Reflectors... Use one per actor when filming outside in the sunlight?

F

Filmkid2003

Well-known member
Hey everyone. I will mostly be shooting outside in broad daylight with no lights (we will be shooting in a remote location) for my short film and I am getting ready to buy a 5-in-1 reflector. I will have a lot of shots outside in the sunlight with two, sometimes three actors in the same shot. Should I buy two (three?) separate 5-in-1 reflectors to light up each actor or can I get away with just using one and still have the actors lit up well and have the shot look professional? The outside scenes will be shot during cloudless sunny skies. I'll probably only have one person to hold the reflector most of the time we will be shooting. I was planning on buying the Westcott 40" circular reflector with no stand:

http://www.amazon.com/Westcott-301-Basics-40-Inch-Reflector/dp/B000NFIW98/ref=pd_rhf_shvl_2

Should I buy a larger rectangular reflector instead? Any suggestions? Thanks.
 
Last edited:
Get an 8X frame and griffolyn and/or silver lame to put on it. You might be ok with a 6X frame depending on how close the actors are. Don't try to use the collapsable round reflectors because they're impossible to keep from wiggling when there's wind, and they have too small coverage area.

Or, buy a single piece of 4' x 8' paneling from The Home Depot - the kind that's a shiny white finish on one side and like a masonite color on the other side, and use that. It works like a charm and is less than $20.

.
 
A lot lighter solution is to get a sheet of beadboard insulation at the home improvement store; it's about 1" thick styrofoam with a white side and a silver side. Nothing wrong with the plywood solution except a 4x8 sheet is pretty bulky.
 
Yeah, I use the Home Depot foam board all the time too, but large pieces are hard to keep stable in even a breeze. The stuff I get has one side that's silver and one side that's blue, so I paint the blue side and go.

.
 
@ Chris...

That new picture of you looks like Steven Poster! Or does Steven Poster look like you?
haha.

steven_poster_asc.jpg
 
Ryan Patrick O'Hara said:
@ Chris...

That new picture of you looks like Steven Poster! Or does Steven Poster look like you?
haha.

steven_poster_asc.jpg
Click to expand...

that was my first impression. I thought Steven was using an alias or perhaps Chris could be Steven's familiar looking ghostwriter. i often wonder how Steven has time to shoot projects and run the ICG.
 
I shot a thing outside yesterday at an airport, sunny day. Using the foil side of foam board worked ok and throws long, but was just too hot and hard looking. White looks the best but has a short throw. I was reading where Roger Deakins uses something he calls stipple board which gives a softer effect. A search of suppliers turns up nothing for me with that name. Anybody have any clues about where to find "stipple board"?
 
Sneakle said:
I shot a thing outside yesterday at an airport, sunny day. Using the foil side of foam board worked ok and throws long, but was just too hot and hard looking. White looks the best but has a short throw. I was reading where Roger Deakins uses something he calls stipple board which gives a softer effect. A search of suppliers turns up nothing for me with that name. Anybody have any clues about where to find "stipple board"?
Click to expand...


I'd guess that might be Roscoflex, or Roscoflex is just like it.

.
 
That Calif. Sunbounce system looks very nice. Pricey, but I guess it could be rationalized by thinking of them as outdoor lighting fixtures. They also have a framed silk/butterfly thing that can be mounted on a pole and held by one guy. Just looks more directed at still photography. Would be hard to hold it rock stady for the small area it covers. The Rosco site has something called Cinegel, available as hard to soft, comes in rolls to be mounted as needed. Another option a friend told me about: crumple up aluminum foil and glue it down dull side out to board.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top