Crew with dark goggles in 1920th filmaking?

[Igor Trajkovski]

 

I am wondering why F.W.Murnau and his crew

wear dark goggles while filming, as portrayed

in "Shadow of the Vampire"?

 

Best

 

Igor

[Igor Trajkovski]

And here another screengrab from the movie:

 

[JD Hartman]

They appear to be burning goggles. Make that "stylized", "period" burning goggles. Perhaps to filter the UV from the arc lights? Or maybe it's just a design element from the costume department?

Edited July 2, 2010 by JD Hartman

[Mark Dunn]

That's right. An open arc light is exactly as bad for the eyes as a welding arc, so anyone who might have to look directly at one needed dense goggles.

[Igor Trajkovski]

Goggles were put on when rolling begins and

the lights seemed to be on all the time on the set.

 

Between takes googles where removed.

 

Why removing them while "hazardous" light is still on?

 

 

Best

 

Igor

[Mark Dunn]

I'm no expert, but I would imagine arcs were struck between setups, if not between takes. So the film may just have got the protocol wrong.

[Simon Wyss]

What an incorrectitude!

 

Very soft and flat lighting with goggle wearing actors for a historical movie. No mercury-vapor lamps, no arcs

[Frank Glencairn]

Screenwriter Steven Katz was inspired by the original film, and includes many little touches that ring true; the decadence of jazz age Berlin; the solitude and creepiness of the castle exteriors. He even adds the little factoid that Murnau's crew shot their movies while wearing lab coats and goggles, giving the proceedings a pseudo-scientific air.

 

Frank

[Clayton Hollister]

I believe the original film maskers wore magenta goggles. This would help them to see the scene as the film would. The effect is similar to the darkroom. It removes the ability to see in color. Seeing a monochromatic view allows one to have an improved view of the set lighting. Perhaps a lost toll of the cinematographers art that could be used effectively today. I'm tired of films that are set so dark you can't see the action.

[Alan Duckworth]

I believe the original film maskers wore magenta goggles. This would help them to see the scene as the film would. The effect is similar to the darkroom. It removes the ability to see in color. Seeing a monochromatic view allows one to have an improved view of the set lighting. Perhaps a lost toll of the cinematographers art that could be used effectively today. I'm tired of films that are set so dark you can't see the action.

 

The monochrome viewing filter is a Wratten 90, kind of a dirty amber in color. The screengrabs do show this in the one shot that you can see through the googles. The Wratten 90 only transmits about 10% of the light and passes nothing of the spectrum below about 560nm, so they would also be fairly good eye protection against arc light.

 

Tiffen still makes Wratten 90 filters AFAIK.

[Freya Black]

I wondered if it didn't make their eyes about as sensitive to light as the filmstock at the time too :) but yes I'm guessing it's protection for when they strike the lights.

 

Freya