so any help would be appreciated.

Regards, James.

Use some cinefoil to cut away unwanted light that falls onto the objects.this can be done either on the light or away from it.If you have enough space and can get away from the light's heat, then u can just use some black carton.Or streched black cloth.Do not put them near the fixture by any means.

Dimitrios Koukas

Robert Hughes · October 14, 2005

Have you made use of polarizing filters on your camera? Or placed black drape or flats as a negative fill? Those are standard procedures for reducing glare off glass.

Dimitrios Koukas · October 14, 2005

Hi,

I have just built a set for my short. It's a replica of an interview box when you visit someone in Gaol. Very small, 1.2m wide by 3m long with a big sheet of perspex in between the two characters. I will be lighting it with three redheads (tunsgten, uncorrected with 1/4 diffusion from overhead) and it is all freshly painted a cream colour..

The problem is there is a huge reflection on both sides and because this is an integral part of my film i do not want to be restricted by angles because of this...Is there any easy way of getting rid of these reflections? Like a dulling spray of some sort, vaseline, anything? i'm shooting in exactly 5 days so any help would be appreciated.

Regards, James.

Something that I forgot to tell u is tilt the perspex about 10-15 degrees towards the floor, or the ceilling, (depends on what your lights are).

Dimitrios Koukas

James Brown · October 15, 2005

Hi,

Thanks for the replies,

The reflections are not of the Source of light but of the two cast members. We have a test shoot with rehearsal on Monday, I will try a few of the different methods that were mentioned and get back to you.

James

Robert Hughes · October 16, 2005

If you're trying to avoid the actors' reflections in the perspex window, cheat them toward or away from the camera so that their reflections miss the window. This technique is also used in forced perspective, as in the Gandalf/Frodo scenes of LOTR.

Sol Train Saihati · October 16, 2005

Build a barracks for the camera out of C-Stands, Flag Arms, Black Drape and Flags. Cut a small square hole in one piece of the black cloth to stick the camera through.

Will post stills after contributing to forum, pics are too bloody big.

Edited October 16, 2005 by djdumpy

James Brown · October 17, 2005

Hi,

We shot a test on the XL earlier tonight and it seemed all my worrying to get rid of these reflections was a whole lot of stress for nothing. We found that the only way to tell that there was "glass" between them was to have there reflections and now i guess we are trying to go the opposite to get more of a reflection....

But at time when the camera is the POV of each character we will still need to do this, a polariser, some cinefoil round the lights and some black sheets blocking unwanted light is the way to go after seeing the rushes..

Thanks for the help......I also did the test with the XL1s, shot in "anamorphic". It's obviously not real anamorphic but give it a nice 1:85 frame, has anyone had any trouble shooting in this format on the XL? Do you recommend against it for some reason?

Thanks.

James.