Paint vs duvetyne for infinite black background?

Jimmy Pierce

Jimmy Pierce

Well-known member
Simple question. Eggshell paint or duvetyne to create infinite black background? Will paint reflect? I'm planning on using a few flats, and have only used duvetyne in the past.
 
Eggshell finish will definitely reflect. Ceiling flat is the very least reflectant but will show pretty much every touch. Flat finish is your best choice if you have to paint. Duvetyne will absorb more light.
 
issue might also be distance from black to point of focus.

if not much distance, duvetyne's depth can be seen.

be well.

rob
 
I've always used duv/backdrops. Found one from Westcott(maybe?) that wasn't very expensive and is made like a fleece jacket so it absorbs light and definitely doesn't reflect.
 
I'd love to use velvet or duvetyne as I have used both in the past but our budget won't permit it. We need to black out a room, and can't afford that much duvetyne or velvet. Also can't paint the entire room as we have a limited window to work. So black flats.

It will be dimly lit, as it's supposed to be a night exterior.

I supposed we'll just crush the blacks in post if it doesn't turn out as well as duvetyne or velvet...
 
How much is cheap black fleece material? Couldn't this be stretched on a frame the size of the flats you would make and paint?
 
I frequent fabric stores. Sometimes you can get good deals on needed supplies like grid-cloth and such. Might be worth it to checkout your local place.
 
Even black craft felt is like $7 a yard. So a gallon of flat black gets attractive pretty fast from a cost standpoint.

If money is tight, you should be able to make the paint work. Watch for edges that catch light, flag your lights, be prepared to crush a bit, etc. Sometimes it helps to add a little more fill than usual to your subjects which will absorb the "crush" without really shadowing everyone up.

The ceiling could be a real problem, too. I've had gigs where we needed a lower key look - I bought a 9' roll of black seamless from the photo store and stapled it to the ceiling; all we had to do was fill the staple holes after, just a smudge of spackle on a fingertip did the trick. Allow 2 or 3 people to hang that though. A roll of black seamless is about $60, and you won't use it all, handy to have around though.
 
You'd be amazed at how many corporate projects buy up a truck-load of duvetyne for a shoot or presentation, and then trash it when they're done. Check ebay, google "used photographer gear" or "fabric lots". Either way David is spot on - no pun intended. Flag your lights down to just the subjects. Create lots of shadows. Hard to get the architecture out of the room with painted walls - no matter how flat.
 
there is also a fine sand available at paint stores for creating a non slip surface, I wonder how that would work with a flat back paint?
 
Also avoid having your talent wear black or extremely dark colors, or plan to do some power window work in post production.
 
Well, we managed to get the paint to work. We had one solid flag, which we used to block light from hitting the floor in front of one of the fill lights and no lights hitting the backdrop completely. Always semi profile to the subjects. Our studio has white floors we had to cover, and the black flats was several feet away from the set. Obviously it could have been better but we made it work. $7 a yard is high for us, and we would have needed at least 20 or so feet. It was a class project with a $75 budget, so not a lot.

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. Hopefully the next time we'll have better options and more time.

When the project is done, I'll post it.
 
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