DIY Mattebox with french flags $0!!!

dory_breaux

dory_breaux

Todd Wannabe
Well, I was watching some BTS for a film that was using panavisions, and I realized something:

the matteboxes are simply square boxes with three sites and french flags. All this time i have been trying to build a angles mattebox and the most simple design and probably the most used was all around me (not literally but you know how i mean). So, I went out to the shop, rummaged around in our cardboard box stash for a bit and found what I was looking for. 20 or so minutes later, I had this:









Its cheap, effective and with a little more tweeking will look the shitz. Needs to be flat black tho, no doubt about it.
Video on how to make to make it (if your dumb enough not to be able to figure it out on your own, that is) shortly, I have some other stuff i need to take care of first.
 
Well real matte boxes give you great control over light/flare, and let you hold filters <-- woop
 
reaktor said:
Well real matte boxes give you great control over light/flare, and let you hold filters <-- woop
Click to expand...

just use screw on filters and problem solve...

But , your client might no be so forgiving and might just hired someone else.

You are as professional as how your gears look.

But it is a good spare when you doing your own project with no clients around
 
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No offense, but I don't think I'd ever let a client see me walk on set with that. It looks better WITHOUT the box on the lens.

I disagree with the statement that you are as professional as your gear looks, but I think you have to take pride in any DIY item you add to your arsenal. Whether it be a mattebox or 35mm adapter...try your best to make it look as professional as possible.

If you really want to use it because of your french flags, by all means go for it...just not in front of a paying client.

-Kegan
 
Yes, it needs alot of revisions, but it works. The flare is considerably less then it was without it. I'm hoping to get a real one soon anyway, this was just a temporary fix to my flare problem.
 
I made a sun shade out of black foam core, black gaffer's tape, and velcro. It affixed to my Redrock Micro35 and allowed for the use of lens filters. Although it didn't look "Pro" it did get the job done and looked a bit more acceptible than the cardboard box approach.

Redrock is finally bringing their MicroMatteBox to market, hit their website for details...

Bob
 
Personally I think this is brilliant! Great solution on a very low budget - almost NO cost. My hat is off to you! And as for looking professional, I thought this was the DIY section,.. last time I checked DIY stood for "Do It Yourself",.. which implies that you are NOT going to end up with some fantastically professional looking, mega-expensive piece of equipment. For me, the point of DIY is solving a problem (in this case the need for a mattebox) in a simple, low-cost way. And here we have the problem solved effectively for almost NO cost! Kudos man! Great job!

Yes, you may not want to show up in front of paying clients with this,.. but if you've got PAYING clients on a big job, then you are most likely BEING PAID, and can more easily afford to skip the DIY and buy a professional one.

Great job dory_breaux! Keep up the good work!
 
Well, of course the point of DIY is to find a fix to a problem at an affordable cost, but don't you pride yourself in your work? It doesn't solve the problem of a mattebox; it solves the problem of a SUNSHADE. I'm not arguing that workarounds are bad, hell I use them all the time.

I'm just saying that having some pride in your DIY projects is a little more than cardboard and tape. If you have paying clients, you STILL may not be able to afford a matebox, as they aren't cheap.

Being encouraging is fine, but being realistic and honest is much more helpful,

Kegan
 
I fail to see how a cardboard box, whatever colour its been painted, stuck to the front of a camera can really be described as looking 'the shitz'
 
Is that worth the embarrasment you would suffer on a professional set? Indy film...right on...paying client, not so good. You know they would be thinking does he really have a cardboard box stuck to his cam? It looks silly to me, but hey we're all entitled to our opinions...right(:
 
Damn guys like i said it was a temporarry fix for a temporary problem. If you dont have a real mattebox right on hand and need to get rid of some lens flare then you roll like i do.
 
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