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How to apply ND to windows?


Dirk DeJonghe

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Try using baby oil. Pre-cut your gel first or it will get messy. Then use a tissue to smear the oil around the windows edge. 3/4" smear. You don't need to go right to the edge. Then squeegee the air bubbles out. It works real neat & cleans up a treat with some tissues.

 

 

Remi

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I've used soapy water before, and the ND held for 3 days. Just be careful in how much water you use, you won't need much.

 

On one shoot I was on, they used to much water and it gave the window a weird wavy appearance, but then by the next morning it looked perfectly fine. So it's a good idea to take care of it the day before a shoot if you've never done it before.

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I'd not use baby oil. It is not a good idea. The way we do it is with either plain water or water with a touch of soap added. Use a spray bottle and squeegee from the center out. That is all you need to get good cohesion to a window with gels. Water will hold it for the shoot day and soapy water (dishwashing liquid) for even longer.

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Hi There

I'd definitely second the water idea - soapy or otherwise. I've often used a spritzer with clean water for this. A good squeegee is a must.

One thing to watch out for is dusty gel - all surfaces have to be clean before you start (I've been caught out by gels having picked up dust due to static - you end up with a strange bumpy/bubbly appearance - fine for distant backgrounds but not so good on car windows 6" from the talent!)

Cheers

Alex

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the Key I am working with right now used water and sprite mixed, I dont know the mixture, in a spray bottle. Then Squeeged. The rigging key hung some large windows using paper tape and snot tape. Paper then snot on top. It was fast and dirty.

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Don't knock baby oil till you've tried it. I was a doubter too. Only round the edges mind. The centre stays totally dry.

 

I don't doubt it, but here's the problem I have with it. To walk into someone home, or establishment and put oil on their windows, and perhaps expensive windows with nice dressings, with ANY potential at leaving their home not exactly like one left it is not acceptable to me. I do not know anyone in the states that uses or would even consider such a thing. To me it would be the equivalent of putting a PVC dolly down on someone's carpet and spraying the tracks to lubricate them with WD40 or 3 in 1 oil. Sure it may work, but what might the consequences be, and what kind of clean up am I going to have. It's just not something I would suggest when a simple spray bottle, water and a teaspoon of soap does the trick, and doesn't leave odor or residue and cleans up real easy with no residue on your windows, crew, or any other part of someones home. Perhaps in the UK it is something that works, but for a novice filmmaker I would not suggest it.

Edited by WALTER GRAFF
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I heard that the baby oil option is used primarily for porn movies. It was discovered by accident after filming an oil on oil wrestling scene in which the two performers brushed up against a glass... oh well, apparently one had to be there. Ironically the lead star's name was Endy.

 

As for using soap and water, just make sure the owners of the property don't see you lathering up their windows because they just may expect you or your crew to clean up each and every window after the shoot is done.

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It helps to have a clean window, but I haven't used a squeegee in years; just 1/2" clear double stick tape, which you apply all around the outer edge of the glass. It doesn't really matter what you use to adhere the gel to the window - as long as it doesn't show, sticks and can be removed at wrap. The main thing is to sweep any excess gel from the center out the edge, and then have a good new blade to trim away the excess.

 

Here's a shot w/ full cto on the inside of the windows, done w/ double stick clear tape - no oil, or soapy water or squeegee:

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Another thought -- Home Depot sells a couple kinds of ND/reflective material for semi-permanent installation on glass. They come with some sort of spray bottle stuff that's supposed to hold for as long as you want, and come off clean. Has anybody tried that?

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.

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