Specialty Cardboard for Flags?

Stephen Baldassarre · July 20, 2023

Hello, it's been a while since I've been here but I have a very specific material need I can't find anywhere. When I worked in television, years ago, we had large sheets of what's basically like VERY heavy, stiff, construction paper. This stuff would stay flat but if you intentionally bent it, it would stay in place and held up to high temps from being clipped to barn doors on 2K & 5K Fresnels. If you tore it, you can see that it's black through and through, not just on the surface like normal construction paper. I really need some of this stuff and none of the lighting/photography places have any clue about it, nor do the craft stores. Does anybody know where I can get something like that?

I have to replace a projection screen in an auditorium. Ambient spill light is bad enough on the current screen but they want the new screen to be hung lower. I measured a full-stop more ambient light where the new bottom of the screen is going and need to extend the barn doors substantially in order to get the hard-cut line needed to light people on the stage without washing out the screen. I made some extensions, turning 6" barn doors into 16", out of 30AWG sheet metal and high-temp paint. That worked perfectly for the ECT barn doors, as I could just tighten the bolts to hold them in place. The DeSisti barn doors won't hold the weight and regular construction paper just plain DID NOT WORK. :D I can't use regular flags and C-stand parts due to the construction of the ceiling.

Really, that stuff we used in television would be perfect. Any advice would be much appreciated, thank you!

Eric Eader · July 21, 2023

Stephan,

You might try "Black Wrap" Cinefoil from Roscoe, the same people who make cine gel.

It is a thicker, blackened aluminum foil.

They also make "White Wrap" which is used for reflecting light (as apposed to blocking with black wrap).

One thing though, use gloves to handle it.

I don't seem to be able to handle either wood or Cinefoil without getting splinters or cutting myself.

Hope this helps.

Stephen Baldassarre · July 25, 2023

I'm familiar with the blackened foil. It IS good stuff, though a bit dangerous to handle. I wound up going back to Hobby Lobby again and this time, found something close enough for my purposes.

Thanks!